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 flu once, fully, when I was at university. It wiped me out for nearly a month, I couldn't get out of bed for over a week (had to crawl to the loo). I had a nasty dose of something a few years ago that may have been flu, although I'd been vaccinated. Our local surgery hasn't had enough vaccines yet for me to be vaccinated, despite being in a priority group. And DD's school have not had their vaccinations done yet, either. I am dreading either of us getting it as we are asthmatic & both deteriorate really quickly with any infection.

Glad you've decided to get your DCs vaccinated.

MrsPear cannot be in UK, as the immunisations here are not and never have been single strain. There are three of four, depending on your age and which year.

But yes, everyone knows it is based on a forecast of dominant circulating strains (continuously updated - it set back northern hemisphere manufacturing for a month or so this year).

Yes, sometimes they could have made a different and (with benefit of hindsight) 'better' selection. But most years it's not wrong. And every year there has been a reduction in expected case numbers.

Yes, strains not included will also be circulating, and yes you might get one of those. The aim of the immunisation is not to stop all flu. It is to reduce it sharply.

I wouidn't criticise someone for not getting the flu jab, even for reasons which are non-applicable in UK.

But wouid add, OP, that your GP should be able to offer a catch up becabecause they should have a supply of sniff for all those who did not get it at school (eg under 3s, HEdders, those ill and unable to receive it in school - you can't give it to DC with very snotty noses as it won't 'take'

Bloody hell MrsPear it's surely a bit early in the morning for all that complete drivel..
Every year it's ineffective? So all the research and roll-out to vaccinate the population against flu is just done for a laugh ? Do you honestly believe that the DoH does not provide vaccine through an evidence based system. ?

Or is it just because the NHS has so much excess money that flu jabs are just a fun way of spending it. ?

But you really can't argue with stupid .

Just to add because I feel I need to on flu jab threads -

My ds2 caught flu when he was 11 months old and spent two weeks in hospital on a machine helping him breathe. He could have died. His lungs haven’t been right since (this was two years ago) and we have spent weeks in the hospital since then.

Those who refuse to vaccinate (op I recognise you have realised your error) - you are very very selfish.

same as the militant pro-flu jabbers.

Please see above as to why I am one of these ‘militant’ pro-flu jabbers @Eggies
What are your thoughts about that?

It isn't a jab anyway. It's a spray

I'm in Germany and they don't vaccinate children here (unless they have a chronic condition). I paid for my DD's jab. She's 4. It was a week ago and counting days for it to start working. I got mine a few weeks ago as I'm breastfeeding so it will protect my baby as well. I also caught the flu 2 years ago and was out for 3 weeks. Second week was the worst with low grade fever and horrible dizziness.

YABU but I think you know that.

The flu jab evokes a mild inflammatory response from the exposure you receive to the attenuated form of the virus. If it made your relatives ill then imagine how horrific they would feel if they contracted the real virulent infection. Influenza can kill. Vaccinate your children.

Thank you to the people who continue to preach but I have realised my mistake and am now trying to rectify it. Selfish and hateful are two things I'm not. By very definition selfish means not caring about the wellbeing of others which I clearly do - I just made one misinformed decision. The Gp won't see the so I need to ask at school

Well done for trying to get it sorted!

Is this a new thing, my kids (now teens) have never been offered one?
I have one every year for work. I think from the experience of myself and colleagues, if you unintentionally have it when you're just coming down with a cold, it can make the cold worse. Otherwise it's fine.

It hasn't been a particularly effective vaccine over the years if you look at the stats.

Also the nasal spray is a live vaccine so can give children some "mild" symptoms unlike the jab.

My ds was hospitalised after it last year, we decided not to give it this year as the almost guarantee of him being ill again from a vaccine that is no where near 100% effective didn't seem right.

I'm obviously living in dread of him catching actual flu and if the vaccine had a higher success rate I'd have given it to him again.

There should be some kind of catch up service op give your school nurse team a ring.

OP I'm glad to hear you will try to get your children the vaccine.

I think you should also talk to your relatives and ask them to stop telling people about how they had the fly jab and then got ill afterwards, and check they are still planning to have the vaccine next time around especially if they are elderly.

Unfortunately the flu jab is (by necessity) given in cold and flu season so it's not unusual for someone to pick up a different illness around the same time as having the jab. However this illness is not caused by or exacerbated by the vaccine and its irresponsible to suggest that it is.

My son was too old to get it at school but has asthma so was given the nasal spray at the surgery. I did have to chase about it though

@june2007 I have had hospital level reactions to vaccines in the past. I still get them (with medical supervision for an hour or two after) because vaccines save lives. It's important.

I had flu about 5 weeks ago. It has totally messed me up. It caused problems with my heart (still undergoing tests to see if any permanent damage) I have had so many ear problems since and also now got sinus infection. This has all been linked to the initial flu by the dr. My daughter and me are due to get the flu vaccine in saturday and we are going. I would not want her to catch what i had!

I wouldn't get it. I think its completely unnecessary. A friend's mum is a pharmacist in Germany, according to her they introduced free flu jabs for kids a couple of years ago there when a pharma company there had excess stock and they wanted to get data for its safety and efficacy. Having worked for years in pharma company clinical research, I well believe it. I think its unnecessary. I wonder why we still don't have the chicken pox vaccine here, obviously not so profitable for drug companies as its not a annual thing.

Well done for recognising the error of your ways OP. It takes guts to admit you were wrong.

I think you'll be struggling to get it via NHS. You could pay for them to have the injection rather than the nasal vaccine though.

FWIW I forgot one year - had a newborn and a 3 year old and it just slipped my mind. We all caught flu and it was horrendous and I haven't missed it since.

Thank you ..finally a bit of sense from turfsausage

Sense.

@turfsausage - What utter bollocks.

I got the jab last year as I am on immunosuppressant medication. I had it at 9am and by that evening I was feeling miserable, headache, bodyaches etc. Went to bed and woke it feeling fine. People do get reactions but as someone pointed out its not the flu just a mild reaction.

I am in Ireland and children do not get routinely vaccinated for flu. My children are 12, 10 and 8 and have never had a flu jab and I have no intention of giving them one.

I'm struggling. Doctors and school both suggesting each other. Am trying to find any catch up clinics because the immunisation team aren't coming back to the school now. I wasn't sure if children under 11 could have the jab, thought it had to be the spray