Anyone's DC have bad reaction to vaccines and had the flu one?

[Cherryup]

Ds is 10 and has ended up in hospital after every vaccination and had a few of them actually done in hospital as his reactions are so severe (temps over 40c, non-blanching rash etc). He has some kind of super immune system which fights off the vaccine or something like that. There's never been any lasting effects, just a hairy few days.

For this reason we have never given him the flu vaccination, couldn't bear the thought of him getting so poorly on an annual basis.

Some people have said this one won't cause illness, some say it might, who knows?

Given the current situation I am rethinking our stance on it and wondering if this year we are best just doing it.

Any thoughts, has it made your child ill, anyone else with a dc who gets poorly from vaccines?

Our toddler had the flu vaccine a few days ago. Nurse warned it might cause a temperature 2 days later. His temperature was slightly raised (not enough to be a 'temperature' though). He did have a very runny nose and seemed lethargic, like having a bad cold, which was then gone by the next day. He's always had some sort of reaction to vaccines, but fortunately nothing like you describe.

I’ve a nine year old. Never had a problem with any vaccine until she had her flu one last year which ended up making her quite poorly (although not hospitalised poorly). Am not sure what to do about this year’s.

Practice nurse.
Well is course it might with his history. A temp is quite common but if medical staff feel he's been bad enough in the past to vaccinate in hospital, in my mind the flu vaccine is no different. Seek their advice.

Honestly, for this type of advice you shouldn't be asking here. You need someone medical who knows his history.

It's interesting though! Do the vaccines give him immunity? I think most vaccines don't have that effect on people so it's irrelevant if this one says it doesn't make people ill.
I've reacted badly to a vaccine before, but still had to complete the course. I was petrified, so don't underestimate the mental toll of him having it! What do the experts say - if he reacts so badly to the vaccine would he also react badly to the illness itself? I've no idea if they are linked. You need to talk to a specialist.

Thanks all, medical advice has been different from every person I've spoken to about it, so thought I'd see if I could get some real life experiences.

I don't think we'll know if the flu one will have an effect until we try it, just not sure I want to risk trying it, especially as it's annual and changes a bit every year.

Normally I'm quite happy with my stance on it and have to defend it every year to school, the pandemic is making me less certain it's the right thing to do though.

Touching a million pieces of wood as I type this, but he doesn't get ill, not had one day off school as yet, to the extent he was the only one in his whole year not to catch norovirus last year.

I have no idea if this is linked, the only time he's ever been ill and then really ill, is after a vaccination.

and have to defend it every year to school
Why on earth do you have to defend your stance to the school? What business is it of theirs?

I get asked every year about it and told I'll get a call from the nurse, I never have though.

I have never even heard the flu jab being mentioned from school. Measles yes, when there was an outbreak nearby.

That is way out of their remit, a school has nothing to say about your child's medical needs or whether or not they get vaccines. I would answer that I'm following the advice of our doctor and see no need to discuss it further.

It might be different if he was missing school regularly due to coughs and colds etc but from what you say, this isn't the case.

@CloudSingsAloud I think it's just because it's very obvious on vaccination day that he's one of the only ones not having it done, so raises a few questions, but yeah it's not really their business.

Hi, I’m an immunisation nurse. The flu spray that children are offered in school is a live vaccine, by that i mean a very weakened version, but it can cause an immune response. To be honest with your sons history I’d imagine the school immunisation team wouldn’t be happy to give it in a school environment. The other option is the inactivated dose which is unfortunately an injection, done at the GPs which might be better for your child. If you decide not to have it done for medical reasons then take some comfort from the fact that if most of his classmates get it done it offers him some protection. We immunise as many children as we can to protect others like your son or people with cancer etc who really can’t get it done, herd immunity does work.

Thank you @Woodsageseasalt that's really helpful, I appreciate you taking the time to explain a bit more.

I feel better knowing I am right to avoid it, I will speak to the GP about the injection instead though.

Bear in mind, most of his previous childhood vaccines that he reacted to would have been inactivated too.

Thanks for all the replies today, they prompted me to have a telephone appt with the gp. He is in agreement that it wouldn't be in his best interests to have it and is going to write to the hospital to double check and ask about BCG when the time comes, as thinks he probably shouldn't have that either.

It was good to get a proper response to the question as previously no one has said a firm yes or no.

That's good you're finally getting some answers. Don't forget to give DS a couple of stock answers that will shut down any discussion. I imagine he's getting to the age where they might question him directly and worst case, he might feel pressured to have it.

They don't give BCG in school any more, just to babies in certain areas.

@CloudSingsAloud good idea, will tell him what to say if asked thanks.

@Treesofwood that solves that worry then.

Are there any other vaccinations due as he gets older?

Just to say my son has never had the flu vaccine and I’ve declined it this year as well. I am very pro vaccine and obviously he has had all the others but I’m very against the flu nasal vaccine as I don’t like the thought of them putting a vaccine in their nose. Initially I declined as he had countless operations when he was younger and was terrified of things near his mouth/nose. I asked for him to have the injection instead which I’m more than happy for him to have but GP wouldn’t do it.

He will be due hpv vaccine, then booster dip, tet, polio and meningitis acwy (school leavers around year 10) at high school.
FWIW, I'm a nurse who vaccinated and never gave consent for nasal flu for my DC.
It never sat comfortably with me to vaccinate healthy children largely to protect other vulnerable groups, mainly the elderly, thousands of which refuse year after year to have it themselves.

@cptartapp thanks, we can make sure they're done at the hospital then.

My DH is vulnerable so has the injection every year, as do his grandparents, so at least they'll be safe.