Has your child had nasal flu vaccine and why?

[MissT84]

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?

It’s not too late although some places are struggling with supplies. My youngest only had her last Tuesday as she was postponed by illness

I just had flu. Followed by pneumonia and sepsis. He's a dick. Sorry but that's a fact.

DS just had his today because he missed it at school, being ill that day. It’s not too late - there’s another clinic next month as well in our area.

My ds had it because I would rather he didn't get the flu. Why would I want an ill child? Flu can be deadly to kids so why risk it?

I got my older kids vaccinated at my surgery. We all got done at the same time by a nurse

Our whole family had the flu vaccination, three of us have got flu at the moment, and though it is pretty unpleasant (have been in bed for 7 days), it's not been as bad as 7 years ago when we were unvaccinated and caught flu on holiday.

DS (4) is very vulnerable and started yesterday with flu symptoms. He's running a fever of 39+ and coughing, and chances are he will end up down A&E at some point this week, which is terrifying as our local A&E is really stretched. Because of his health problems we've set up an obs chart, we're checking his respiratory rate at regular intervals, capillary refill etc. Checking his lungs with the stethoscope, keeping him hydrated. DH will sleep on his floor. We've got our emergency triggers list out ready so in the middle of the night we can make the decision as to whether he needs to go in, and I'm about to pack his hospital bag in readiness. All phones, tablets etc are charged. In the old days we had that bag ready at all times, but he's only been hospitalised once recently so we are out of the habit.

That's the reality of flu in a vulnerable child. We are hoping and hoping that the fact he's had the vaccination will give him some degree of protection.

FFS get your kid vaccinated.

BlueBubble, routine vaccination against chicken pox is done in the US.

The polio vaccine used to be live too. It is now attenuated. It goes in the mouth. Do you have an objection to polio vax?

Yes, two for health reasons and the other as a new uni student (we paid £10). Worth it as well as we all got the Aussie flu but it was mild compared to what it could have been.

For all those saying it is too late to have the jab now, it is not.

My DD went for her asthma review last night and was given the jab at the same time.

It's not too late to have the vaccine, the flu season runs up until March.

However you may find that many surgeries are out of stock; we only have about 10 child nasal vaccines left and about 20 adult jabs, and won't get any more.

mathanxiety. "The polio vaccine used to be live too. It is now attenuated. It goes in the mouth." In the UK the polio vaccine is inactivated and injectable, it's not a single vaccine but is included in the baby vaccines (5 in 1 and 6 in 1) and the preschool booster (4 in 1) and the adult booster (3 in 1).

It CAN make you poorly. There is a misconception about this. You produce anti bodies that in some people result in aches, headaches, mild fever, runny nose, cough etc. Certainly not in everyone but it can knock you out for a few days.
HOWEVER it is not actual flu which is far worse and flu kills!

I’ve only refused my older children to have the nasal spray once. The doctor told me they ‘shed’ the virus from the nasal spray for a couple of days and very vulnerable people could become very ill from the shedding. I had a two day old premature baby. I’d had the vaccine the day before I gave birth which didn’t give it enough time to protect her.
So on balance I chose not to.
Every other year they’ve had it. I’ve had it twice but I always feel crap after so try to do it on a Friday so I don’t miss work.

I've had it (though the injected one) for the last seven years - this year was actually only the first one that didn't make me ill. I know it's not flu, but it definitely does make me ill.

Our way around the shedding (I'm immunosuppressed) is that I have mine a few weeks before the kids have the nasal one.

I never returned the form my DS brought back from school in October. And now I am seriously regretting it. Stupidly and having never had the flu myself I thought it 'only' causes serious complications in the very elderly or very ill. Having read about the deaths in otherwise healthy people I am now TERRIFIED. Last week a couple days after hearing the reports I made an appointment to get both vaccinated at a travel clinic. Then I called the GP who said come in with DS as he can receive for free on NHS. When I got there was told they had run out of the nasal spray and don't do the quadrivalent which protects against all 4 strains, was told the triavelent would be ok. So I agreed because felt more comfortable with the practice nurse than with a travel clinic. DD too old to get on NHS so she has had the quadrivalent at the clinic. I feel so guilty that DS has less protection because of not one but two failings on my part. The B strain I had thought was milder than the A or Aussie strain, but I've read reports of deaths from that one as well including the poor 10 year old boy in the US.
Leaving myself open for flaming here but I genuinely had no idea flu could be so deadly and now I am terrified anything happens to them. I feel I've failed them. . Have actually considered keeping DS out of school and activities for the whole duration, but I assume I would get social work involvement for that. Sorry if I sound a bit bonkers, but I am genuinely terrified. I have implicated strict hygiene measures and have my sister, my dad and my aunt who is a nurse to help monitor them if they did get it, but I think the reason I feel so scared is that I made the wrong decision twice, when I am supposed to protect them .
I know the vaccine is only partially effective, but i will never skip another for them ever again.

Yes, she's had it ever since she's been old enough and has never had any ill effects from it. She was extremely premature and has a terrible immune system as well as asthma and flu could be very dangerous for her. It almost killed me when I was younger and it was terrifying. Also we have elderly grandparents who we see often. We've all had the vaccine and get it every year. I wouldn't consider not getting it.

No, because it’s a live vaccine and can be shed from the nostrils for up to 4 weeks and dd bf has cancer, so she had the injection instead

Ds had it every year at primary/junior school. We were one of the pilot areas for it. Why wouldn’t you!

Sorry - asked this elsewhere too - but how long is flu contagious for? My mom developed it just over two weeks ago and although she is much better now she still has a cough. We haven't seen her since she came down with it as my daughter and I aren't vaccinated (son who was offered it is).
Is it safe to go near now?! Google says around a week after symptom onset you are no longer contagious but I wondered if there was anyone who knew if there was any official guidance on this!

My 8 year old has had it every year since nursery (3 or 4) never had any side effects and also never had flu.

I got her it because I don't want her to catch flu and to minimise risk of passing it to grandparents etc.

Nasel spray so not even sore.

I’m just getting back on my feet after getting flu at New Year. I could barely lift my head for a week, it was bad. My DH and 2 year old were both poorly too. My 2 year old missed out the nasal spray as he was ill at the time. I’m kicking myself for not rebooking. However he is still bf and so presumably got some immunity from me as he didn’t get full blown flu. I’m pleased I was still bfeeding him but fucking hell, bf with flu was horrendous

My 6 year old had the nasal spray and didn’t get even a sniffle. I can’t believe it’s coincidental. The amount of germs that were climbing the walls of our house would have been impossible to avoid.

I’m lining us all up next Winter for the flu spray/jabs all round. Flu is so very shit, no way do I want my kids to suffer. I know it won’t protect them from all flu strains. But at least it helps with some protection.

@ScaredMum22 I'm sorry if I threw a scare into you with the statistics on flu incidence here in the US and the story about the 10 year old Connecticut boy. I posted the latter because I've found that people connect better with the story of a specific patient than they do with the CDC statistics.

Please don't feel too badly about your assumption that the flu wasn't something to worry about it. That's a very common misconception. What's important is that you have realized that you need to take it seriously and taken steps to better protect your children.

yes, and by needle in the US too Sidge. But it was in drop form up to the 1990s, and saved countless lives. I wanted to figure out what worried BlueBubble about live vaccine in the nose, given the history of opv. It is true that the nasal vaccine has been withdrawn in the US because it wasn't effective. But the shot form is still available.

What age can they have it as my daughter is almost one and a half years

nasal spray is for over 2s. Vaccine can be given from 6 months i think but it depends if you can find someone to give it

I wasn’t going to get my boys vaccinated, then in a chance conversation with a woman at playgroup, who happens to be a doctor, she mentioned our local health authority had an extra mortuary to deal with expected flu crisis this winter. At a time when the NHS are not spending, that worried me enough to change my mind.