Flu jab for 8yo with egg allergy and seasonal asthma?

[MegBusset]

Apparently this year the govt is offering the flu vaccine to all Y1 and y2 children. It got me thinking about DS1, who is in Y4 so wouldn't be automatically offered it. He's never had the flu vaccine apart from swine flu, he doesn't have chronic asthma but has what the doc calls "seasonal asthma' - when his hay fever is bad or if he gets a chesty cold then he sometimes ends up with bronchitis and needs steroids. (He has a blue inhaler for symptomatic relief.) He is also allergic to egg (among other things) so I understand he couldn't have the nasal vaccine and would need an injection.

Has anyone in a similar situation got the flu vaccine for their DC, or not bothered with it? He's as fit as a flea apart from his allergies so I wouldn't normally worry about it but it's just the possibility of chest infections that has got me thinking.

[CantSee4Looking]

They refused ds the flu injection. He was invited for a nasal one this year with similar asthma pattern to your ds. He also can't have the nasal spray due to allergies.
We have a routine of seasonal preventor taking. So he will go on his brown inhaler equivalent one dose morning, one dose tea time as a preventative measure between now and feburary. Come off it again until mid to late march depending on the pollen season as he is allergic to tree pollen and take it until end of may when he is off it until about end of Oct ish depending on the cold/weather. Perhaps a preventor with as need pattern might be possible.

Ds has not suffered any more than I have when he has not had the flu shot and I have. In fact he generally has less chest infections than me. My understanding is the Flu shot won't prevent a lot of the chest infections that go around. But will stop the complications that come with flu.

Perhaps booking a phone consultation/asthma nurse appointment would be helpful to discuss preventative control for his asthma bringing up the flu shot and preventor and asking about other routes. This one can be beneficial with specialist knowledge and background knowledge that would be unwise to part with on the internet.

[Schrodingersmum]

I am a brittle asthmatic and always have my flu vaccine, my kids have the flu nose spray to prevent them bringing flu into the house

The one time DS didnt have it he caught flu and made me very ill, kids have had the spray for 2 years now with no problems

[rogueelement]

My DD is asthmatic and egg-allergic (anaphylactic), and she's had the flu nasal spray this year. Last year she took part in a study on side-effects of the flu spray in egg allergic children, and now the advice is that children with egg allergy should be fine unless they have ended up in intensive care as a result of their allergy.

(The study was 750 seriously egg-allergic kids and only a very few experienced side effects).

[MegBusset]

OK that's reassuring. Did she have it at hospital /GP?

[rogueelement]

At the GP this year, at the clinic last year. Both times fine and no injections!