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?

Fornerbabe

16 according to this article on the bbc www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-45874198

It may be higher because if a child dies of a complication of the flu then that may be recorded instead.

OP

|I had mine at Boots, while talking to the pharmacist she said the main branches have trained their staff to give more than just flu vaccines, mainly travel vaccines but it might be worth a call.

Asking children to be vaccinated for their grandparents is wrong

Absolutely, they can be vaccinated themselves. My mother isn't immune suppressed but she is 80 so obviously more at risk than average, but she just goes off to her surgery and gets it.

MIL is bed-ridden but the nurse came out to do it.

So there's no reason for elderly people to be vaccinated unless there is a medical reason not to do so, in which case their immediate family and those visiting often might consider vaccination. But not generally.

Flu isn't like other diseases, you don't get herd immunity because there are so many different strains. I suppose you could get herd immunity to a certain strain but that may only last a few months before the next strain comes in and it depends on the powers that be identifying the right strain for that season.

no reason for elderly people NOT to be vaccinated

My friend got the flu once. She was literally bedridden for about 3 weeks. Now every year as soon as it's available she rushes out to get the vaccine as soon as possible. She would never want to go through that again

My DC missed out as they were too old for the new meningitis vaccine...if it was truly about children's health then why haven't they offered that to children who haven't had it?

My opinion is that the primary benefit of this is to reduce the spread of flu to the elderly population.

Formerbabe chickenpox is vaccinated against in the uk anyone between the age of 1 and 65 can have the vaccine you just book it in

@LucaFritz

Really? On the NHS?

No not on the nhs as it isn't seen as life threatening to children but you can book it in at a pharmacy for a cost. My DS will be having his age 1 as id rather pay for that than go through chicken pox with him when it can be prevented

I've tried pharmacies - they are all saying that they can't offer the nasal spray, only the jab. The GP won't help. The only option I have is to attend one of the catch up sessions but there are none locally to me until January so I'm pretty stuck now.

It is possible to have a reaction from the flu jab, I've had some problems recently (immune response causing eye problems) and one of the theories given to me by my consultant was the flu jab I had recently had may have caused it.
I'm not anti vax at all and my children are being vaccinated at school next week, but blanket 'all vaccines good' can be just as uninformed as the anti vax propaganda. As parents we risk assess and the flu vax is not up there with MMR important IMO.

Oh yes, I know you can get it privately.

My point was in term of children's health... chicken pox can be fatal for children, so why isn't it offered routinely on the NHS yet the flu vaccine is? Hence why it appears to me to be more about the elderly population.

Mine always have their flu jab at the Gp. They can’t have the nasal vaccine as it’s live and sheds for weeks and a close family member is immunosuppressed.

I don't think you're unreasonable. You do what you feel is best. I don't get the flu vaccine and neither do my children. They (and me) have otherwise been been FULKY vaccinated.

I worked in an office of 14 people. All got flu vax except from me. Every single one of them got the flu over the next year (two hospitalised) yet I didn't. So that made me skeptical.

I'm in Australia and we had a bad flu season this year. Some healthy people unfortunately died. They had all received the flu vaccine yet still passed away sadly...so that sparked lots of TV investigation shows looking into how effective the vaccines are (I didn't watch any).

Either way, I wish you good health for the winter x

I saw how poorly my relatives were after the flu jab and it put me off

It never ceases to amaze me how stupid people can be and believe the vaccine causes the flu. There are loads of viruses around, flu can be a killer.

It won't the jab anyway it will be the nasal spray. No injection, very minor side effects.

@LagunaBubbles no need to be so rude really is there? But thanks for your input

Asking children to be vaccinated for their grandparents is wrong

Good job it's not true for this immunisation programme then.

The DC get the double benefit of being protected themselves against the likely strains (not all possible flu, no-one well-informed claims that) and also those strains not sweeping through their schools

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

13 deaths in these aged 0-17 last flu season

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/839350/Surveillance_of_influenza_and_other_respiratory_viruses_in_the_UK_2018_to_2019-FINAL.pdf

Flu reports are published annually, for these who want to check the stats.

And yes, it really can be fatal to the young and previously healthy

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

Chicken pox deaths are fairly consistent figures. Around 25 a year, and 80% of those are in adults. So that leaves around 5 deaths per year in children.

Asking children to be vaccinated for their grandparents is wrong

My husband was advised to have the flu jab because I have a compromised immune system. I've been having the jab for years.

no need to be so rude really is there? But thanks for your input

Every need, pointing out people are stupid believing the vaccine makes you ill isn't rude it's just factual. Flu is a killer and the vaccine doesn't give you flu. If you think it does then yes that's a stupid thing to think!

@LagunaBubbles I never said it gave them the flu. Read the thread properly. I said they were ill after having the jab. Many people have also experienced illness after the jab, others not at all. So I don't think it's that stupid to think that the vaccine can make you poorly. But I'm not 'stupid' enough to believe it gives you flu. Take your rudeness and superiority elsewhere thanks

@Somepoorbugger

Totally agree. My dd didn't have flu after the vaccine but she did have a high temperature and was very lethargic...spent the whole day on the sofa under a blanket. Lasted a day.

OP - have you had the jab? I would make sure all of the adults in the family are vaccinated, its not too expensive to do it privately. This will make it less likely that any adults the children come into regular contact with will catch it. Most of their friends and teachers at school will have had it. So really the risk is quite low of them being exposed.

We all make bad decisions sometimes and I don't think you deserve the pasting you've taken on this thread. All you can do now is reduce the risk as much as possible, your dc will probably be fine.

I also think its completely ridiculous that a GP surgery refuses to give the vaccine to a child who missed it. That child is entitled to the vaccine but the NHS won't fund the appointment time, this is the state we have got ourselves into. What a mess.