Flu jabs - do you/your family get one each year, if not, why?

[RedCyclamens]

I am curious to understand if it helps or not. I am new to the UK and it is not very prevalent in my country. Will you be getting the jab this year and if yes, is it even available in your local pharmacy?

Thank you in advance for your lovely answers :)

I've never got one, nor my family.
I've only had flu once over a decade ago.

I get it every year. The one year I missed it I got the flu and was really poorly and laid up in bed for 2 weeks. It took me ages to feel normal. I really don't want to go through that again!

I'm a HCP and it's offered free at work. I know it's not 100% but it's done me well so far

On my 4th year of having it free due to having had a heart attack. Have it at the doctors surgery.

Dd gets one. She has severe asthma. I’m pretty sure her specialist would call child services if I didn’t get her a flu shot.

DH generally gets one.

I do not because the last couple of times I got one, I got a 3 day migraine of the variety where I can’t do anything but lay on the bathroom floor wretching. Having had the flu definitely diagnosed more than once in my life and once lasting 3 weeks, I prefer the flu to the migraine.

DH has had one for free for the last 7 years because he had a stroke.

I had flu 4 years ago and have never felt so awful. I literally could not get out of bed for a week. After a week DH had to help me have a shower and I almost collapsed in there.

It took me over 6 weeks to get over it. I could barely walk and just having a wash or walking up the stairs exhausted me.

I paid to have a vaccination but this year I am entitled to it for free as I am now 66

No. We dont need it

I have asthma so I get it every year and my family get it too as DS's nurse at the child health clinic (not UK) offers to give it to all of us when she gives it to DS as I'm never quite sure if OH and DD would get it otherwise as they aren't in the risk groups.

Both DH and I had ours at Boots on Wednesday. I had flu in December last year and it took till February to properly recover so I'm not repeating that again. DD will miss hers at school next week as she's isolating so I need to rearrange that and I still need to book one for teen DS.

I get it through work (doctor) and DH is supposed to get one as he's a cancer survivor but he doesn't always remember

DS1 gets his nasal spray at the GP as he's the right age for it but DS2 is too young.

I used to get one every year, even though I have to pay (it’s not expensive). Unfortunately this year they don’t seem to be available. Pharmacies are rationing them to over 65s and the vulnerable, presumably because of increased demand from people who never bothered in the past. Grrr...

So if you decide to get one, good luck.

I don’t as I’m not entitled on the nhs and I worry about going private and using stock that is required for higher risk / vulnerable people.
My ds gets his at school and pils and DPs all get it due to age.

scar That's not strictly true. Effectiveness varies from year to year, by type of vaccine, and among different age groups.
vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/vk/inactivated-flu-vaccine

The above link also explains why it's difficult to make a totally effective flu vaccine. And says that the different flu vaccines offered are remarkably safe.

And even taking your figure, that's 4 out of 10 people who are saved from serious illness or even death each winter.

@museumum

I don’t as I’m not entitled on the nhs and I worry about going private and using stock that is required for higher risk / vulnerable people. My ds gets his at school and pils and DPs all get it due to age.

The drs ordered there’s at the start of 2020, you won’t be depriving anyone.

I’m a hcp, I have it every year. Dh doesn’t react well to vaccines so he doesn’t which worries me.

There’s a strange mindset in patients though of “I’ve never had flu so I don’t need the flu jab” which is like saying I’ve never had polio so I don’t need the polio vaccination. I wonder how we eradicated any illness with that mindset.

I’ve had some horrific viruses in the past and would have happily had a vaccine for them.

Not usually, but DH and I have done every year since we had DD as she couldn't get it on her own (well, she could, but I didn't want to stick her with an extra needle). She's getting the nasal spray this year but DH and I are still getting the jab because DC2 is on its way and we want to limit the chance of them contracting it from us.

@florascotia2

scar That's not strictly true. Effectiveness varies from year to year, by type of vaccine, and among different age groups. vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/vk/inactivated-flu-vaccine

The above link also explains why it's difficult to make a totally effective flu vaccine. And says that the different flu vaccines offered are remarkably safe.

And even taking your figure, that's 4 out of 10 people who are saved from serious illness or even death each winter.

Yes effective varies from year to year but it's still generally under 40%.

When I'm young/fit/healthy I'm certainly not going to bother with something with a 40% chance.

Yes, I have bad asthma & a chronic illness. DH has finally announced that he will start from this year as he's now over 40 & my carer, so he's eligible. (Been asking him to get it for years!) DD has has the nose spray for the last couple of years at school.

Having had the proper flu once, I don't know why there isn't more demand for the vaccine.