just today I heard a big pharma flack say that this year's flu vaccines lined up nicely with the strains going around.

Only 3 (sometimes 4) strains are included in a typical flu shot; but there are several strains of flu circulating at any one time. You also can catch the flu from a strain in the vaccine, although symptoms are usually milder in most cases. It's possible your body did not react normally to the vaccine and did not produce the necessary anti-bodies.

Regardless, hopefully you are feeling much better and are on the road to a full recovery. Everyone should obtain a flu shot every year unless your doctor says otherwise. The vaccine can save your life and it can save the lives of those around you.

chances are you'd have even been sicker if you hadn't had the shot. I got the flu many years ago during the Hong Kong Flu epidemic, and I'd never been so sick, before or since. If I hadn't been a healthy 19-year-old I don't know what would have happened. I never want to get that sick again so I've been getting the shots every year, ever since they became available. It's good insurance against something that could be a lot worse (and I've never got the flu again since 1969). The flu shots won't prevent bronchitis, though, which is a different bug.

The effectiveness of vaccinations from 2004 - 2018 has ranged from 10% (i.e. only 10% more effective than doing nothing) to 60%. The average effectiveness is around 40% (it's been a while since I calculated it from the single-year effectiveness rates). The last time the effectiveness was over 50% was 2013, and before that 2010. I can't find estimates yet for this year.

Despite all the hype about vaccinations, and condemnation directed at people who choose not to vaccinate, it is not a magic guardian against the flu.