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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not want the flu jab

72 replies

ellielong · 10/10/2018 20:26

My reasons are it made my dad really poorly and also I have never had flu.

I’m just worried about getting ill from it.

OP posts:

Walkingdeadfangirl · 10/10/2018 21:00

Flu kills, even if it did make your dad feel a little poorly, its still worth it. And I think its very very unlikely it was the vaccine that made him feel that way.

AGirlinLondon · 10/10/2018 21:00

It’s also not the same vaccine every year, for what it’s worth.

Have it or don’t, up to you - but having flu is bloody serious.

Malbecfan · 10/10/2018 21:00

I'm with you OP on this. My dad is 83 and had the jab 2 winters ago when he was 81. He had a bad reaction to it and it took 8 months until he felt ok again. This is a man who is never ill (blood alcohol is kept at a level at which the germs give up) but he's in great shape for his age. He refused it last year.

I won't have the flu injection, yet am pressured by work to get one (teaching job not NHS). I am resisting it so far...

PickleNeedsAFriendInReading · 10/10/2018 21:01

I had it yesterday. Barely even felt it. No side effects, though I'm also just getting over a cold, so I have that anyway. Figured it was worth it, because not only do I not want to get it, but I don't want to risk passing it on to people who are vulnerable. I haven't before now, but kept meaning to, and they ran out before I had a chance to last year. it was only £7 at Asda.

bellalou1234 · 10/10/2018 21:04

I have to have it as work in health care And its soon to be compulsory. I understand about herd immunity and working with vulnerable people. But each time I've had it I feel awful for months and get every cold going. I know there's no evidence by what im saying. But dreading it

campion · 10/10/2018 21:06

Each person who has the jab won't pass flu on to anyone else, as well as protecting themselves.

That's a good enough reason for me. Herd immunity...no one actually wants flu,do they?

Doilooklikeatourist · 10/10/2018 21:06

Having had flu once , and truly thinking I was going to die , I now have the flu jab every year ( for the last 18 years so far )
A little side effect is nothing compared to the real thing
But , it’s up to you

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 10/10/2018 21:11

If you don't want it don't have it. I'm needle phobic and would rather risk flu than have an injection.

IHeartKingThistle · 10/10/2018 21:15

I had proper flu in 2016 and 2017. I will have the jab every year forever now.

Honestly, I didn't know what was going on. I still don't know how the kids got to school and back those weeks and I didn't care. And that's my job! I had a nasty cold/virus last week and had a couple of days in bed - I still sorted out the kids and nagged DH to buy fruit. You can't do that with flu and I can't afford to be that ill again. So yes, I'm having the jab forever!

TheDarkPassenger · 10/10/2018 21:18

Too right a teacher should have it! My 4 year old got the flu and i genuinely thought he was gunna die. He got taken to hospital unresponsive and now his vocal chords are scarred and his voice is permanently raspy. (I say permanently, this is what we were told but he’s 7 now and it’s improved slightly)

He gets his flu spray every single year now, if you’re working with young children why the hell would you not protect them??

shakeyourcaboose · 10/10/2018 21:19

I think the issue is so many people have a bad cols/bug and think 'flu' remember it's a abbreviation of influenza- a as pp say scary horrible thing. It does kill.

Zara87 · 10/10/2018 21:26

Just had my jab today for the 6th year in a row. Slight dead arm but that's it.
7 years ago I had flu, woke up with it Xmas eve. I have literally never been so ill in my life. I was 23.
Never again would I risk getting it.
I wish people treated flu jabs as importantly as they do jabs for babies. If people had it, so many vulnerable people wouldn't die unnecessarily every year

NiceViper · 10/10/2018 21:30

They're not attempting herd immunity with the flu vaccine.

NHS only covers the elderly, the pregnant and those with certain medical conditions (and maybe cohabitants and carers of those in risk groups). Plus 'superspreaders' (ie young children).

Most teenagers and adults are not done by NHS, which means you just can't look at the herd offering protection.

OP has not said on which grounds she is entitled to an NHS jab, or if she is not and is not planning to pay for one.

Crunchymum · 10/10/2018 21:32

I'm immunosuppressed due to medication so I've had mine this year. DC have also had the jab as opposed to nasal spray (as advised by my consultant)

Have to say I am feeling a bit peaky, but that could be my medication or even my condition.... I've had flu jabs in pregnancy I've had 3 winter baby's without any issue.

Ninoo25 · 10/10/2018 21:32

I thought the flu jab took approx a week to become effective? In theory you could contract the flu before having the jab and it only become apparent that you have it or a horrible virus after receiving the jab. Or contract it in that week after having the jab that it takes for it to become effective. It isn’t actually a live vaccine, so the jab itself shouldn’t make you ill, although it does give me a sore arm for a couple of days most years (this year was fine though!)
As an asthmatic I have it every year. If you are entitled to one I would get it x

EmilyRosiEl · 10/10/2018 21:32

I had a flu jab last year despite only having really mild asthma because real flu is horrible! It floors you, makes you ache all over and just feels terrible.

My brother had the jab the week before I did and felt a bit fluey for two days but I didn't feel anything at all afterwards so you might well feel fine afterwards. Also men tend to react more to flu, including attenuated flu vaccine than women because their immune systems work slightly differently so I would say yes a bit unreasonable.

Zara87 · 10/10/2018 21:35

Whether entitled on the nhs or not, it's like £7 or £8.

December2018 · 10/10/2018 21:35

I had mine a couple of weeks ago hun and yeah I did feel like boil in the bag shite for a day or two it's still much better than getting the real flu and feeling like shite for weeks on end and really suffering with it xxx

redfragglebiker · 10/10/2018 21:37

As a normal healthy adult who managed to get proper flu (the only year I missed having the jab ironically) and nearly died from it, I think you're being a bit of a twat to be honest. Proper flu is awful and can be life threatening. Not only do you not want it by any stretch of the imagination, but by getting vaccinated you help provide herd immunity for those who cannot have the jab.

MrsEricBana · 10/10/2018 21:38

It can't give you flu.
Would you not get home insurance just because it's a bit expensive and anyway your house has never burnt down?
But no don't bother if you don't want the flu jab. Generally only people over 65 and at risk groups do.

OuchLegoHurts · 10/10/2018 21:40

Eh, don't get it? I love in Ireland where almost nobody who's not high risk gets it.

I get it every year as I've had flu twice and it ruined my Christmas. And I haven't had it since.

Nobody is forcing you??

OuchLegoHurts · 10/10/2018 21:40

*I live in Ireland

molemonkey · 10/10/2018 21:41

After having full blown flu 3 years ago I would never chance not having the flu jab now.
Ive never felt so ill and was bed ridden for 3 weeks and it took another 3 weeks after before i felt 'normal' again.
Your not going to get flu from having the jab but do you want to risk it???

Lougle · 10/10/2018 21:42

Fit, young men, going from running marathons to having their blood removed from their body, reoxygenated, then pumped back into their body, because their lungs are so badly damaged by 'flu that they can't carry oxygen that has been pumped from their tracheostomy, to their tissues themselves. That's how bad real 'flu can be. One minute they were in their prime of life, the next they were facing months in ICU and even longer in hospital for rehabilitation.

The 'flu vaccine (quadrivalent nasal spray for children, quadrivalent injection for 18-65s, and adjuvanted trivalent injection for adults 65 and over) is very low risk for the vast majority of people and it is the best chance of protecting from a very nasty virus.

Crownandheelshigh · 10/10/2018 21:43

I've had it every year and will continue doing so and when my little boy is old enough he will have it too...

He was born 9 weeks prem and in my eyes I want to protect him as much as possible from getting anything.

I had a sore arm for a day or two and then felt fine.

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