Why are all children being immunised against flu?

[MiniChedda]

I am curious about this, my y1 DC is due to get it at school next week.

DD had flu but it was no worse than a sickness bug.

Wouldn't it be better to give the meningitis vaccine instead as it's so much more serious?

More fool you antivaxx

My DD has had all vaccinations so far, including flu as she's asthmatic.

Your kids are riding the shirt tails of herd immunity. People like you are either appallingly selfish or mind numbingly stupid.

Urgh, anti-vaxxers give me the rage! Those people that get damaged by vaccines - they would likely have been even more damaged by the illness, for instance you are much more likely to get Guillain–Barré syndrome from the flu than from the flu vaccine. If a dead or weakened virus from a vaccine causes your immune system so much trouble, think just how much more trouble the full strength virus would cause it. But of course anti-vaxxers can't think about that because it requires a logical thought process which seems to beyond most* of them.

*There are anti-vaxxers who fully understand how vaccines work but are just selfish and want everyone else to take the minute risk from vaccines while they benefit from the herd immunity. I honestly think those are the worst anti-vaxxers, at least the others are just wrong in ignorance, not pure selfishness.

A lot of nurses are anti-flu, but they're not trained like doctors and a lot of them don't understand the vaccination process or the distinction between colds and flu. Some of them are also really out of date.

If you want information, talk to your GP or use the NHS website.

I agree with you, Natsku, it never fails to horrify me just how incredibly, smugly stupid and selfish some people are. Like they think they're so, so clever and above everyone else, when all they're doing is endangering everyone with their ignorance and stupidity.

Vaccination is not something that should be left to personal choice without some comeback. Don't vaccinate, your kids don't get access to education, or you lose benefits. Sometimes it's right to penalise people who won't act for the benefit of all, and this is one of those occasions.

I think that's becoming horribly obvious, Ambivalent, and there's a lot of woefully ill educated nurses and GPs when it comes to asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Even in A&E I often know more than they do, because the first thing my consultant told me to do was to educate myself, talk to the resp nurses, and make sure I knew as much as possible.

I know two people whose children died of flu and they had no underlying conditions.

I had it when I was 25 and extremely athletic. I wound up with pneumonia and spent Xmas in hospital. It was the following March before I could even get back to exercise.

ambivalentgirl Ok, so some NHS nurses are 'so out date' with regards to giving vaccine information, yet you're totally happy for those same out of date nurses to vaccinate your child?

For those saying they think I'm lying about the asthma registered nurse and what she said, the exact word for word conversation two days ago was.....

"Hi Verbena and DD. How are you?
So before we discuss the asthma, can I ask if you're having the flu vaccine?"

Me: "No, I declined it with the receptionist who called to ask yesterday".

RN: "OK, that's fine. Have you decided not to have it Verbena's DD?"

DD: "Yes, I don't want it thank you".

Verbena: DD doesn't want it and I believe that our bodies are well equipped to fight flu".

at this point I thought I was going to be told off and lectured to

RN: Yes, I agree totally actually. I think that unless people are very poorly or very immunosuppressed, our bodies do a really good job at fighting viruses."

RN then carries on doing the annual asthma assessment.

She is the only asthma nurse at the clinic and is very up on all things asthma related.

As I previously mentioned, if the main reason for giving the children the nasal vaccine is to protect the old people, well..... the old people get offered it anyway. The Cochran Review stated that there simply wasn't enough evidence to show efficacy of the nasal vaccine or to show that the side effects weren't more negative than those from the flu.

Because Flu can (and does) kill and real flu is much, much worse than a sickness bug!!!

stsrtattersofMN that's a shame that you think like that.
The democratic UK currently gives its people the right to choose to vaccinate.
I don't not care about my children or the health of others but having looked at the evidence, I'm going to do what I feel is right for my own children over and above other people's....and I would hope they would do the same.

It's sad that in this thread, people choosing not to vaccinate have been called selfish, the 'C word' and numerous other offensive terms.
However, none of the non vaccinators have been offensive to those who have chosen to vaccinate.

Also, please don't forget that there are such things anti-viral drugs that can treat patients if they do have to be hospitalised from flu and which can be taken by children over the age of two.

Well my soon to be 3 year old had his flu vaccine today, better safe than sorry IMO.

When I was 22 I caught flu. I was fit and very healthy. Ended up nearly dead from pneumonia which took me almost a year to recover fully from. I don't want my child going through that.

The herd immunity doesn't really apply when most people are not offered the flu vaccine on the NHS. There is no herd immunity. I can see the argument for vacinnating small children, but my year 3 daughter is not in a vulnerable group.

Flu can trigger asthma I'm gobsmacked by that nurses advice.

Your 3 year old is in an at risk group, because she is 3 years old.

Herd immunity works very well where there is a high uptake of vaccination, but even a partially vaccinated population will mean fewer people at risk.

Even then there is no scientific proof - just the decision on the balance of probabilities by a panel

Yes because the government love paying out just on the basis of probabilities by a panel

It's not like they consult with medical professionals who look at each case and support it with evidence. They just pay out

There is no evidence to back your claim the nasal spray causes disabilities! Stop scaremongering and putting lives at risk antivaxx

Sigh

I never said that

Tell the government to stop scaremongering and giving out compensation payments for disabilities caused by vaccinations

Bet you didn't contact Theresa May did you?

Well said Verbena

It seems anti vaxxers are subject to unnecessary vitriol

It's sad that in this thread, people choosing not to vaccinate have been called selfish, the 'C word' and numerous other offensive terms. However, none of the non vaccinators have been offensive to those who have chosen to vaccinate

This with bells on

People like you are either appallingly selfish or mind numbingly stupid

I won't say what I think of you or your choices.

You can choose not to vaccinate. I won't argue with you.

You have your own opinions and facts

But on the flip side, I don't appreciate being berated for vaccinating my children

Yes, no one on here has done so, but I have experienced it IRL. Called a selfish stupid mother who obviously doesn't love her children because I have injected that poison into them and potentially risked their lives

Some people DO get flu and are not that bad. There are many different strains of flu. Some people can be affected less than others. This can be seen sometimes when some people have been tested for specific forms of flu but haven't actually been as poorly as expected.

No all cases of flu lead to people being bed bound for several days unable to move. That is why the old £50 judgement cannot always be applied.

However, flu often is an unpleasant tope of bug and often leaves people feeling very poorly, in bed and locked ff their feet for a week or two, and longer.

In some cases flu can become very dangerous. Vulnerable groups, which does include young children, can be seriously affected. Flu can, and does, lead to death in some cases. Even in the Uk with good access to medication and hospital treatment, and not just in babies, old people and previously ill people.

Young children are also a huge carrier and spreader risk. Super spreaders, I think they call it. So, mass immunisation is a way of stopping the disease from spreading and preventing vulnerable people becoming infected and seriously ill.

I have arthritis and I take a fair bit of heavy duty medication. I am immunosuppressed. Therefore I have the flu jab each year to try to prevent myself risking becoming very ill with flu.

Bebop - my previous link showed a theory that flu vaccination means that patients are more susceptible to other respiratory illness.

Despite the ever increasing flu vaccine - hospitalisations due to respiratory illness have increased year on year. Let's not forget that the flu vaccine is a cash cow.

thoraxbeta.bmj.com/content/early/2016/02/17/thoraxjnl-2015-207688.full

Whilst the US have research to show that it has not been effective over there, the UK research has found it has been effective over here. Hence why the UK is continuing to vaccinate this year.

Take up at my (infant) school this week looked to be around 60% - based on the classes I saw. Some didn't have it due to the gelatine issue, some just didn't have it done as parents either didn't return the form or choose not to. Those children who ddi not have it done DO NOT get added to some special list somewhere for child protection!

if the main reason for giving the children the nasal vaccine is to protect the old people, well

Having literally been on a ward recently with small dc all on respiratory aids, nebulisers, oxgyen and other stuff I am struggling to understand why posters are insisting dc are not vulnerable and we are only vaccinating THEM for the SAKE of older people?

Young people fall quickly when they are ill!

My body may be the greatest virus fighter in the world - I don't care I don't want my body to have and survive flu. I don't want to be bed ill for ages unable to function, i don't want my DC to see me that ill nor have dh of work to care for me.

if the main reason for giving the children the nasal vaccine is to protect the old people, well

Having literally been on a ward recently with small dc all on respiratory aids, nebulisers, oxgyen and other stuff I am struggling to understand why posters are insisting dc are not vulnerable and we are only vaccinating THEM for the SAKE of older people?

Young people fall quickly when they are ill!

My body may be the greatest virus fighter in the world - I don't care I don't want my body to have and survive flu. I don't want to be bed ill for ages unable to function, i don't want my DC to see me that ill nor have dh of work to care for me.

My son was booked to have it last year but he had to miss it - due to being in intensive care with the flu.
So 100% will let him have it every year.
If your child has nearly died from the flu, it makes you view it a bit differently.

Oh yes and of the other 8 children bought in by emergency transport on ventilators from all around London to get a bed - one from Brighton to London, we got the last bed in London else he would have been taken to bristol) ALL were chest infections and or the influenza virus.