To not vaccinate my children against flu this winter?

[Isseyesque]

We have been offered flu jabs for DDs age 2 and 4. Neither have any respiratory/asthma type issues, and generally very good health (have been very fortunate in that to date they have rarely gotten ill and never seriously, not been on antibiotics etc).

AIBU not to vaccinate them as they don't appear to be high risk? My understanding is that flu is most dangerous to people with weak immune and weak respiratory problems. If they do get it, they'll be unwell but ok, and develop some resistance/ resilience etc.

However, I'm now wavering as someone said they heard on the radio that it recommended small children DO get immunised as it will reduce the spread of flu and therefore be better for others who are more compromised. I hadn't considered that previously, not sure what to do now.

'Person-to-Person Transmission of Vaccine Viruses or Shedding

Because LAIV contains live influenza viruses, a potential exists for transmission of these viruses from vaccinees to other persons. Vaccinated immunocompetent children can shed vaccine viruses for 1 virus strain, with a mean of 7.6 days duration (17). One influenza type B isolate was recovered from a placebo recipient and was confirmed to be vaccine-type virus. The estimated probability of acquiring vaccine virus after close contact with a single LAIV recipient was 0.58%--2.4%. The type B isolate retained the cold-adapted, temperature-sensitive, attenuated phenotype, and it possessed the same genetic sequence as a virus shed from a vaccine recipient in the same children's play group.'

Source www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5213a1.htm

I"ve had flu - once. It was horrific. I know how bad it can be.

Even the very mildest flu is beyond miserable. And at its worst it kills healthy people. There's an incredibly nasty strain doing the rounds in Australia this year and that'll be one of the ones that flu vaccine providers are including in this year's jab/sprays.

I think the point about herd immunity is also really important; we never know what struggles other people have, the kid in your kid's class with an elderly grandparent at home, the one with asthma, the one who's mum is immunocompromised through illness or a transplant or whatever.

So if you've been offered it, take it: the NHS isn't well funded enough to do mass vaccination programmes for no reason, so they're concentrating on key groups who are vulnerable (old people) or vectors (the children, NHS workers).

I've already had mine and I paid for it; I come into contact with tons of people in a working day and I've had proper flu twice. Never again if I can possibly help it. (My DH refuses to have it though, fuck knows why, he's terrified of being ill. Though misinformation about it giving you flu might be part of it!)

This year's flu is a particularly nasty dose as it's mutated.

The WHO are in Australia now discussing the mutations over there that mean it's particularly lethal.

The vaccine that is offered might not offer immunity to this particular dose. It's best to wait a few weeks to see what the WHO recommendations and plan is, and how they're modifying the vaccine to counter this new Melbourne mutation.

I'm waiting for the WHO report, but will get the vaccination having nearly died from drug resistant pneumonia when I got flu before.

Flu is really dangerous, especially now that everyone is travelling everywhere so quickly, and mutations can cross infect everyone, and antibiotics are increasingly useless.

I thought that the Australian flu strain wasn't in this years vaccine.

I believe the issue is the mutations aren't in this year's vaccines, not the original strain, but I could be wrong.

This is the reason my children will be vaccinated: www.archives.gov/exhibits/influenza-epidemic/

They only have to be unlucky enough to contract it once, and not having escaped it before doesn't mean they will continue to be fortunate enough to escape it

The nasal flu vaccine is live, and does shed.
...
If there is a pregnant teacher in a class with 30 vaccinated children sneezing all over the place, I'm sure it would be a risk.
...

The nasal form of the vaccine is a weakened form of the virus and does not cause flu in others unless they are seriously immunocompromised.

The vaccine contains live forms of flu virus which have been weakened (attenuated). These stimulate the immune system but do not cause disease in healthy people. However the nasal flu spray should not be given to anyone who is very severely immunosuppressed. This is because the weakened viruses in the vaccine could replicate too much and cause infection. Children who have been vaccinated with the nasal spray should avoid close contact with people who have very severely weakened immune systems (for example, people receiving chemotherapy or people who have just had an organ transplant) for about two weeks following vaccination. This is because there is a very small chance of passing the weakened vaccine virus on to them.
vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/nasal-flu-vaccine

In my opinion, it's not worth the risk of NOT vaccinating against flu.

I was 25 and perfectly healthy when I caught flu in the January of 2016. As a result of that, I went on to develop severe bronchitis which lingered for an age. As it turns out, I had underlying asthma that had never flared until that point. I spent 6 months being treated with steroids used for COPD in order to bring my asthma under control as I was having multiple attacks each day.

Last winter was not pleasant since cold air is now a major trigger for my asthma, which is still being treated with steroids now. I'm honestly dreading this winter as I'm also pregnant and can't breathe at the best of times so I will most definitely be having the flu vaccine.

The main reason healthy kids are vaccinated is because kids spread germs (basically, as much as we love them, they're gross) and that could kill someone who has low immunity and can't have the vaccine (child with cancer for example). It's also been the worst flu season ever in Australia (usually a good indication of what we have to come) so for that reason alone I will be vaccinating my dc.

Yes, you are being unreasonable. You have access to a very simple injection which will protect your child from a dangerous disease. I have to pay to have my dd vaccinated because she is over 7 or whatever the cut off is. But I have to go to a private clinic for her because she is not an adult.

I think to some extent everyone is at risk from flu, but there are some more at risk than others.

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages/who-should-have-flu-vaccine.aspx

I can't find figures for last year in UK but these are 2012- 2013 in USA.

www.cdc.gov/flu/spotlights/children-flu-deaths.htm

"Pediatric deaths are defined as flu-associated deaths that occur in people younger than 18 years. An early look at this season’s reports indicates that about 90 percent occurred in children who had not received a flu vaccination this season."

Zimsy may I suggest that you take up family history as a hobby? Go back 120-150 years on one of the family history websites and find out what your ancestors' children died of. What did their neighbours' children and schoolmates die of? Then ask yourself why British children no longer die in such numbers and from such diseases.

A quick glance at my own family tree is enough to convince me to vaccinate.

With the flu vaccine, we vaccinate our vulnerable child and this year will vaccinate all of them and get ourselves vaccinated too. Planning to ask my doctor about the different strains and whether it's worth waiting.

My dc is older than 7 and has been offered it, so the cut off isn't 7 here. It seems to vary hugely across the country which in itself makes me have doubts about how necessary it is.

The first year my dc was offered it I refused. The previous years jab was reported to have been unusually un-effective. With the strains changing each year, no one can possibly predict which strains will crop up when and it generally being less effective than most other jabs, I'm not convinced.

Retreat... the answer is hygiene, sanitation and nutrition.....

Healthy people died in Australia from the flu this past winter. That really worries me given the uk winter is worse and more people live in smaller houses and more condensed environments than in Australia.

Op my dd now four was also a healthy strong little girl, her older sister had usual strange short viruses but nothing else

Then one day dd went seriously down hill very quickly due to breathing issues brought on by cold... Over night stay, it was awful... I would do anything to prevent that again flu is nasty, why not take up a free offer to prevent it, more than that, you don't build up immunity to flu.

Only recently young dc offered vaccine, if you want it but not offered, try private doctors who do immunizations clinics.. They have done my dc, about 15 quid each

Kiwi, grandparents get free flu jabs. Ours are not interested in having it even after dd experience!

The cdc are recommending against nasal spray vaccines this year. Although I'm not sure using american info is hugely helpful.

3 of my four have it every year due to other helath problems. The fourth xantbas he's severekynrgg allergic and I wish he could as I worry every year he may get it 😔
We've never had any issues or side effect from the vaccination and they've never got flu so we are very grateful it's available but I do worry about ds in case he gets flu

Severely egg allergic (sorry typing whilst baking)

We have even resorted to paying for vaccine for non eligible family members who see ds to try and minimise the risk as flu could be so serious for him. If it starts to go round we keep him off school and he's on various vitamins and supplements to hopefully strengthen his immune system but it's a real worry

PurpleMinionMummy "My dc is older than 7 and has been offered it, so the cut off isn't 7 here." I don't think the cut off is necessarily 7, I just know my ds (7) gets it and my dd (12) doesn't.

Oh apologies. I thought you meant your areas cut off was 7. Our cut off is yr 4 but other areas have it up to yr 6 this year I believe.