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Sponsored Q&As

Got any questions about flu? Ask GP and broadcaster, Dr Rosemary Leonard! chance to win £300 voucher! NOW CLOSED

339 replies

EllieMumsnet · 26/10/2017 14:09

As winter draws in, it’s crucial to look after ourselves, our families and our little ones. Flu in particular can be a threat at this time of year. Despite the flu being a fairly common illness, its causes, symptoms and remedies can cause some confusion.

With that being said, GP and broadcaster, Dr Rosemary Leonard is here to answer your flu queries and questions. Whether you have questions about the flu vaccination, symptoms in younger children or want to know more about the flu remedies that are out there, Dr Rosemary is here to help.

Dr. Rosemary Leonard, GP and broadcaster, said: “Young children’s bodies can find it hard to cope with flu, so it is especially important to protect them with the vaccine. The nasal spray is a quick, effective and painless alternative to needles.

Once ill, children also tend to spread infection more than adults. The vaccine helps to reduce the spread of flu to other more vulnerable family members, such as grandparents.”

Post any questions you have about the flu on the thread below and we’ll choose 20 for Dr. Rosemary to answer and then post a link to the responses as soon as possible. Everyone who posts their questions will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Here is some information about Dr Rosemary Leonard:
Rosemary has been the resident doctor on BBC Breakfast, and writes a weekly column for the Daily Express and Sunday Express Magazine. She is also the Medical editor and feature writer for Woman and Home magazine. She is still a practising doctor, working as the senior partner at a practice in south London. She has worked as the national GP representative on the Committee on Safety of Medicines, been a member of the Human Genetics Commission and a non- executive Director of the Health protection Agency. She trained in medicine at Cambridge University, where she was awarded double first class honours. She was awarded an M.B.E. for her services to healthcare in 2004, and was awarded ‘Health Advice Columnist of the Year’ in 2016.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&C’s apply

Got any questions about flu? Ask GP and broadcaster, Dr Rosemary Leonard!  chance to win £300 voucher! NOW CLOSED
OP posts:
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hannahbjm · 26/10/2017 14:15

I would like to know why you give flu vaccines in school but all others at gp surgery? Is this because it is not very effective so trial and error?

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PaintingByNumbers · 26/10/2017 14:21

How can my daughter have a flu jab if she is 10 years old? GP won't do it as no pre-existing condition, school won't as she is too old, private pharmacies won't as she is too young. Everyone else in my family has had it now.

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MakeTeaNotWar · 26/10/2017 14:22

Why is the nasal vaccine only available to young children? Perhaps there would be better take up if it was available to everyone, rather than a jab?

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Caillou · 26/10/2017 15:35

I home educate my children, so they do not automatically get the vaccine from school,
my surgery are refusing to vaccinate them as they are of school age,
Which option is the best to have them vaccinated without so much stress?

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starlight36 · 27/10/2017 10:46

Is there any reason why the schools don't offer the vaccination until November or is it just a case of our school being late in the timetable? I was able to get my vaccination done privately in September and pre-school vaccination are having theirs now but our local schools won't be doing it until mid November which then won't be fully active until December - surely that is well within the actual flu season?

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iklboo · 27/10/2017 11:06

I have Ménière's disease. Is it worth me getting the flu jab? My GP surgery keep sending me texts but I'd rather not if it's not really necessary.

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kateandme · 27/10/2017 11:14

theres often rumours. definites on how cold and flu is spread. ie when your cold,damp hair, when your around someone else with a cold or flue,in winter etc.how is it passed or gotten.
also when you have the jab we hear many saying oh no ive got a cold. can you explain on any of these.

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MiraB · 27/10/2017 11:20

My son is 9 years old and in Year 5 so will not be offered the flu jab in school. He also has ASD and very low immunity. I asked the GP about getting him the flu jab and was told that he does not need it as he is healthy. I tried to explain to her that even the smallest cold makes him very sick and takes him a long time to recover. Also other 9 year olds in year 4 would be getting it and the NHS obviously believes that they need it otherwise they wouldn't be sponsoring it. But because he was born 4 days before Sept 1 he suddenly does not need it anymore. I think its more about financing ! But what is even more disconcerting is that there is no way to get it privately even though I am willing to pay for it. I think NHS and GP need to pay a little heed to parents of older children who believe their kids would benefit from the jab and are willing to pay for it. In this situation where can I get the flu jab privately ?

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Lissette · 27/10/2017 11:34

My son is being vaccinated in school in late November so i was wondering, like starlight, why it was happening later in the flu season. He's being investigated for allergic asthma so I'm keen for him to be vaccinated.

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SillyMoomin · 27/10/2017 11:53

Feed a cold, starve a fever- is there any truth in this or it simply a case of what you can when you can?

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sharond101 · 27/10/2017 12:56

When is the best time to get the flu vaccination? My Son isn't getting it at school until 27th November which seems really late.

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MorrisZapp · 27/10/2017 12:58

What's the difference between a heavy cold, and the flu? There are annual fights on here between people claiming to have the flu and people saying they can't possibly have it because people with flu can't type.

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rooella · 27/10/2017 13:03

Why do under 2's not get vaccinated?

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dubdub17 · 27/10/2017 13:06

Can people undergoing 4 chemotherapy sessions every three weeks have the flu jab? If so, when is the best time for them to have it?

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ILikeBigBumpsAndICannotLie · 27/10/2017 14:07

Is there any scientific research confirming that a male adult with flu is more unwell than a female with flu.

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WeKnowFrogsGoShaLaLaLaLa · 27/10/2017 14:19

ILike Grin

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Rosehips · 27/10/2017 14:38

As a healthy adult do I need to buy a flu jab every year or will I still have reasonable immunity from previous years' jabs?

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lolly2011 · 27/10/2017 14:57

What is the best way to treat the flu for a speedy recovery?

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MoreProseccoNow · 27/10/2017 15:30

How accurate are the predictions for the strain of the virus which you will be protected against by annual flu vaccinations?

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Amber0685 · 27/10/2017 15:37

I am a healthy adult 40yrs old, but going into hospital for a hip replacement at the end of next month. Would you recommend vaccination?

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UpOnDown · 27/10/2017 15:40

Which is more effective, nasal or jab?

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Lisas123A · 27/10/2017 15:43

My son has an egg allergy. Would it be safe for him to have the flu jab?

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LadyinCement · 27/10/2017 15:47

I would like to know how you know there is a flu epidemic. I have had Real Flu a couple of times in my life and on both occasions I was utterly poleaxed. I was certainly incapable of going to the doctor's. Likewise d&v - who leaves the safety of the bathroom to go to the GP? Confused

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NerrSnerr · 27/10/2017 15:57

Would you recommend that healthy adults get the vaccine privately?

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LadyLapsang · 27/10/2017 18:15

I understand only 46% of front-line NHS staff were vaccinated against flu in 2015-16. Considering health professionals have access to the best medical evidence, why do you think uptake of the vaccine in these groups is not higher?

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