Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Flu nasal spray or not for Children.

109 replies

AG29 · 06/12/2019 10:18

Don’t want to then this into a debate. DC’s school are doing them early next week. Seems a bit late to be doing them but anyway. A lot of their peers are not having it which is of course the parents choice.

I am hearing conflicting things. Do your children have it or not? I don’t have much time now to do thorough research on it.

I have opted in at the moment but unsure..

OP posts:
StoneColdSaidSo · 07/12/2019 07:16

My dc all had it done last month and I got mine done on the same day. So glad I did as I was nagging dh to do his, which he didn’t, and he is only just recovering from a really nasty bout of flu. He’s only just starting to feel better, 12 days later.

BlouseAndSkirt · 07/12/2019 07:23

So is it “YANBU” for “give them the spray”? Confused

BlouseAndSkirt · 07/12/2019 07:27

The comments are overwhelmingly ‘accept the spray “ but the voting is in favour of “YABU”.

What is your AIBU, OP?

PonderTweek · 07/12/2019 07:36

My almost three-year-old had his yesterday. He's been fine so far and was pleased to get a chocolate button. Xmas Grin We all had the flu last year and it was horrible. I ended up with pneumonia and sepsis and spent some time in hospital, while my husband who had the flu was looking after our little son who also had the flu. Bad times. Obviously there's still a chance we'll catch it but I feel a bit better knowing that we're less likely to catch it now.

Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow · 07/12/2019 07:45

ponder I’m sorry to hear that but you were vaccinated last year too I’m guessing?

The other thing you never read in the lovely NHS leaflets is that if you receive a vaccine against a certain strain one year and then not the next, you are more likely to get that strain the year you aren’t vaccinated than if you hadn’t been vaccinated at all.

Longtalljosie · 07/12/2019 07:57

@Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow that makes no sense - do you have a reputable source for that?

cptartapp · 07/12/2019 08:02

As a practice nurse we are told at immunisation updates every year that vaccination of children against flu is key in protecting the elderly population and those with chronic disease. It is frustrating however, that I see hundreds of older and vulnerable adults week in week out, who are eligible for a flu vaccine but refuse to have it themselves.
I think more publicity should be directed at this age group to take some responsibility for their own well being and dispel misconceptions.

Adoptthisdogornot · 07/12/2019 08:02

What housemdwaswrong said.

PonderTweek · 07/12/2019 08:07

@Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow No, not vaccinated last year. Son was too young and it wasn't on my radar to get mine. The A&E doctors strongly recommend I have it every year now (but I do have asthma so that's probably why).

I know you can get the flu despite having the jab due to different strains, but I've not heard of being more likely to catch a strain after having been vaccinated. Confused

takeittogo · 07/12/2019 08:08

That’s why I’m not letting my children have it, cpar: they don’t exist purely for the well-being of elderly people.

It isn’t about keeping anyone safe, it’s about keeping costs down. My children won’t play a part in that.

HideYourBabiesAndYourBeadwork · 07/12/2019 08:10

My son has had the nasal spray every winter for years. Not only has he had no problems so far, he’s also not had the flu and neither has the rest of the household come to that.

takeittogo · 07/12/2019 08:11

I’ve never had the vaccine but then I’ve never had the flu either.

SpringFan · 07/12/2019 08:14

It isn't late for vaccination against flu. The vaccination "season runs until 31st Jan.

Selfsettling3 · 07/12/2019 08:18

3 yr old has had it as have the other adults in the house. Flu kills in the UK every and it’s often younger people who are most vulnerable.

JoanieCash · 07/12/2019 08:23

Well, we had a healthy 6 year old at school who’s just spent a week on life support with the flu. Thankfully now back at home a recovering. Flu kills healthy young children and the elderly.

Amanduh · 07/12/2019 08:25

Why wouldn’t you? I never understand ‘I won’t, never had the flu and either have my kids’ yes well I’ve never had measles or rubella; or whooping cough, but I still vaccinate my children against them. It makes no sense. Or ‘I don’t want them to be ill’ ill effects are very rare, and if they get the flu and are hospitalised, they’ll be much more ill.

Sammy867 · 07/12/2019 08:34

We have all been vaccinated. 3 years ago the mum of one of my DDs friends passed away from flu. It was a horrendous time for the family as it was completely unexpected. Her mum now looks after her DD and DS who were 5 and 2 at the time.

Then last year a 6 year old in a neighbouring school to our area passed away from flu. I don’t think there was any underlying health causes in either of these cases but I’d never take the line of “I’ve never had it so I’m going to be fine.” It’s weighing up risks and benefits and I don’t see many risks but lots of benefits of being vaccinated

takeittogo · 07/12/2019 08:36

Amanduh because no vaccination is totally risk free. I’m not an anti vaxxer and my kids are vaccinated. However, I will only vaccinate them if the disease or illness is likely to harm THEM.

Here, there is a good chance that if they were going to get flu, they’d get it anyway as the vaccine just isn’t that effective.

Powerbunting · 07/12/2019 08:39

Flu killed my 24 year old friend.

My daughter gets the vaccine. And when she's too old to get it for free through school I will buy it for her privately

MadameJosephine · 07/12/2019 08:48

Absolutely get them vaccinated.

I had flu last year for the first time it was horrific. I could hardly get out of bed and had to get friends and family to care for my DD and take her to school. I was off work fir several weeks and felt lousy for a lot longer. Thankfully I don’t have any pre-existing health problems but I can see how if you were vulnerable you’d be in big trouble.

InACheeseAndPickle · 07/12/2019 09:00

I would always get it done. I don't want my child getting flu which could make them seriously ill. Nor do I want them transferring it around to vulnerable people. There are lots of bugs going round and just because someone happened to have a bug after the vaccine doesn't mean it's in any way related.

BreatheAndFocus · 07/12/2019 09:01

Children being offered the flu vaccine has nothing to do with protecting elderly people.

That’s not correct. Protecting the elderly was the reason given by the woman in charge of health (if I remember her name, I’ll add it).

The roll-out of the flu vaccine to young children was because they’re “super-spreaders”. The primary motivation was to protect other groups not the children themselves, eg the elderly who don’t respond so well to the vaccine.

My DC haven’t had it. I read the literature and decided against it. I review that decision each year. There were a number of reasons eg the vaccine increasing the risk of influenza-like illnesses, which are more common than flu and can also be dangerous.

stayingaliveisawayoflife · 07/12/2019 09:03

There has been a bit of a delay in schools doing the vaccine because they ran out. We are doing ours next week and all staff may be offered the jab. I will have it if we are.

Genevieva · 07/12/2019 09:06

Mine have it so they can see frail elderly relatives without me worrying.

Mascarponeandwine · 07/12/2019 09:07

My 14 and 11 year olds haven’t had the vaccine, I can’t find anyone round here who will do it. Boots say no under 16’s. GP says no as not eligible, no other health conditions. No offer of vaccine through secondary school. Nearest city used to have a private clinic who offered it but they’ve stopped now. Gave up! 9 year old had the vaccine through the school and has never had any complications (but is generally healthy).