Can you get vomiting and diarrhea from the flu shot?

Answer 1

No. The "stomach flu" is not actually a type of influenza, it is a misnomer. There is currently no vaccine for the virus that does cause this gastroenteritis (usually a norovirus) called "stomach flu". It is actually viral gastroenteritis, also sometimes called "Norwalk Flu." Therefore, the seasonal flu vaccination protects against an entirely different type of virus. In addition, it can not give you the stomach flu (or any type of flu) since it is made from inactivated or weakened virus particles that are not able to make you sick. Sometimes the influenza viruses themselves can cause vomiting and other GI symptoms along with the respiratory disease and therefore, it may not be the "stomach flu" causing those symptoms if you have other symptoms of the respiratory disease of the flu.

Answer 2

Not typically. It would more likely be something else...including possibly the beginning of flu symptoms from a flu infection that you might have had before the shot could take affect. But every person has different reactions to different medications so it is not impossible for the vaccination to have caused it, just unlikely. Get plenty of fluids and rest and contact your health care professional if it lasts longer than a few days. Ask your pharmacist for advice about over the counter medications that might help the symptoms.

Answer 3

No, the seasonal flu vaccines only protect against actual influenza (the respiratory flu).

"Stomach flu" is not really the flu, it is not a medical diagnosis. It is a misnomer commonly used to talk about viral gastroenteritis, usually caused by the Noroviruses. Another nick name for norovirus viral gastronenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestines) is "Norwalk Flu", but this, too, is a lay name and not a true diagnosis of influenza. There is no vaccine for viral gastroenteritis.

Answer 4

"Stomach flu" (gastroenteritis) isn't the same kind of flu as that referenced in "flu shot" (influenza). They both use the word "flu" because of a historical impression they were similar, which turns out not to be the case in detail.

It's extremely unlikely (I'd say impossible, but almost nothing is literally impossible) to get stomach flu from a flu shot.

However, it's perfectly possible to have a flu shot and then get stomach flu.

For that matter, it's perfectly possible to have a flu shot and then get the real flu, because a flu shot immunizes against two or three of the dozen to two dozen current strains of influenza virus... the two or three that the people making the flu shots thought were most likely to spread rapidly. Sometimes they guess wrong.

Answer 5

No. I was just in the doctors office getting my H1 three days ago and there was a sign up that stated if you had any flu/ cold that you were to wait until it was clear before getting the H1.