Most years it is the 60-80% effective level. Yes, this year is low but that is not normal. The low number this year is the cause for the many deaths so far. The scientists didn't quite get the right mixture in the shot. It does vary from year to year.
No, you cannot get the viral flu from the shot. No person has ever been proven to get it that way. Yes, 1 in a thousand feel a little under the weather for a day or two but that is not the flu. That is merely a reaction to the shot and it is not serious. You can also get a slight reaction from a number of different shots. Do you think that you should not have had the polio shot? Last year, in Minneapolis, we had a outbreak of polio among the very large Somali population. This was caused by a study that was proven to be a fake that the polio shot caused mental problems in children. Several children had to die before the population could be educated that getting the shot was necessary.
You can't merely stay away from hospitals. You have to stay away from people all the time. That means restaurants, public transportation, sporting events, casinos (if you are into that), grocery stores, etc. Not my idea of fun. I'm not a big fan of a lot of people but I do most of the above now and then. I can't be a loner and chase birds all the time. I need to eat, etc. I have a pair of football tickets for a couple of weeks from now that I hope will include the Vikings. Can you imagine the germs that will be floating around in that warm stadium?
Bottom line it has never been proven that the flu shot causes any serious harm. And not getting it will leave you open to the possibility (remote I agree) that you could get the flu and even more remotely die. I choose to get the shot and if I get the flu it will be milder and I will not likely spent any time in a hospital.
I already went through a mild, though very uncomfortable, case of pneumonia this winter. That could have turned into the flu if I had not had the shot in early late September.
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