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Original poster

Schools closing for flu

424 replies

Busydoingsomething · 12/12/2025 00:02

A school near me has partially closed due to staff shortages. Another has cancelled all performances. Some of the children will have been vaccinated but I suspect, lots of the staff won’t have been. I was listening to 2 people today, on the train, discussing whether school staff should be vaccinated, to prevent the staff being off and impacting on education. Wondering if this would be a good move.

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11
PersephoneParlormaid · 13/12/2025 07:14

DucksInARowingBoat · 12/12/2025 23:29

By "no good" I meant it's no good if you don't eat gelatine, not that it doesnt work. If you dont eat egg then you need to ask for the vegan flu shot.

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The egg free vaccination is for those with an egg allergy so severe that they have been anaphylactic in ICU with it. It is grown on egg cells, it doesn’t contain egg.

PersephoneParlormaid · 13/12/2025 07:20

T1Dmama · 13/12/2025 02:16

I’m shocked at these teachers claiming only half their students took up the vaccination!…. My friends daughter never had the vaccine because it contains meat products and of a class of 30 she was the only child who didn’t have it throughout the whole of primary.
No Idea why the nurses dishing out the vaccine to the kids can’t also jab the teachers at the same time. .. maybe that would put pressure on teachers to have it though which wouldn’t be fair.

Nurses dishing out the vaccine don’t have time to do teachers as well, we have to do two primary schools a day, and that includes signing in and out, setting up, travelling between schools, and it would be quite nice to have our dinner during our unpaid 30 minute break.

PersephoneParlormaid · 13/12/2025 07:25

For those saying you caught flu off your child who had the flu spray, yes the spray is live but it is also attenuated (dampened down) so you are a likely to catch flu off that child as you are from going out and about your daily life.
I have my flu jab every year and I’ve never been ill from it, but I was ill after a Covid jab.
I also started giving nasal sprays a couple of weeks before I had my own jab this year, and I didn’t catch flu. Believe me, we get covered in it. They sneeze on you and all sorts.

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Crumpt · 13/12/2025 07:44

cornflakecrunchie · 12/12/2025 23:54

I haven't read TFT but isn't the jab only about 35% effective?

On the other hand, I can't believe people are too tight to pay for it.. we pay for attention to hair, teeth etc, surely jabs are more important?

But it's literally never been a problem in my life before? I genuinely can't think of a time, ever, when a child has been marked absent on the register with the reason marked as flu. In years and years of teaching, there's never been a flu outbreak at a school I've taught at. I'm not in a group that's advised to be vaccinated. I don't spend money on many, many things that don't arise in my life. Obviously if we'd known this would happen I would have but an adult being vaccinated for flu isn't like making sure your child has had the MMR, it's an extra precaution rather than unconditionally recommended.

Sleepy90 · 13/12/2025 08:19

I'm in hospital for the 4th time in 2 weeks with the flu, it's spread to my ears and stomach and I'm a wreck.

But even the paramedics and staff can't get the jab, they can't keep up with it and have to cancel their own jabs to prioritise the vulnerable.

landlordhell · 13/12/2025 08:23

At my school 60% of chn took up the nasal spray. I am 54 and have never had a flu jab and am rarely ill even though I get surrounded by the children’s bugs. I try to eat and sleep really well and open windows a lot.

PeriMumEndofHerTether · 13/12/2025 08:30

"Flu". Its probably covid!

landlordhell · 13/12/2025 08:53

PeriMumEndofHerTether · 13/12/2025 08:30

"Flu". Its probably covid!

A child I know was recently in hospital with flu type A and they said there were only a few Covid patients in the hospital but loads of flu.

TeethAreImportant · 13/12/2025 09:12

Rainbowbeginings · 12/12/2025 21:55

We haven’t taken the flu vaccine this year because a week after it last year both mine had flu which passed to us. It can’t be a coincidence that they start giving out a live vaccine to children and everyone starts getting flu. The second reason being that the school offered this on the 5th December and my daughter was unwell and missed this day anyway. I’m hoping the natural immunity we have will see us through this winter.

Children have been having this vaccine in school for a few years now, so it's not any kind if co-incidence at all. Every now and again, the UK will have a worse than usual flu season. This year is one of them. Stop looking for conspiracies.

sakura06 · 13/12/2025 09:24

I got a voucher from my school this year and last year. I would happily pay for it myself as well. I had flu one Christmas as a child and genuinely thought I might die, as I couldn’t have a sip of water without vomiting and couldn’t breathe properly either. I am keen to avoid it.

FighterMumTigerMum · 13/12/2025 09:40

Busydoingsomething · 12/12/2025 00:02

A school near me has partially closed due to staff shortages. Another has cancelled all performances. Some of the children will have been vaccinated but I suspect, lots of the staff won’t have been. I was listening to 2 people today, on the train, discussing whether school staff should be vaccinated, to prevent the staff being off and impacting on education. Wondering if this would be a good move.

The vaccine is based on last years flu and it’s mutated quite a bit. I’ve had a vaccine, ended up hospitalised with flu this week. The hospital staff said the vaccines were almost useless. Two strains of flu they test for- A and B. A includes the more pandemic style ones - swine flu etc - and this superflu is an A. The vaccines are largely based on B

FighterMumTigerMum · 13/12/2025 09:40

Busydoingsomething · 12/12/2025 00:02

A school near me has partially closed due to staff shortages. Another has cancelled all performances. Some of the children will have been vaccinated but I suspect, lots of the staff won’t have been. I was listening to 2 people today, on the train, discussing whether school staff should be vaccinated, to prevent the staff being off and impacting on education. Wondering if this would be a good move.

The vaccine is based on last years flu and it’s mutated quite a bit. I’ve had a vaccine, ended up hospitalised with flu this week. The hospital staff said the vaccines were almost useless. Two strains of flu they test for- A and B. A includes the more pandemic style ones - swine flu etc - and this superflu is an A. The vaccines are largely based on B

FighterMumTigerMum · 13/12/2025 09:40

Busydoingsomething · 12/12/2025 00:02

A school near me has partially closed due to staff shortages. Another has cancelled all performances. Some of the children will have been vaccinated but I suspect, lots of the staff won’t have been. I was listening to 2 people today, on the train, discussing whether school staff should be vaccinated, to prevent the staff being off and impacting on education. Wondering if this would be a good move.

The vaccine is based on last years flu and it’s mutated quite a bit. I’ve had a vaccine, ended up hospitalised with flu this week. The hospital staff said the vaccines were almost useless. Two strains of flu they test for- A and B. A includes the more pandemic style ones - swine flu etc - and this superflu is an A. The vaccines are largely based on B

FighterMumTigerMum · 13/12/2025 09:40

Busydoingsomething · 12/12/2025 00:02

A school near me has partially closed due to staff shortages. Another has cancelled all performances. Some of the children will have been vaccinated but I suspect, lots of the staff won’t have been. I was listening to 2 people today, on the train, discussing whether school staff should be vaccinated, to prevent the staff being off and impacting on education. Wondering if this would be a good move.

The vaccine is based on last years flu and it’s mutated quite a bit. I’ve had a vaccine, ended up hospitalised with flu this week. The hospital staff said the vaccines were almost useless. Two strains of flu they test for- A and B. A includes the more pandemic style ones - swine flu etc - and this superflu is an A. The vaccines are largely based on B

FighterMumTigerMum · 13/12/2025 09:40

Busydoingsomething · 12/12/2025 00:02

A school near me has partially closed due to staff shortages. Another has cancelled all performances. Some of the children will have been vaccinated but I suspect, lots of the staff won’t have been. I was listening to 2 people today, on the train, discussing whether school staff should be vaccinated, to prevent the staff being off and impacting on education. Wondering if this would be a good move.

The vaccine is based on last years flu and it’s mutated quite a bit. I’ve had a vaccine, ended up hospitalised with flu this week. The hospital staff said the vaccines were almost useless. Two strains of flu they test for- A and B. A includes the more pandemic style ones - swine flu etc - and this superflu is an A. The vaccines are largely based on B

FighterMumTigerMum · 13/12/2025 09:40

Busydoingsomething · 12/12/2025 00:02

A school near me has partially closed due to staff shortages. Another has cancelled all performances. Some of the children will have been vaccinated but I suspect, lots of the staff won’t have been. I was listening to 2 people today, on the train, discussing whether school staff should be vaccinated, to prevent the staff being off and impacting on education. Wondering if this would be a good move.

The vaccine is based on last years flu and it’s mutated quite a bit. I’ve had a vaccine, ended up hospitalised with flu this week. The hospital staff said the vaccines were almost useless. Two strains of flu they test for- A and B. A includes the more pandemic style ones - swine flu etc - and this superflu is an A. The vaccines are largely based on B

bleakmidwintering · 13/12/2025 09:45

So good you posted 3 times! It’s worked well for me so far. Everyone dropping like flies and I’m still well!

SaySomethingMan · 13/12/2025 10:07

MargaretThursday · 12/12/2025 08:58

It does work. Please stop with this dangerous claptrap.

New data published today by Public Health Scotland (PHS) provides clear evidence that this year’s vaccine is doing a good job of preventing severe flu. So far this winter, children in Scotland are 78% less likely to be admitted to hospital with flu if vaccinated; with vaccinated adults in Scotland aged 65 and over 37% less likely to be hospitalised.

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In the aamIbteresting that there doesn’t seem to be any statistics on people who are neither children, nor over 65. Why would the study omit that demographic, who are firmly in the bracket this thread is about.
Can anyone shed light on it?

It states there’s been a 15% increase in hospital admissions in the past week. It would’ve been useful for the article to state whether this was due to lack of vaccinations or the new strain.

TheignT · 13/12/2025 10:24

Crumpt · 13/12/2025 07:44

But it's literally never been a problem in my life before? I genuinely can't think of a time, ever, when a child has been marked absent on the register with the reason marked as flu. In years and years of teaching, there's never been a flu outbreak at a school I've taught at. I'm not in a group that's advised to be vaccinated. I don't spend money on many, many things that don't arise in my life. Obviously if we'd known this would happen I would have but an adult being vaccinated for flu isn't like making sure your child has had the MMR, it's an extra precaution rather than unconditionally recommended.

Show quote history

I've had two of my children have flu about 20 years ago. They were about 12 and 14 and there was lots in their school.

I'm in my 70s and I think I've had flu twice in my life. I don't want again.

Flu is unpredictable, the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 shows us that

EducatingArti · 13/12/2025 10:29

Crumpt · 13/12/2025 07:44

But it's literally never been a problem in my life before? I genuinely can't think of a time, ever, when a child has been marked absent on the register with the reason marked as flu. In years and years of teaching, there's never been a flu outbreak at a school I've taught at. I'm not in a group that's advised to be vaccinated. I don't spend money on many, many things that don't arise in my life. Obviously if we'd known this would happen I would have but an adult being vaccinated for flu isn't like making sure your child has had the MMR, it's an extra precaution rather than unconditionally recommended.

Show quote history

You are just too young. I remember the flu outbreak around about 1968/69.
Our neighbour's toddler died of double pneumonia as a complication from flu. It was horrendous and services were very stretched.

EducatingArti · 13/12/2025 10:31

FighterMumTigerMum · 13/12/2025 09:40

The vaccine is based on last years flu and it’s mutated quite a bit. I’ve had a vaccine, ended up hospitalised with flu this week. The hospital staff said the vaccines were almost useless. Two strains of flu they test for- A and B. A includes the more pandemic style ones - swine flu etc - and this superflu is an A. The vaccines are largely based on B

Show quote history

This isn't true

BrokenSunflowers · 13/12/2025 11:08

The Vaccine is normally based on the predominant strain of flu circulating in the southern hemisphere immediately prior to the vaccine’s production (their flu season takes place over our summer). But the decision is influenced by modelling of all the strains in circulation. Inevitably this involves uncertainty so sometimes an unexpected strain will suddenly spread. However, having any flu vaccine (including in previous years to some extent) can still generally help you fight off a strain it doesn’t specifically cover, lessening its impact.

Fluffypuppy1 · 13/12/2025 11:12

DucksInARowingBoat · 12/12/2025 12:59

Kind of related but we missed the school jab for my 14yr old son. Can I get it/buy it anywhere else? Can I bugger-y.

I'm vaccinated and feel like I've protected myself but not him and feel awful about it.

Your local area should have community catch-up clinics for children who have missed their school vaccination. You could call your son’s school and ask. My DC’s school have been sending out details for this.

Piggywaspushed · 13/12/2025 11:50

I have been teaching along time. Lots of our absent kids just get coded 'unwell' but plenty for years and years have reported flu or flu like symptoms (and some may well have had a cold; some may have had flu). The other one at the mo is lots of nausea, d and v and dizziness. Almost certainly plenty of those are actually Covid or flu.

cornflakecrunchie · 13/12/2025 12:34

@Sleepy90
I hope you're starting to feel better..