Child very poorly after nasal flu jab?

[heartbroken22]

It's really upsetting me because she's not been able to sleep and is really bunged up with a cough. It seems like nothing is working!!!

But the nasal spray does contain live flu virus - this is a fairly common side effect.

I hope she feels better soon.

No, I just wanted to put balance out there!

@MrsMorrisey hearing from people who had no problems may not help the person who did, but it will help when deciding next time or other people reading it to hear that not everyone has side effects.

Still better than flu in my opinion.

I work in school. I deal with ensuring as many of our children as possible receive the nasal flu vaccination and attendance.

Our attendance trend does not change in the period following the vaccination day. This would indicate that, at least in my school, the vaccination does not have untoward side effects.

I must admit this is a vaccination I’ve always swerved, and don’t think that I’d have DS have it either. It may be anecdotal but enough people have complained of feeling unwell after it for me to think it is the cause of at least some of it.

I’ve had flu twice in my life. ACTUAL FLU not a heavy cold. Made covid look like a walk in the park. I do now have the flu jab and I’ve never had more than a sore arm for a day or two. BUT I would take being bunged up and a cough cold for a few days over the WEEKS it took me to recover from real flu any time.

My DC are too old for them to have been offered it when they were at school but I pay for them both to have the jab every year.

Vaccinations don’t only protect those receiving the vaccine.

Vaccinations don’t only protect those receiving the vaccine

I think this is where I will differ in my view from many here.

No one should be having an invasive procedure that is of no benefit to them.

So you don’t believe in the benefits of herd immunity ?

I'm sorry for everyone who has poorly kids at the mo. There is a tonne of viruses going around and some of them are very odd.

I just wanted to say for those who are worried about next year, the response isn't always the same. I have a 10 and 8 year old. The 10 year old has never had any reaction but the 8 year old is prone to nasty colds and when she was 3&4 came down with a head cold and cough after the flu spray but then has been absolutely fine at 5&6, felt a bit sick in the 24 hours after last year's and this year has been totally fine. In my experience, the response had been so variable, I have learned that for my child, a less that ideal experience one year shouldn't put us off taking it the next and I want her to have some protection from full blown flu.

I believe that vaccinations should be given for the benefit of the individual receiving the vaccination, @KangarooKenny .

“Invasive”??? Seriously? The nasal flu vaccine is a tiny squirt up each nostril. None if the children I have seen having it (and that’s almost my whole primary school every year) have ever said it was more than a slight tickle and a”strawberry taste” in the back of their mouth.

“No benefit to them”??? You know that flu can kill?

It’s totally normal to feel a bit under the weather after a vaccination. It’s the body’s immune system working to build immunity.

BUT there is an absolutely awful cough thing going around right now. I’m much more ill with it than I was with COVID and almost everyone I know currently is sick with the same or their dc are.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3404712/. Increased Risk of Noninfluenza Respiratory Virus Infections Associated With Receipt of Inactivated Influenza Vaccine.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4910891/?fbclid=IwAR0nuj7NdMCV1IcIqNCAzD2WDjV6Ub536Fruy4xt_aADw_d35FOiEYnq8Xc#!po=51.7857. The Effects of Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine on Nasopharyngeal Bacteria in Healthy 2 to 4 Year Olds. A Randomized Controlled Trial

Both of these are relatively small scale trials - but nevertheless make for interesting reading.

There was a large scale piece of research that was being undertaken in 2019/2020 (I can't remember the details but I remember reading the sign up information) which was looking into the question whether the nasal flu vaccine was leading to an increase in other non flu infections. I do not know if the research was interrupted by COVID or if it has been concluded and published.. however, there was enough concern around this for the question to be asked and for the research to be commissioned.

My 2yr old had flu vaccine (nasal) for the first time this year and was I'll for 5-6days. Day 3&4 he had a temp of 39.4 which is unlike him.
He's pretty robust normally - in nursery etc.

The flu vaccine can make a child unwell because it is a live (weakened) virus but it shouldn't make them very unwell.

Despite this I do think it was the vaccine personally! However I still think it was worth getting because it a weakened version made him poorly I'm glad he won't get the full strength one! (Hopefully).

My 8year old has the spray 6 days ago and hasn't had a meal since and this is not like her at all keeps just saying tummy isn't hungry I don't know what to do I am so stressed

My 8 year old had the flu spray 6 days ago and hasn't had a meal since , this is a child who loves his food so I am really worried he's only drinking minimal water and odd banana that's it

If the antibiotics are working then she has a bacterial infection not viral (flu). Strep a is the reason so many children have been having antibiotics. Hope she feels better soon.xx

This is nothing to do with the nasal flu spray. Your child just happened to get ill it’s a coincidence.

I’ve just tested positive for influenza A on a flow flex LFT after feeling like utter death for a week. (I’ve been seriously ill). My husband too.

My eldest was not due his nasal spray until Jan and has been laid up in bed. My two youngest kids had the spray back in Oct and haven’t had the joy of this flu. I am so grateful they had it and it just proves how it works.

And the other thing is, if you're child was bad with the vaccine then think how ill they would have been getting full blown flu..

My 5 year old was really poorly after having the flu vaccine, he had bad nose bleeds and fever and went completely off his food. It may have been bad timing, but it seemed like too much of a coincidence.

So what? What if he had all that with the full flu?