To not give dc flu jab

[Somepoorbugger]

I didn't let my 7 and 9 year old have the flu jab this year. My reason was that some relatives had it a few years ago and were extremely sick afterwards. Me dp and dc have never had the flu and I probably ignorantly underestimated how nasty it can be.

I've started with a nasty cold this week - don't think it's flu as I'm still functioning just feel crap. But it made me think how terrible I'd feel if the kids did get it. Wibu to not let them have it and can I request it through the GP?

I had the jab about two weeks ago as I’m pregnant.

I happen to be suffering from the worlds shittest cold but it’s totally unrelated

YABU and stupid and selfish.

flu chap will protect a strain but your child can still get flu as they can get a different strain

But if that does happen they may not be as unwell as they would have been because even being vaccinated for the 'wrong' strain still gives you some protection and can lessen the effects of catching a different strain.

The flu vaccine itself can take up to 2-3 weeks to be fully effective so getting ill afterwards means you've either caught flu before its taken effect or you've picked up one of the many other viral illnesses common at this time of year. Some people do feel mildly unwell for a brief period after their jab, personally I always have a mild fever and shivers overnight after having mine, but this is just an immune response and not a case of the vaccine giving you the flu.

I had flu last year. I was in my bed for 3 weeks. Some days just making it from my bed to the loo was a struggle. I lost my hearing and it didn't return for a few months.

It's nothing like a bad cold.

My children always get their vaccination. This year however I have started to get one for myself too. I do t want to go through that again.

My 7 yo had the flu spray with school without any ill effects
My 3yo will have it soon but there's a wait at the surgery for appointments and I'm paranoid about him coming down with something in the meantime

I had flu once honestly thought I might die if you can prevent getting it in even the tiniest way do it!!

Also it’s not just about your kids OP. It’s about protecting everyone

I think it's sensible to get it. I had flu a couple of years ago when there was the Japanese Flu etc going around. I'd been vaccinated but I either caught a different flu virus or the vaccine didn't take. I was really ill and off work for 3 weeks unable to get out of bed. Thankfully DH and DCs (all vaccinated) didn't catch it. We also had a ski holiday ruined once when we caught flu and went down one by one, two of us ended up needing medical care and DH went loopy with fever and tried to prance out in the snow in the middle of the night.

I know you can get some side effects from the vaccine, but in the 15+ years of an annual jab, I've only been poorly afterwards once (feverish and achey but nothing as bad as actual flu). We hope everyone has the vaccine because DS 5 has an airway defect which means flu could kill him. I doubt many of his friends at school even know he has this problem as these days it only becomes an issue if he gets a chest infection or flu.

If I ring the surgery and say they missed their jab at school will they be able to have it there?

The NHS aren’t spending money giving it out for shits and giggles

My neighbour is currently on life support because of the flu. So please get them vaccinated.

My DS has asthma and doesn’t have the nasal flu vaccine but I take him to my GP and he receives the flu jab and never suffers any side effects.

Proper flu is horrendous. It's nothing like a bad cold. I had it last year and I was in bed, virtually unable to move at all for 3 days - literally made it to the bathroom and back with help, and otherwise didn't leave the bed. I was literally lying there wanting to die. I then had 4 more days in bed, when I was able to roll myself over and listen to the radio a bit. Then another week where I felt ok but had no energy at all.

Honestly, it's horrific. Even if the side effects were like a heavy cold, it's better than having the flu. And it's unlikely that your relatives were experiencing side effects, as others have said - more likely it was something they were already incubating before they got the vaccination..

Get your kids the flu vaccine, please.

Or try your pharmacy OP.

Flu can kill a fit and healthy person within hours.

Turning down a free flu jab is the height of stupidity.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/news/8081249/bre-payton-fox-news-cause-death-flu/amp/

I am eligible for the flu jab. My surgery didn’t have any so I got it for free at Boots. Not sure if they do the nasal one for kids but worth asking.
And the flu jab doesn’t make you ill.
Flu can be utterly grim.

If I ring the surgery and say they missed their jab at school will they be able to have it there?

You wouldn’t be able to at my surgery. We don’t stock the children’s vaccine, because children get it at school.

It’s quite foolish, as others have said you don’t get sick from the jab. It would’ve been better to do a bit more research about your concerns before turning it down outright.
It might be worth calling your GP to see if they can help, or your local Boots may do it for a small cost.

Pharmacies don’t provide the nasal flu vaccine for children and can’t in any case provide the free NHS service to people under 18. Some pharmacies will provide a private vaccination service to under 18s, but not all.

As an aside the nasal vaccine is a live vaccine, not inactivated, and may cause very mild symptoms.

You are unlikely to be able to get it at the surgery.

Hopefully they won’t get flu this year and you will know better for next year.

Yes OP the GP surgery will be able to sort them out.

I think it's great that you have stopped and said: "Actually, I think I was too hasty with my decision" and are going to rectify it.

Many people don't.

I don't let my children have the flu jab but they have had all the other vaccinations. The flu vaccination and reasons for it are different to other vaccinations like measles etc. Don't conflate the two. Having the jab won't stop you getting flu as there are many strains of the virus. Your best defence is a healthy diet and exercise.

Well there’s no harm in ringing them and asking is there?

Oh, I see some surgeries don't provide it for children!

Ours certainly do and advise parents whose children have missed out in school due to absence to come in and get it there.

All you can do is ring and see, OP.

That was daft, this year there's a particularly brutal epidemic headed our way (see how bad it was in Australia this year) Do whatever you can to get it. Start with GP and try boots, superdrug etc.

Does anyone know why they don’t vaccinate teenagers? I’ve been offered it at work and people here have mentioned primary children getting a spray but not seen anything for older kids.

I'll ring tomorrow. Thank you