To be unsure about flu nasal spray vaccine?

[Jinxed2]

My son is now two and I have had a text message inviting me to make an appointment for him to have this. AIBU to not want him to have it? I am not an anti-vaxxer however I have 2 older children and when they were small this wasn’t a thing.... I’ve never had flu in my life.... thoughts please

There are so many of these threads every year, and that’s just Mumsnet, maybe more education is needed. Anyway, I’ve had flu twice. Ended up in a and e both times on oxygen and antibiotic drip. I do have asthma but even so. I get the vaccine every year but obviously it doesn’t always cover every strain, I wish it was more widely taken up to lessen my chances of catching it again and not having such a good outcome. My DH has had kidney cancer and a brain tumour but the closest he came to dying was when he contracted flu and was in a and e for two weeks. It was touch and go.

interesting point re pandemics - the people who didn't get it or recovered from a virus where those who had been exposed & contracted it in the past - in the case of the Spanish Flu (1918 ish) which killed more people than died in WW! - the people who were most likely die where young people who had not been exposed to a previous outbreak in the 1890's (aprox) outbreak - just because you have never had it doesn't mean you won't. As stated the Australian outbreak in their winter this year has been very severe.

Haworthia going by the link you posted does that study date from 2014? I thought the vaccine used each year was chosen to protect against the strains likely to be prevalent that year - if that's the case are that study's conclusions valid 5 years later?

The flu vaccine isn't massively effective but it's all we've got. I have it every year because having had flu three times in my life I'd do anything, and I mean anything, not to have it again. Being bedridden for two weeks with flu while trying to breastfeed a 9 week old velcro baby was a time when I prayed for death and meant it.

It's important to get the jab as early as possible in the flu season.

I didn’t realise it took so long to kick in! We usually get an email in early September (teaching) inviting us to have it. I kept waiting for it, emailed Occ Health with no reply, and eventually decided to pay for it as I think it’s a “cutback”. Happy to pay, but I wish we had been told it wasn’t going to be available at work earlier, particularly if protection takes some time.

I thought I had flu before. Last year I actually got flu and honestly thought I was going to die. My daughter had the nasal spray on Monday, as she has every year it has been offered, and I am getting the shot next week. It’s not just a little bit ill. It can kill. If you have given all the other inoculations why not this one which has zero risk? (As do the others btw)

There is a shortage of the vaccine apparently so vulnerable people have been getting it and then general population- I get mine through work and it is next week. Nothing to do with brexit - some production issue.

It's being offered to quite a few school years this year as small children are good spreaders of flu ,if they go down so does the rest of the family.

its a very personal decision
But it's not really, is it? It doesn't just affect you and your kids, it affects the people you might infect, some of whom will be vulnerable to disease. It does have consequences for others beyond your front door.

The effectiveness IS questionable though...
So I can see why some people may think it isn't worth it - 15% effective in 2017-2018 , I am not sure how effective they are predicting this years to be. Pretty certain they only cover a few strains too.

I've had flu just once, about 6 years ago, it was horrendous.

My son has asthma so has the nasal spray. I wouldn't take any chances, knowing the impact flu had on me, a healthy (then) 40 year old.

I honestly don’t know what reservations you might have? YABU to not want him to have it for no better reason than your older children and you haven’t had flu.

It’s fine. My daughter has it last year and barely noticed it. I’ve also booked in for my own this year. Why wouldn’t you, if you can? Protect your child to the best of your abilities.

This is predicted to be a terrible year for flu.

I get the vaccine every year as a HCP but this year I've been very pro-active about it.

The Southern Hemisphere have had a very bad winter with flu and it is coming here next.

I've seen young, fit healthy people die of flu.

I’m entitled to get it but I never do. I don’t see the point to be honest. Never had the flu and the one women I know that’s had the flu gets the flu jab and still gets the flu after she’s had the jab.
I don’t give it to my kids either. Something that could be only 15% effective.
They haven’t had the flu, I never have. We don’t have any health problems so I’m sure we will be ok.

Oh and I had flu winter of 2005.

I felt terrible and although I stayed out of hospital I didn't make it out of bed for three days and genuinely wondered at several points if I needed to go to visit my colleagues in ED as a patient.

Unfortunately DD can’t have the vaccine as she had a huge allergic reaction to it when it was first rolled out - A and E job, meningitis symptoms. She did actually catch flu last year and was bloody ill. It’s a bit of educated guessing regarding which strain is expected to be prevalent this year, but honestly if I could give her the vaccine I would.

@mrsmalcolmreynolds The article was from 2014, granted, but it doesn’t quote a single study. It references a systematic review of 75 studies.

The flu vaccine is a very imprecise art. It’s not the same as, say, the diphtheria vaccine. I think a lot of responses on this thread assume that the flu vaccine is guaranteed to protect you from flu but that’s far from the case. If it was, I’d go for it without a second thought.

I haven’t given my children it and I don’t care if people judge me. I never had it growing up and I don’t know anyone who did or anyone who has ever died of flu. Even my sister who has asthma isn’t getting it this year as last year she said it was horrendous after she had it, she still got it and worse.

The "flumist" nasal spray has been around since my boys were babies. They're ugly teenager, now. It's not that new.

They're both entitled to it, as in special schools. They won't take it, though. Gave consent for one who might allow it on a good day, but not the other who isn't even cooperating with his immediate essential medication, at the moment.

Sorry to jump on this thread but I would like my 20 month old to have the vaccine. I know he's not eligible as such for the nasal vaccine but is it possible to get it injected privately? I have had flu twice and been hospitalised and it's just the worst.

Was it 2007 or 2008 that was another bad flu year. DH and both boys got it, that year. I'm one of those rare people as resistant to flu as to norovirus (also got mild flu the year that ex had the worst flu in the world, ever, yet mysteriously survived, but bounced back, quickly) so get a cough but muddle through but DH and the boys seem to be felled by all the viruses. (they can all get the pukes for days while I get a headache and mildly nauseous but it's all overtaken by a resumed relationship with bleach)

My ASD son has it and I have it as a parent/carer. Neither of us have ever had any side effects. I did, however, have flu once before I was a parent and was so ill I thought I was going to die. It’s a no brainer for me and so very dangerous for small kids to contract flu. I would take it if I were you.