AiBU to be hesitating over whether toddler shld have the nasal flu vaccine?

[heatherscot]

Have you guys done it, what are the side effects, is it effective, is flu that bad (usually)? Toddler in question will be around old people, new baby and preggo people quite a bit so is it irresponsible not to vaccinate?

Between suffering from flu (I've had it and it's not something I wish on my DD), and getting the vaccine, I choose the latter. Always.

It's not messing with your immune system, it's similar to catching the flu, but in this case, it's a weakened version of the virus so your immune system creates antibodies to fight it. Those antibodies help to combat the actual virus should you contact it.

My DS had it. He did actually have some side some side effects this time. Raised temperature, loss of appetite and generally a bit under the weather for a few days. We just gave him Calpol. Nothing serious.

A copy of a post I recently posted under health. Posting here for traffic if anyone can help please:
My DS (KS2) is asthmatic and will be having the nasal vaccine at our doctor’s surgery in Nov. His school however, will be giving the vaccine to all children 2 weeks earlier. He doesn’t want to have it at school as they’ve not been very reliable in administering his asthma medication in the past. My question is: is there any truth in children shedding vaccines or is that a myth? I’m worrying that he’ll effectively be unprotected for 2 weeks.

As an aside, for those hesitating over the jab, I caught flu last year. It went on for 2 months and included a 5 day stay in hospital as it triggered my childhood asthma. I’m 45, strong and healthy and it hit me like a steam train. How a child could cope, I really don’t know.

Sorry. Meant to say thank you 👆🏻

There aren’t side effects. You aren’t getting a small dose of flu. This isn’t smallpox and

Ffs ..... and Edward Jenner.

DS 3.5 had the jab, I just figure reducing the risk of better than not. Especially around so many other vulnerable people

I can't understand why you'd even think twice about doing it.

You don't even have an actual reason! It's a quick spray up the nose, last year my son had forgotten about it even an hour later when I asked him about it.

I would 100% get it. The flu can be absolutely horrendous both for your son and the vulnerable people around him. He might get a runny nose from the vaccine, he'll be fine!

@heatherscot my son was very ill from the flu vaccine so will not be having it this year , I am a bit confused as to why there is even a flu vaccine for primary aged children ... complications of flu are rare . Is there going to be a vaccine for chickenpox , common cold, herpes next ? ... will be vaccine every month before long ....

It frustrates me all this conflicting anecdotal evidence. I want to do the best by my daughter but I don’t know what that is with regards to this flu nasal spray...

I have a GP friend who said it’s not a live vaccine so how can there be side affects?

The vaccine overall wasn’t terribly effective last year, but if you read the link posted earlier properly you’ll see that it was incredibly effective against 2 particular strains. So yes it is luck of the draw depending on which strain your child is exposed to, but IMO any protection is better than none.

And for those worrying about immunosuppression - in shedding terms we are concerned about those that are SIGNIFICANTLY immune suppressed, so receiving chemotherapy, radiotherapy, very high doses of steroids, asplenic, bone marrow transplants etc.

Immune suppression in terms of mild suppression such as treatments for IBD, RA, etc shouldn’t worry unduly as they aren’t significantly suppressed.

The injection isn’t a live vaccine. The nasal spray is.

Is there going to be a vaccine for chickenpox , common cold, herpes next?
There is one for chicken pox already, but you have to pay for it.
Common cold vaccine that worked? I'd but bkoody shares in it!!!! Alas unlikely to ever happen.
Wouldn't a vaccine against herpes be a good thing??

My son hasn't had it , I'm not an anti vaxxer and he has had every other one but he had a very good immune system and something about messing with it bothers me ..I'm sure someone will tell me I'm irresponsible but

I think you are misguided in your understanding of the immune system and how it works. That means I think you are irresponsible but I understand your reasoning and I would urge you to research how the immune system works.

NorthernRunner your GP friend is wrong, the flu vaccine nasal mist is a live vaccine for 2-17 year olds but not live for adults or under 2s.

I don't get it, I understand that the vaccine is imperfect but why does this mean that you won't let your child have it? What are the cons of getting the vaccine that you are worried about? The side effects seem pretty mild by all accounts so what is the problem?

sidge soydora ahh I must have misunderstood her then, I doubt she is wrong, mich more likely to be me!!!

@SleepingStandingUp No, it's all ridiculous because new mutated bugs will invade our body instead if we are vaccinated against everything !! My son was very ill after the nasal vaccine for 3 days , he was shivering , aching , had a high temperature and a headache . I inflicted that on him and felt very guilty . If he gets the flu then I will look after him without the guilt .

he had a very good immune system

And that will stop him catching flu because...?

No, it's all ridiculous because new mutated bugs will invade our body instead if we are vaccinated against everything !!

Really?

Surely you'd prefer your child had side effects from the spray than flu?

All those children shedding flu from the vaccine are only shedding what's been sprayed DIRECTLY up their nose. I can't (in his case) see a worry when you're going to be getting the whole vaccine sprayed up his nose. Sorry it's faulty logic. Mine are both getting theirs.

Forgot to refresh the page before posting

No, it's all ridiculous because new mutated bugs will invade our body instead if we are vaccinated against everything !!

No, that's not how the immune system works. Your immune system is working all the time, on multiple things at the same time. So babies can have injections that have vaccinations against multiple diseases in one sitting.

Perhaps you're getting confused with antibiotic overuse and superbugs?