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Original poster

Why are all children being immunised against flu?

383 replies

MiniChedda · 13/10/2016 21:29

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?

OP posts:
hildredmubble · 13/10/2016 21:59

I know this sounds selfish but I do feel uneasy about vaccinating DS when he's not the one who's at risk and it may well make him ill

It might give him a mild runny nose. It would make him less likely to get 'flu.

It would also help teach him that sometimes we do things to protect the vulnerable, because we can, and we're a community, and isn't that great?

Or, you know, you could teach him to be selfish. Yeah. That.

Zenzie · 13/10/2016 22:00

Re herd immunity - exactly, part of vaccination is to immunize the healthy members of society who can be vaccinated, to better protect those people who can't.

My toddler was diagnosed with cancer last year. He needed the rest of the community to be adults about this and get vaccinated, as his immunisation status was erased to zero through chemo and he couldn't start to be re immunised until six months post chemo. You better believe he's had his flu shot again.

To the selfish people on this thread - I hope nothing bad ever happens to your kids. But this shit can and does happen.

Pseudonym99 · 13/10/2016 22:00

Because if you refuse, they can then add your child's name to the list of children on the child protection register due to having a parent who dares to go against what the state demands

honkinghaddock · 13/10/2016 22:02

Ds had the flu 4 years ago. It lasted 6 weeks with him being very unwell for 2 of those weeks - drifting in and out of sleep for much of the day, refusing to drink so we had to syringe liquid into his mouth, unable to walk. We were glad when the vaccine came in and that because he has asd, he can continue to have it although he is now older.

TyrannosauraRegina · 13/10/2016 22:02

Horsegirl Why is that a reason not to get a vaccine? Not giving the vaccine guarantees no protection. Getting an ineffective vaccine is no worse than not getting a vaccine. Getting an effective vaccine can save your life.

OP They give the flu vaccine to more age groups than Meningitis B because it is cheaper and more children die of flu or have severe complications than meningitis. So the government/NHS get much more benefit for their money. Also vaccinated children won't spread the flu to those around them (who can also have severe complications, as flu affects all ages), whereas few adults get MenB.

justgivemeamo · 13/10/2016 22:03

getting my shot tomorrow BTW only £7 on special offer at sainsbo at the moment, toddler being done next week and then I need to book older in.

will the spray still work even if child has snotty ish nose?

hildredmubble · 13/10/2016 22:03

Pseudonym99 WTF? What bollocks are you spouting?

There is no such register.

hildredmubble · 13/10/2016 22:04

justgivemeamo- no, wait until the snot is resolved.

justkeepongoing · 13/10/2016 22:04

I was bedbound for 9 days with last years flu, despite being immunised, and it killed my DF partner. I'd advise that all vulnerable people have it.

lisalisa · 13/10/2016 22:04

Excuse my ignorance but neither me nor my kids have even been offered the flu jab - other than dd1 whose a first year medic so she's getting the shot soon. Do I call our gp and just ask for the vaccine? And is it a jab or nasal spray ?

dinosaursarebisexual · 13/10/2016 22:05

Thanks for the reminder, my kids are home schooled, so don't get them automatically at school. I always pay for one for myself too.

One of my irks about the home schooling community is the amount of anti-vax bollocks that comes up on fb groups. We paid for bexsero too. So there!

hildredmubble · 13/10/2016 22:06

lisalisa It's done through school, for kids in year 1-3 in England.

Eva50 · 13/10/2016 22:06

A child at our school died of flu a couple of years ago. They had no pre-existing medical conditions. My dgs (an otherwise healthy child) was hospitalised with it (confirmed by swab) and ended up in high dependency having seizures. It's not just the elderly. Ds will be having It.

hildredmubble · 13/10/2016 22:06

lisalisa It's done through school, for kids in year 1-3 in England.

hildredmubble · 13/10/2016 22:06

lisalisa It's done through school, for kids in year 1-3 in England.

DeleteOrDecay · 13/10/2016 22:06

Proper flu can be debilitating for young children, not only that but if it spreads to any vulnerable people in the family etc then it could be debilitating to them too.

Which reminds me I need to get my dc booked in for theirs.

Fleck · 13/10/2016 22:06

I have to laugh at the 'some people will believe anything they read' comment! I see that a lot from people whose entire reason for not vaccinating is based on stuff they've read on the internet about 'big pharma' and avoiding all peer reviewed scientific evidence- because, of course, the scientists have all been paid off by big pharma whereas anti vaxxers are entirely unbiased when cherry picking what to believe... Yes, it wasn't that effective last year, but hopefully it will be this year. Choosing not to vaccinate is a choice, I believe it's generally a selfish one that people try to justify by saying it doesn't really work.

Sallystyle · 13/10/2016 22:07

I will get my kids the flu injection should their school offer it.

I'm not sure if any of mine are being offered it for free this year as I haven't heard anything and without googling I can't remember how it works. I wouldn't pay for them to have it though.

I had it for the first time this year due to a nurse being on my ward and offering it to me. I wouldn't have gone out of way to get it done.

DeleteOrDecay · 13/10/2016 22:07

Because if you refuse, they can then add your child's name to the list of children on the child protection register due to having a parent who dares to go against what the state demands

This is a load of bollocks.

PinkSwimGoggles · 13/10/2016 22:08

because children are 'super spreaders' they (usually) don't get very ill but happily spread it to people who are more vulnerable.
there is a reason all dc in nursery always have snotty noses Smile

pointythings · 13/10/2016 22:08

As said by other posters, children are supervectors. They spread flu like wildfire. And if you have ever had flu - real flu, not a bad cold - you wouldn't trivialise it as a minor illness. I've had it three times in my life and I don't want it again - I'm lucky that I work for the NHS so get it the vaccine free as a matter of routine. Real flu puts you in bed for a week to 10 days. Real flu means crawling to the toilet whilst wishing you had an extra pair of hands to hold onto your head because it feels as if it is flying apart from the pain. Real flu means reeling with fever and a recovery that takes weeks, not days.

Last time I had flu, I developed viral bronchitis as a complication - it took me 2 months to feel 100% myself again. If my kids are offered the vaccine, they are having it.

justgivemeamo · 13/10/2016 22:08

Please think carefully about vaccination - early this year myself and my family all caught H1N1 & I was so frightened I would die. Kissing my DC goodbye as I was taken into resus was the worst moment of my life

Flowers can you say what h1n1 is please and what is resus>

Op "vaccinating DS when he's not the one who's at risk and it may well make him ill" children are in the vulnerable group! he is at risk, anyone who gets flu will be.

I get jab every year and when we visit elderly relatives I feel better knowing we are all done as well.

RNBrie · 13/10/2016 22:09

Vaccine threads make me so sad.

Mine are having it next week, despite the fact I know they hate it and it might make them feel like shit. But I've had flu and thought I was dying and I don't want my children to go through that however slim the chance. Perhaps they've mis-identified the strain, but perhaps not. It's still better for them not to have flu.

The herd immunity is a positive side effect of the vaccine that is designed to protect my dc.

justgivemeamo · 13/10/2016 22:09

Does anyone know how effective this year vaccine is?

TheSnorkMaidenReturns · 13/10/2016 22:09

Please get your children vaccinate to protect the vulnerable.