I am one of those who does not get the flu shots. Oh, I got one of two through the years but, until this year, I haven’t gotten the flu since I was eight.

Well, my charmed flu-free life is over. And let me tell you, the flu is a nasty disease. Although none of the outbreaks have caused as much death as the Spanish Flu in 1918, even in these modern times a million or more die.

It is viral and changes every year. Even the shot only protects against a few of the strains – and there might be a few early strains in October and November and a few entirely different ones the following spring. Isn’t that good news? That even with the shot a person can be susceptible to a different strain of the virus.

I think most people know by now that the flu can affect birds and pigs and the avian and swine strains can infect humans. Frequently, the strains that have mutated among the animal vectors are the most virulent of all.

Some of the symptoms: cough, runny nose, fever, headache are the same as with the common cold but the flu lasts one to two weeks. And after all the other symptoms pass, I have found that the fatigue continues. I have just felt limp for a month.The other symptom I experienced is disruption of taste. Everything tasted both bitter and metallic – even water. Yuck.

So will I get the shot in future? Definitely! I want to maximize my chances of not going through this again.