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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask if you and your children have/had the flu jab?

86 replies

Pinkbutton85 · 31/01/2018 11:44

Mine are booked in on Monday. Late I know.

I’m dubious after years of living with a conspiracy theorist...

I’ve read for and against views. People say it isn’t a live vaccine but have gotten ill after the jab?

I’m sat outside Tesco contemplating going in and getting it done now and just not telling OH...

OP posts:

79Fleur · 31/01/2018 13:30

Get it every year, this year I still got flu but was prescribed tamiflu wich reduces my symptoms.
Personally I get it because my partner has reduced immunity and it would be dangerous for him to contract flu ..wich incidentally he also got flu this year despite the vaccine.
It is my understanding that there is a triple and a quad vaccine and depending on what your trust is prepared to spend will depend on how many strains your protected from.
Austerity literally kills

laudanum · 31/01/2018 13:49

The vaccine isn't live. The reason people feel ill after having it, isn't because they've got flu, it's their body creating anti bodies which can make you feel a bit wonky.

It's perfectly safe. Please vaccinate.

OrangeMan · 31/01/2018 18:20

Me and my kids had ours the same day. Few days later I was stuck down with a bad cold, kids we're fine. I had it for weeks. First time I ever had flu jab and think it'll be the last. My underarm swelled double the size and could hardly lift my arm, and unable to care for my kids. Awful experience

Janleverton · 31/01/2018 18:22

I had it, dd also had the injection. Ds1 and ds2 had the nose spray. All fine. None of us have had flu. Though I accept that that might have been the case even if we weren’t vaccinated. My mother and step mother have also had the vaccines.

Exiguous · 31/01/2018 18:41

My underarm swelled double the size and could hardly lift my arm, and unable to care for my kids

One of my children had this reaction to the DTP jab. She also needed antibiotics to recover.

I gave her the follow-up DTP a few years later, and she was fine. Better that than Diptheria or Tetanus, I figured.

Idontdowindows · 31/01/2018 18:54

I had one once (old people risk group section).

Never again. My arm hurt (not just sore, fucking hurt) for weeks after. Not worth it.

Idontdowindows · 31/01/2018 18:56

It's rare to meet someone who's had flu who doesn't get vaccinated.

I had confirmed Mexican flu when it was doing the rounds and I had confirmed flu (can't remember the strain) 2 years ago. After that I got the jab. It hurt so much for weeks after I'd rather have the flu.

SweetChickadee · 31/01/2018 18:59

DH and I have one every year, and we never get any side effects, or the flu

Where we live (not UK) everyone over 6 months gets it free, and we're very much encouraged to do so

mindutopia · 31/01/2018 19:05

Yes, I get it every year and my dd has had it the past 3 years as well (she's 5). I nearly died from pneumonia as a child (not caused by the flu, but it can be) and I've been seriously ill in hospital with pneumonia once as an adult, like on oxygen. It took me 6 months to fully recover after that. Again, it wasn't caused by the flu (as far as I know, I don't really know what caused the initial viral infection that led to the pneumonia in either case), but I would never want to willingly subject myself or my child to that again if there is something I can do to prevent it.

Don't believe all the rubbish about the vaccine causing the flu. I'm a big hippie and a huge believer in natural and alternative medicine, but I'm also a health scientist and I believe in science too and make decisions for us based on the existing evidence base. If you know anyone who got the flu right after getting the jab, it's because they didn't get it in time. It takes several weeks to build up immunity (so even you could get the flu tomorrow even if you got your jab today). So anyone who got the flu after the jab was either infected before they even got it or in the week or two after when they don't have the antibodies to prevent it yet.

treaclesoda · 31/01/2018 19:06

Yes. Because I am irrationally terrified of flu. So we all get immunised. Except DH because he is an adult and I can't force him. Sadly.

NoWayNoHow · 31/01/2018 19:10

Anecdotally, I've only ever had flu twice in my life - 2 weeks ago and 15 years ago. I've also only ever had the flu jab twice - a couple of months ago and 15 years ago. I know there's no scientific basis for the conspiracy theories, but it's too coincidental for me!

meditrina · 31/01/2018 19:16

The injected is a dead version of the flu. So your body, in fighting it off, might produce mild flu-like symptoms. This is listed on the info leaflet as a common side effect.

You don't get actual flu because it does not replicate in the body as the wild virus would, making you actually ill as it reproduces faster than your body learns to deal with it.

I get a flu jab sometimes. Yes I have this year (paid). DH gets from work. DC are outside the NHS entitled age group, but I bought jabs for them too as it didn't seem right for parents to have protection but them not.

timeismovingon · 31/01/2018 19:18

No I havent and neither have my children. My children have had all their jabs but tbh I don't think this is necessary especially as it only covers certain strains.

Queenofthedrivensnow · 31/01/2018 19:44

Mine had it. Both this year and last year and dd1 3 years running. They are 100% find and have never had flu!

youngnomore · 31/01/2018 20:03

Dd 2 has been offered it this year and even have had a couple of phone calls from gp to say she still hasn’t attended. I’ve been so unsure if I should take her or not.

SignoraStronza · 31/01/2018 20:11

Both littlies have had it (3 and 5), dh and dd1 (11) haven't, but I have. I work in a healthcare environment and was given a free one. Bloody glad I did, given the state of many of our 'customers'.

TornadoOfToys · 31/01/2018 20:13

I've had it, as has DH and IL's. DC haven't. I wouldn't be able to look after DC if I got flu.

DS has had flu before as a toddler. Ended up in hospital. Both DH and I had already had the vaccination and caught it but only had it mildly. That was enough. We get vaccinated every year.

RedHelenB · 31/01/2018 20:15

5he flu I've got now is horrendous made worse by an earache. Can't think why you wouldn't vaccinate if advised to

Anymajordude · 31/01/2018 20:16

My kids have had it, one jab one spray. DH and I had the jab. None of us have had flu this winter and none of us had side effects from the jab.

LittleSwede · 31/01/2018 20:17

My DD and my mum both had jabs in autumn, they both caught the flu from me (must be a different strain) and we all had a trip each to A & E with various complications during first week of flu. So whilst it might protect you from some strains of flu it may not be 100% flu proof...

I would still say go for it. I'm just about recovering four weeks later and my mum is still quite washed out after developing pneumonia. Have had flu before but not as bad as this. If you are lucky the jab/nose spray will protect you from most strains.

Oh and neither my DD or my mum suffered any side effects after the actual vaccination.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 31/01/2018 20:26

DS (2.5yo) and DD (8yo) both had the flu nasal vaccine. I had the jab that I paid for in Tesco, back in October.

I've had flu once a few years ago, I'd had the flu vaccine that year and I was told by my GP that I would have been off work for a week and feeling unwell for nearly a fortnight if I hadn't had the vaccine. As it happened, I was unwell for about 6-7 days but only off work for 3. Not sure what flu strain I had vs the strains covered by the vaccine, but I definitely had flu and recovered much quicker than you'd usually expect.

I have the vaccine every year because I don't want to be ill with flu when I've got kids to look after (I'm a SAHM). Of course I could catch a strain not covered.

MyDcAreMarvel · 31/01/2018 20:28

"It is my understanding that there is a triple and a quad vaccine and depending on what your trust is prepared to spend will depend on how many strains your protected from.
Austerity literally kills"

Or if you went to Boots early enough you could have had the quad jab for free as an NHS patient.

lljkk · 31/01/2018 20:30

Not me or mine. We aren't high risk. It wouldn't be convenient. I hate getting jabs. I think that I'd get it if it was painless, though.

Kim82 · 31/01/2018 20:30

I had mine through work, 3yo old dd had the nasal spray. No side effects for either of us.

Abstardust · 31/01/2018 20:35

My dc have had the nasal spray through school, me and my dp haven't bothered before but since Christmas we have both had flu, neither of us have ever felt so ill, it's been a month since I had it and my energy levels are still not back to normal fully. The children have been fine.

We've both agreed that from now on will get the vaccine even if have to pay, I don't want it again or to pass it on to vulnerable members of my family.

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