Flu vaccine - is it coincidental/psychological

[AliceInUnderpants]

(sorry posting for traffic)

I had my yearly health check this morning and got my flu vaccination at the same time.
Now, two hours later, I have a rotten headache. I am sinus-y, achy, cold and tired.

Last year I felt rotten for a couple of weeks afterwards too, but can't remember how quickly symptoms came on.

Is it possible that I am reacting to the vaccine already, or is it just psychology or coincidental timing?

The flu jab contains no live viruses, it is impossible to get the flu or a cold from the jab.

The feeling unwell and a bit "flu-y" shows you are having an immune response to the jab and that it is likely to have worked. There are many strains of flu so just because you've had the jab, you may still get flu

We tend to get the flu jab at the time of year there's lots of bugs flying around. I suspect its coincidence.

I've never felt any side effects from the flu jab other than a very mildly sore arm.

How the body fights off viral infections

For the influenza vaccine (and other dead ones) chemicals are used to make the virus inactive and noninfectious. However it leaves enough of the outer protein coating of the virus intact, and that triggers the body to mount a more robust and reliable immune response, producing white cells which 'know' how to attack any matching flu virus. But it is entirely incapable of reproducing (ie making you really ill) and those protein coatings are not enough to make you infectious.

The known side effects include mild body aches, fatigue, muscle pain and a low fever, but it's not due to actual flu. It's the body's immune response kicking in.

Ah, thank you for explaining, that does make sense. I asked the nurse in our surgery but didn't understand the answer .

Thanks scaevola that is interesting.

I'm still feeling much the same today. I got up around 8.30 then fell asleep by 10 until nearly 1. I felt much better when I woke but then started feeling rough again :(

I think I might ask the DC's dad to keep them tonight and drop them off at school in the morning. Some of my friends are feeling rough just now too, so I agree I must have been brewing something anyway.

I attended a legal potential group action against a drug company. We declined to go forward as there were lots of issues with it being agreed behind closed doors and the expert witnesses evidence not being published publically.

I now realise there are many things withheld from the public if this is common practice.