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Original poster

Flu with vaccine

26 replies

Glitterbugle · 16/02/2019 09:22

I seem to have gotten the flu even though I had the vaccine. It might seem a silly question but do i need to let a doctor know? I guess I probably don’t as they don’t have the time to see everyone with flu but I was wondering how does the NHS monitor how effective the vaccine is if they don’t know?

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 16/02/2019 09:24

The vaccine only covers certain strains. And is it definitely flu you have? Symptoms?

madeyemoodysmum · 16/02/2019 09:25

My dh had flu. No vaccine
My dd had it after him She had vaccine but was no way as Ill as dh

I didn’t get it. Vaccine
Dd didn’t get it. Vaccine

dudsville · 16/02/2019 09:25

There's are lots of strains of flu. The vaccine only covers certain ones not ask of them. Your gp won't be collecting data on this so no need to bother them. Get yourself some rest!

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General health
planespotting · 16/02/2019 09:26

You should have been given a leaflet with it and they should have explained that this vaccine doesn't cover all strains etc

greenelephantscarf · 16/02/2019 09:28

yes, there are lots of different strains.
and very very few people do not respond to vaccination (very rare though)
hope you feel better!

Lonecatwithkitten · 16/02/2019 09:40

This year the flu vaccine covers four strains of the virus. So it does not cover all strains.

It also does not prevent a really nasty cold.
The more years you have the vaccine the more protection you get due to the strains changing every year.

Original poster
Glitterbugle · 16/02/2019 09:43

Yes I think it is flu. Temperature of nearly 40 which comes down to 38.5 with medication but only lasts a few hours before the cycle of shivering/ chills then sweating starts again. Sore throat, earache, headache, general ache all over, can’t move out bed really, even TV seems a bit much. Tight feeling chest. No cold symptoms.

I do still have an appetite which is weird but I’ve read the vaccine can make the symptoms lesser so maybe it’s this.

OP posts:
PomDeNlume · 16/02/2019 09:44

I’ll be interested to see what the stats are like for this year’s vaccine - my husband, son, and mother had a horrible flu-like illness over Christmas and my father and I had the vaccine and didn’t get it. Obviously correlation is not causation but from this small sample size it seems like they might have predicted the right strains this year!

user1471530109 · 16/02/2019 09:49

I have it. And had the vaccine. As did dd2 and she also has it. She seems to be recovering quicker than me. Dd1 had vaccine and so far (touch wood) hasn't got it.

I have slept the whole week away. Feel like I've been run over by a bus.

ForgivenessIsDivine · 16/02/2019 10:05

GP's collect data on flu and report it centrally. The flu vaccine does claim to provide protection to other types of flu and it is useful to know what other strains are in circulation.

greenelephantscarf · 16/02/2019 10:08

what flu strains are included is a (very educated) guess.

last year they got it wrong but hopefully this year they got it better.

ShowOfHands · 16/02/2019 10:14

3 DC in DS's school have been officially diagnosed with Influenza type a, as well as 2 parents. A friend's son is in hospital right now, influenza a confirmed overnight. I am 95% sure both of my DC have had it. Very high (41) fever, aching, exhaustion, sore throat. DS was really unwell for 4 days. He's 7 and slept all day and needed carrying to the loo.

Interestingly, most DC in the school were ill for 3/4 days and bounced back, handful of cases per class. Except for Year 6, who weren't vaccinated routinely, saw absence of 1-2 weeks and had 15 children absent at one point (half the class).

mrsjackrussell · 16/02/2019 10:15

There are 1000s of different flu viruses and they mutate constantly. 3 or 4 main stains are chosen in the spring before by scientists.
You can still get flu but it will be a different virus to the one you're vaccinated against.
Some years they may predict wrong and you get a particularly nasty virus causing an epidemic. Like a few years back when care homes were closed.

RogueV · 16/02/2019 10:25

I had the vaccine
I also got flu (influenza A confirmed via swab) at 33 weeks pregnant.
I was really poorly.

Unfortunately the vaccine isn’t 100% however the doctors reckoned I would have been much worse if I hadn’t have had the vaccine.

Who knows

ForgivenessIsDivine · 16/02/2019 10:40

www.gov.uk/government/publications/influenza-vaccine-effectiveness-seasonal-estimates

Overall effectiveness last year was 15% this report shows effectiveness against specific strains. Even if you have a strain that is in the vaccine, it is not 100% effective.

ForgivenessIsDivine · 16/02/2019 10:41

OP. I do hope you feel better soon.

HJWT · 16/02/2019 11:30

My DH had flu influenza A, he passed out it was that bad and had to be given tamiflu DD & I had the vaccine and inly had bad colds xx

Original poster
Glitterbugle · 16/02/2019 18:38

GP's collect data on flu and report it centrally. The flu vaccine does claim to provide protection to other types of flu and it is useful to know what other strains are in circulation.

But how would one let the GP know is what I’m wondering. I’m not going to take up an emergency appointment (plus not sure I could make it there!) and if I just tell phone the receptionist and tell them I have flu they quite rightly probably would do nothing.

OP posts:
PeterPiperPickedWrong · 16/02/2019 18:47

We tell patients NOT to come to the surgery with flu and, unless severe and needing hospital treatment, we don’t swab to confirm flu either.
By all means if you are struggling phone and ask for a telephone consultation or a call back from the duty Dr so the symptoms will be recorded on your notes an they can advise you.

I hope you feel better soon

Original poster
Glitterbugle · 16/02/2019 18:49

@peterpiperpickedwrong thanks for clarifying. I don’t think I need a doctor, I have a very high temp but no worrying signs as far as I’m aware

OP posts:
NoParticularPattern · 16/02/2019 18:51

I suggest you dose yourself up and get some rest. As others have said the vaccine doesn’t cover every strain but it should offer some protection (ie reduced symptoms or duration) even for the strains which it doesn’t cover. Although there’s always the chance that it didn’t generate the required response in you and therefore you don’t have immunity, but there’s very little way of knowing unless you can afford to have yourself tested! Rest up and hope that it doesn’t last weeks like normal!

33goingon64 · 16/02/2019 18:56

I got horrid flu last year and it started 6 hours after I got the vaccine. Could be a coincidence...

Wolfiefan · 16/02/2019 22:33
  1. It is a coincidence. The vaccine isn’t a live one.
WhoNose88 · 16/02/2019 23:39

I work in a lab that tests for flu - given that we cover an area with hundreds of thousands of people, we have very few requests for flu tests, and those are generally urgent cases and inpatients (we test so it doesn't spread around the hospital). A+E also does point of care (bedside) tests if someone has flu like symptoms, and then we use a better test if that comes up positive to confirm.

GPs are not really interested in testing for flu - they certainly don't want people with flu coming in just to get it tested, because if certain of their patients were to catch it in the waiting room it could be lethal.

Unless it causes secondary infections, breathing difficulties, or other complications the general advice is to keep home, rest, and drink plenty of fluids.

It's possible to still get flu after a vaccine, but it's likely to be less severe, and no you can't catch flu from a vaccine.

differentnameforthis · 17/02/2019 02:27

That's because the vaccine work by lessening the effects of the virus, not preventing it completely!