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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be unsure about flu nasal spray vaccine?

164 replies

Jinxed2 · 15/10/2019 20:52

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

OP posts:
Cementowl · 16/10/2019 00:26

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

JenniR29 · 16/10/2019 00:54

‘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’

I find ‘we didn’t have such and such back in my day’ to be the most wearisome argument against something. People didn’t used to have to seatbelts either, do you go about not wearing one now? How about watching colour tv? Typing this on your smartphone or laptop are you?! I’m sure science and technology hasn’t passed you by in any other aspect of life.

managedmis · 16/10/2019 01:01

From what I understood the op was asking if the nasal version was as effective as a needle?

Cleverplayonwords · 16/10/2019 01:01

My son had the flu when he was 17 months. It was horrendous, he was terribly ill. Scarily high temperature, throwing up, exhausted, shaking and barely ate for 2 weeks. He looked gaunt by the end of it.
Damn right he got the vaccination as soon as it was offered.

stairway · 16/10/2019 01:21

We don’t give it to our kids as it contain pork. Don’t know why they make it with pork as it excludes a lot of people.

FindusCrispyPancakes · 16/10/2019 01:41

I'm not an antivaxer (we've all had every other vaccine going) but I don't do flu jabs, didn't do in pregnancy and I'm not letting my children have it either. My mum is a nurse who is encouraged to have it, she too refuses, has done for years. People who have it appear to get some sort of cold/ill. It hasn't been very effective the past few years anyway so I'll continue to take my chances as I have the past 36 years.

AuchAyeTheNo · 16/10/2019 01:47

I lost a very good friend to flu. Granted it was the swine flu but still. She was perfectly healthy but sadly heavily pregnant. Her beautiful boy survived but she never got to meet him.

I now pay for him and DH’s and the kids get theirs.

Jocasta2018 · 16/10/2019 02:26

Just go for it! Ok, your two older children might not have had it but if the flu vaccination has been brought in then there is usually a good reason why.
I had mine 1st October as am on the 'at risk' so it's on the NHS. My sodding GP surgery won't be getting the 'at risk' vaccines in til end October so I went into my usual Boots pharmacy, they could see my medical history & I got the free jab.

Banaleaf · 16/10/2019 04:19

My kids have had this nasal spray vaccine and have never been ill from it or got the flu.

JenniR29 · 16/10/2019 04:41

‘My mum is a nurse who is encouraged to have it, she too refuses’

I think this is rather irresponsible given that she could be looking after vulnerable or immunocompromised patients.

checkedcloth · 16/10/2019 05:43

I am shocked that a practising registered nurse suggests not to have a flu vaccine. To my mind she is in breach of her NMC code of conduct.

Flu kills - simple as that. Vaccination helps keep the whole community safer. Herd immunity is key to this to protect our most vulnerable such as older people and those with compromised immune systems. It’s a social responsibility that we should take seriously.

I’m a nurse and have worked though 25 + flu seasons. It kills people!

Shiraznowplease · 16/10/2019 06:02

I have always let my dc have it however dd always gets really ill after and not sure whether to let her this year. My parents, in laws etc have had it and can’t see the logic to make her so ill when everyone we know is protected. I understand herd immunity however my primary concern is dd who last year missed over a week of school. Selfish it may be but feel it is unfair to make her suffer to help people who she doesn’t even know/ probably won’t come into contact with and with a vaccine of dubious efficacy. I am not anti vaccine as both dc have had all routine vaccinations

DoctorAllcome · 16/10/2019 06:05

YANBU

Everyone spouting the usual stuff about vaccines hasn’t taken the time to look at the history and patch track record of this particular vaccine.

The nasal flu spray was literally pulled off the market in 2016 after studies of the 2009 swine flu outbreak found that it provided zero protection to children against the flu.

So for two years- 2016 &2017 young children were getting the flu shot instead.

The flu nasal spray is now “new and improved” and back on the market as of last year. The usual pre-release studies show it is effective. But obviously no long term large population studies have been done on it yet as to exactly how effective it is.

The nasal flu spray is a live attenuated virus vaccine so is not suitable for children with asthma or immune conditions OR if anyone in the child support immediate family/household does.

If I were you, I’d request the flu shot as it is proven in long term studies to be effective.

Shiraznowplease · 16/10/2019 06:07

It’s an age old question of do the rights of an individual trump the rights of the wider population

DoctorAllcome · 16/10/2019 06:11

@HandsOffMyRights
my son has asthma so has the nasal spray

Er, actually asthma is a contra-indication for the nasal spray. Only children with very mild asthma and taking no to low steroids can have it. See here:
“The flu vaccine for children

Alongside using their preventer inhaler as prescribed, the flu vaccine will help to protect your child from an asthma attack triggered by flu.

The vaccine is usually given as a nasal spray, not an injection – but the spray is not recommended for children on oral steroids (pills or liquids) or high doses of inhaled steroids. Our asthma nurses can help you work out what type of dose your child is on.”

DoctorAllcome · 16/10/2019 06:12

@Shiraznowplease

That and informed consent.

Underhisi · 16/10/2019 06:15

Ds had flu when he was 5 and before the vaccine was available. He was off school for 3 weeks and it took a couple of months for him to properly recover. For the first week he spent the whole time lying down, drifting in and out of sleep and had to be given drinks with syringes because he hadn't got the energy to drink by himself. If we hadn't have got the liquid in by syringe, he would have had to go into hospital.

He is in an at risk group because of having a learning disability but is a healthy child. I would do all I can to prevent that or worse happening again.

Fucket · 16/10/2019 06:17

Should my children be getting a jab instead of spray if I have bad asthma? I’ve consented to them getting the spray.

Faultymain5 · 16/10/2019 06:17

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

If that's the case, why is it still not available at my dr's surgery, for my asthmatic DDHmm. I was told call back next week.

redchocolatebutton · 16/10/2019 06:19

young people are know as 'super spreaders' that is one of the reasons why it is offered to them.

not only to prevent dc having the most likely strains of flu, but also to prevent it spreading to other vulnerable people.

DoctorAllcome · 16/10/2019 06:24

Since most people are in U.K., here is NHS webpage stating that if your child has asthma, they should get the flu shot for free. I have bolded the conditions that can usually affect children.

“Flu vaccine for people with medical conditions

The injected flu vaccine is offered free of charge on the NHS to anyone with a serious long-term health condition, including:

chronic (long-term) respiratory diseases, such as asthma (that requires an inhaled or tablet steroid treatment, or has led to hospital admission in the past), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis
chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
chronic kidney disease
chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis
chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinson's disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), a learning disability or cerebral palsy
diabetes
problems with your spleen – for example, sickle cell disease or if you have had your spleen removed
a weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS, or medicines such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy
being seriously overweight (a BMI of 40 or above)”
www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/who-should-have-flu-vaccine/

Lilacviolet · 16/10/2019 06:25

I’m not sure how comfortable I am with vaccines being given to benefit people other than the person it’s being given to.

DoctorAllcome · 16/10/2019 06:27

@Fucket
They should be getting the flu shot, not spray.
The old spray was not safe for asthmatics. The new and improved spray has only been short term tested for safety & effectiveness in asthmatics. if you volunteer for the new nasal spray, your kids are de facto guinea pigs.

My littlest DD has severe asthma and is on inhaled steroids, I always get the shot not the spray.

redchocolatebutton · 16/10/2019 06:31

I’m not sure how comfortable I am with vaccines being given to benefit people other than the person it’s being given to.

but that's how all vaccines work. never just for the person being vaccinated, but for the 'herd'.

Lilacviolet · 16/10/2019 06:34

That isn’t true.

Some vaccines are given because some diseases are deadly.

I wouldn’t personally have a vaccine I didn’t need and I wouldn’t expect anybody to have one on my behalf either.