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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Has your child had nasal flu vaccine and why?

249 replies

MissT84 · 16/01/2018 13:57

Sitting on the fence about giving dc nasal flu vaccine (verging on saying yes). Dh doesn't want them to have it.

So aibu to ask if you have given it/would give it to your dc? And what reasons?

OP posts:
April229 · 16/01/2018 15:33

Erm... explain to dh it’s designed to stop them getting poorly?

Mine had it, took two seconds not a single side effect and no flu.

lookingforthecorkscrew · 16/01/2018 16:02

No, my DC hasn’t had it, because on the two occasions I’ve booked it and taken him to the surgery I’ve waited for over half an hour only for the receptionist to call out ‘We have no flu nasal vaccinations left today!’

Now they’re saying they can’t order any more in. I’m praying for herd immunity here, which goes against my pro-vax stance!

MissConductUS · 16/01/2018 16:03

Pediatric flu deaths and hospitalizations are running very high this year. How's that for a reason to do it?

www.abcactionnews.com/news/health/flu-stomps-the-nation-overwhelming-ers-and-leaving-20-children-dead

Minestheoneinthegreen · 16/01/2018 16:06

Mine has, because she's in a special school.

umberellaonesie · 16/01/2018 16:09

Yes as my other child has a life limiting illness so we all have it to further protect them.

WaitingForSunday17 · 16/01/2018 16:10

My son had it at school but my daughter has just turned two. She was too young before but would they give it to her now? I've not had a letter for her or anything but I thought the vaccine programme included two year olds. I wasn't sure if she'd missed this season though as she was only two a couple of weeks ago.

NoqontroI · 16/01/2018 16:11

Yes one child has had the vaccine and one the nasal spray. Different schools. I think it's important to try and reduce the risks as much as possible.

GetTheGoodLookingGuy · 16/01/2018 16:11

I work in a school and we had about a 50% take up. Most of the kids who didn't have it, didn't have it because their parents never returned the form, rather than returning the form to say they couldn't have it.

littlecabbage · 16/01/2018 16:16

My children always have it when offered. I don’t want them to have full-blown flu, and I don’t want to be responsible for the death of any elderly/pregnant/immunosuppressed person with whom they come into contact either. And it doesn’t have to be direct contact - your child could sneeze into their hand, leave flu virus on a door handle, and someone else could pick it up later. So not knowing any of the “at risk” group is not an excuse not to have it.

The vaccine does not make them ill. Occasionally, a child will coincidentally catch a cold or flu virus during the two weeks after vaccination which it takes for the vaccine to fully protect them. Then the parents blame the vaccine. Actually, they would have got ill anyway, whether they had received the vaccine or not.

Bonkersblond · 16/01/2018 16:18

DD had it yesterday with no ill effects, she didn’t have it before as she had a run of illness/chest infections, however at the back of my mind I would never forgive myself if we ended up back in hospital with pneumonia and a collapsed lung which is what happened a couple of years ago.

CosySnuggles · 16/01/2018 16:21

Yes, mine have had it (as have I as I have a qualifying chronic illness).

Reasons:

  1. Protects them from (some strains of) flu
  2. Social responsibility - Herd immunity. many of those who are most at risk are too poorly to have the vaccine themselves.
  3. There are no downsides to having it.
Rumpledfaceskin · 16/01/2018 16:21

Yes we’ve had it and it doesn’t make them poorly. I wouldn’t even question it. It protects them and the rest of population from ‘super spreaders’.

formerbabe · 16/01/2018 16:24

My dd was unwell the day after having it, very lethargic with a high temp. It lasted about 24 hours then she was completely fine.

MammaTJ · 16/01/2018 16:27

My 12 year old DD had it. She has a heart condition and I would worry so much if she got the flu. If she got it and I could have prevented it, I would feel so guilty!

Spikeyball · 16/01/2018 16:27

Ds had it because he has a learning disability which puts him in an at risk group - unable to communicate when and how he feels unwell.
He had flu 5 years ago and was off school for 3 weeks and it took him 2 months to fully recover.

Justgivemesomepeace · 16/01/2018 16:30

My ds had it at school. I said yes because I don't want him to get flu. Its a serious illness. He didn't get ill from the vaccine. Why does your husband think it makes them ill? Id take mild side effects over full blown flu any day. He didn't even get any side effects. Your husband needs to educate himself.

StickThatInYourPipe · 16/01/2018 16:30

I had the vaccine (injection) and still am currently sitting on my sofa with horrid flu symptoms! If I hadn’t had the vaccine, it would probably me much worse!

flobella · 16/01/2018 16:35

@WaitingForSunday17 I had the same thing - my son was 3 at the time and I hadn't had any reminder letters or anything so assumed he wasn't part of the programme, but I asked the doctor when I happened to be there anyway and later on the practice nurse called me and made an appointment with me for him. I was in the early stages of pregnancy at the time, not sure if they thought that even though maybe he wasn't in the age group who were routinely getting it (?) that they would do it anyway. I think eligibility varies between Trusts but I remember getting it every year as a teenager as my mum had immune issues so everyone in the household was given it. Maybe my pregnancy made them more inclined to do it?

This was back in October when they first started the vaccines for this winter.

I think it's wisest to get in early with flu jabs so aim to do it in October rather than January next year if you want to (I will be).

flobella · 16/01/2018 16:36

@WaitingForSunday17 I meant to say after all that waffle that you should call your GP surgery and just ask - the worst that can happen is that they say no.

PinkyBlunder · 16/01/2018 16:38

Yes, because I don’t want her to get flu because flu kills people.

Dh says no as the vaccine makes them poorly any medicine can make a child poorly but it’s a rare occurance. Does he make a fuss if you have to give them Calpol?

It's not the same flu as this years anyway yes it is and there’s not only one type of flu.

I’m another one that doesn’t ask permission from my DH how to deal with my kids health. If he objected to vaccinations I wouldn’t have married him in the first place.

m0therofdragons · 16/01/2018 16:40

Yes. For work I've had to read all the public health evidence reports and it's a no brainer so long as you stay away from google and USA information re big pharma. It protects against the most likely strains of flu but also 1 in 7 people are carriers. The vaccine is less effective in the over 75s so by vaccinating children you are eliminating the main spreaders.

CocoLoco87 · 16/01/2018 16:40

DS (preschool age) has just had it. He has asthma and I see that as enough reason. He'd likely be more seriously ill or have complications due to it. He had it up his nose last week and hasn't shown any symptoms (yet).

m0therofdragons · 16/01/2018 16:41

Oh and the uk has had its first flu death. She was 18!

LittleMyLikesSnuffkin · 16/01/2018 16:43

My DS has had it because he’s been offered it last few years. No side effects whatsoever and seeing as he as sensory issues very straightforward. No one I know has mentioned their child having side effects either.

Worth noting no one in our household has had the flu since the first time he’s had the vaccination. I’ve had the flu 3 times in my life. Wouldn’t wish that on anyone ever.

TittyGolightly · 16/01/2018 16:44

Yes, because I don’t want her to get flu because flu kills people.

You can still get flu if the strains covered by the vaccine aren’t the strains that are prevalent.