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AIBU?

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Original poster

To not give dc flu jab

224 replies

Somepoorbugger · 03/12/2019 19:41

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?

OP posts:
ferrier · 04/12/2019 23:13

To whoever said it's about herd immunity .... well clearly not or we would all be encouraged to get it. No one has said a thing to me or anyone in my family.

takeittogo · 05/12/2019 06:52

I’ve made this point before and been shot down for it but it’s worth repeating.

My children are not toys. They will not have invasive medical procedures that are not for their direct benefit.

Boxerbinky · 05/12/2019 06:53

I'm sat here with my nearly 3 year old little boy, who has a temp and has not been himself since yesterday evening with Flu-ish symptoms. He had the nasal flu shot the day before. As much as he is a little poorly now- probably as a result of the jab. I can only imagine how sick he might be if he caught the actual flu!

Venger · 05/12/2019 06:59

My children are not toys. They will not have invasive medical procedures that are not for their direct benefit.

The flu jab is for their direct benefit. It helps to protect them from catching flu.

Onesnowballshort · 05/12/2019 07:09

Venger, don't bother, you can't reason with stupid.

formerbabe · 05/12/2019 07:13

People on this thread are sounding hysterical.

I'm very pro vaccination. But my dd had the flu jab and was ill the next day...with a high temp, certainly wouldn't have been well enough to go to school if it had been a weekday. She won't be having it this year.

My ds is 11 and never had the opportunity to have the flu vaccine...he's never had flu. I'm very sceptical about whether the flu vaccine for children is for their benefit directly or because they are trying to protect the elderly population?

Venger · 05/12/2019 07:21

Recent strains of flu have been worse in children and young people, particularly this years, and children are the group most likely to be hospitalised due to flu. It is nothing to do with protecting the elderly as they qualify for the jab themselves, it is to directly protect the child from catching it. Obviously the less people who catch the flu, the less it is circulating in the community, the less chance it has to mutate, the less chance even vaccinated people have of catching it (because no vaccine offers 100% protection). Its all to do with increasing their chances of not catching it, increasing their chances if staying fit and well over the winter, increasing their chances of not ending up in hospital, having weeks off school, or with long term health effects due to flu.

Venger, don't bother, you can't reason with stupid

I'm starting to see that!

KTheGrey · 05/12/2019 07:21

Evidence is that you can't get flu from the jab. The actual, scientific evidence. I have had the jab and it makes me sleepy for two days. I have also had the flu and it makes you feel like you may be dying and lasts for a week. And if you have elderly parents/small children etc you may pass it on. Up to you.

Farahilda · 05/12/2019 07:23

It's for their benefit.

Remember that over 65s have had flu jabs for many, many more years that the sniff has been around.

Extending the jab to children (the next most vulnerable group after the elderly, pregnant and those with certain medical conditions) was a response to campaigning by those who actively wanted their DC protected. As was the widening of the age at which NHS will provide it.

DC are most definitely not toys. Unlike toys they get ill, they might die. There hasn't been a major flu outbreak for years now. This is a good thing.

I've had flu once - i was very ill for 2 weeks and a further week before fit enough for school. I'd rather avoid that, selfishly for me, and definitely for the DC

sashh · 05/12/2019 07:27

Your best defence is a healthy diet and exercise.

No your only defence is a vaccine. Yes if you are healthy your body will be better able to fight it than someone who is immunocompromised but the immune system isn't like a car you can 'pimp' to go faster.

formerbabe · 05/12/2019 07:37

I have had the jab and it makes me sleepy for two days

My dd had hers on a Friday and was lethargic all weekend with a high temp...if she has the jab on a day when she has school the next day, she won't be able to go. Neither of my dc has ever had flu. So here's the thing, they want us to vaccinate our children but the schools are ridiculously het up about attendance. So once again, parents can't win.

myself2020 · 05/12/2019 08:12

It is for the child’s direct benefit. children (and eldery) are much more likely to have a severe case of flu or even die than the rest of the population. children are also likely to spread flue due to poor hygiene.
Giving them the jab/spray massively reduces the risk of both.

takeittogo · 05/12/2019 08:14

I really, honestly don’t see anybody who sounds hysterical, regardless of where they are coming from.

My point re my children not having invasive procedures was trying to explain that I won’t give them something they don’t need to protect a (fictitious, in our case) grandparent visiting over Christmas. The person who should have the flu jab is the grandparent, not the child.

Throckmorton · 05/12/2019 08:19

Can everyone RTFT and stop piling on the OP please! She made a daft decision, but realises this and is trying to rectify it.

Feel free to pile on the idiots posting anti-vax nonsense though. They are the ones deserving of ire

takeittogo · 05/12/2019 08:22

It isn’t being anti vax to not accept every single vaccination offered.

My children are vaccinated, including ones arranged privately because the NHS doesn’t offer them. That is not being anti vax.

However, I take issue with that link posted up thread by somebody. Asking children to be vaccinated for their grandparents is wrong.

saraclara · 05/12/2019 08:29

Of course it's good to have it where it's offered. But it's also a bit hysterical to rant at anyone who misses it for some reason.
Until very recently kids didn't get vaccinated for it at all. I'm glad they are now, and I'm glad that anyone can have the vaccine (it's not so long ago that you only got it if you were over 65 or immuno-compromised) but it's not compulsory.

We're not talking measles levels of vulnerability, or rubella levels of possible future disability. So though I'd always encourage flu vaccination (I had a husband on chemo over one winter, so I was grateful to anyone who reduced his risk of getting flu) let's not go way over the top with scare stories.

rosewils · 05/12/2019 09:06

It is hysterical when you're talking about a vaccine that had 26% efficacy in 2017 and 44% for 18/19.

We're not talking about the same levels of protection of an MMR vaccine for example so I think accusing people of being anti vax is uncalled for.

Posters continually stating it can't make you ill and that it isn't a live vaccine are obviously misinformed about the nasal vaccine. Children are often poorly after it but of course much milder than if they caught the flu.

I think it's great that it's available now for more children but honestly piling on the poor op is unnecessary in a case like this.

formerbabe · 05/12/2019 09:06

Asking children to be vaccinated for their grandparents is wrong

I think I agree with this.

Like I said, my dd was really unwell the day after her vaccine. If it was for her benefit, then fine but simply to protect the elderly population? Nope, I have no obligation to anyone else besides my DC when it comes to making medical decisions for them.
I weighed it up..chances of my DC getting flu...chances of flu vaccine covering every strain and being effective on the strains it is being used for...chance of my dd feeling unwell afterwards and missing a day of school... overall, I decided against it.

I'm massively sceptical about the fear mongering going on. Not denying that people can die from flu...but healthy children with no underlying medical problems...well, I'd like to know the stats.

I imagine DC are in far more danger from chicken pox than flu yet they are not routinely offered the chicken pox vaccine.

strawberrieshortcake · 05/12/2019 09:19

And now the anti-vaxxers are piling in. Not even going to bother educating them because you can’t reason with people who have been indoctrinated by Facebook propaganda. I just hope for their children’s sake that they don’t get the flu.

strawberrieshortcake · 05/12/2019 09:20

OP please ignore the anti-vaxxer rubbish on here and try and see if there is a private clinic near you that has the vaccine.

LucaFritz · 05/12/2019 09:22

YABU you know even if you don't get the flu you can still be a carrier for it and pass it onto others Hmm i had mine and didn't feel any side effects apart from a slightly sore arm for a few days after so i dont see why anyone would choose not to have it and risk dying from flu especially a child. Its the same as any other preventative vaccine and by not having it your putting others lives at risk as well as your own.

Venger · 05/12/2019 09:22

The flu vaccine IS for the direct benefit of the child. The NHS offer it to stop children getting the flu because, as a group, children are the most likely to be hospitalised due to the flu.

This years strain is particularly hard on children which is why the immunisation programme has been expanded to include more age groups.

formerbabe · 05/12/2019 09:29

And now the anti-vaxxers are piling in

Who? I'm not anti vax...I'm very pro vaccination...my DC have had everything, including the flu vaccine in the past which made them unwell.

Like I said, I'd like the stats on how many children who are otherwise healthy die from the flu every year.

Id also like to know why chicken pox isn't routinely vaccinated against in the UK. I'd be queuing up for that.

lotsofoysters · 05/12/2019 09:45

Asking children to be vaccinated for their grandparents is wrong

I'm am massively pro vaccination but I agree with this. It should be the other way round.

In other countries like the US and Canada they recommend that new grandparents get updated whooping cough jabs etc to protect newborns, but we don't have that recommendation here.

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