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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Flu vaccine for primary school age children?

135 replies

Gem123J · 29/11/2022 20:42

Not really aibu, just wondered how many parents consented to their child having the flu vaccine (nasal spray).

I’m only asking because my daughter (who is 4) had it last year, and the previous, but this time as it was being done in school I had a form to sign. Last year my daughter absolutely hated it, she was quite groggy afterwards so I didn’t want her just turning up to school one day and her having to have it without knowing. So I told her about it and asked if she wanted it and explained why they give it of course, but she was adamant she didn’t want it so of course I said no to her having it.

I didn’t worry too much because they don’t have it under the age of two, and with it being fairly new (wasn’t around when I was little), I thought it can’t be extremely bad for her not to have it. But I read a story about a family (in America) that had 3 sick children in hospital with the flu, but still not extremely sick, but sick enough to be in hospital! So I am a bit worried now!

Just wanted to know who out there does or does not allow their children to have the flu vaccine basically..

OP posts:
cadburyegg · 30/11/2022 12:59

My dc's grandad has been in ICU for the last month with flu and pneumonia.

So yes, both of mine have had it

TurquoiseDress · 30/11/2022 14:00

I caught some BBC news earlier- they were interviewing parents of a toddler who became seriously ill after catching flu sounds like they spent time in intensive care

Flu is far far from just being a "simple cold"

Take it seriously

To me it's a "no brainer" decision

And the secondary benefits are protecting others eg other children & adults who are medically vulnerable and perhaps cannot have usual vaccines and also the elderly

Volhhg · 30/11/2022 14:08

Leemoe · 29/11/2022 21:10

None of mine have ever had it and I work in pharmaceuticals.

It isn't necessary within their age group and is very ineffectual in any case given that it is a 'best guess' vaccine and based upon hypotheticals.

I'm curious do we know if the flu spray has covered for the correct strains in the last few years? Is this retrospective research even carried out?

Brainfogmcfogface · 30/11/2022 14:14

If your daughter refused she may not have been able to have it done anyway. At my kids schools they won’t force a child if they refuse anyway, and that happened to a couple of friends kids, they wouldn’t do it so they got a
letter saying to take them to the GP

Volhhg · 30/11/2022 14:14

Prettyinpink22 · 30/11/2022 10:30

No mine doesn’t have it.
Up to date with other vaccinations so not anti vax but for our own reasons we decided against the flu one.
There is actually a few children I know that also don’t have the flu vaccine.
when in primary the number of ones not having it was about 20-25%.

People keep saying how many kids in their child's class had the flu spray on this thread. How do you know? At my child's school a consent form from the local health authority is emailed and then children are taken to school and dropped off as normal on the day and nothing more is mentioned.

Prettyinpink22 · 30/11/2022 14:32

Volhhg · 30/11/2022 14:14

People keep saying how many kids in their child's class had the flu spray on this thread. How do you know? At my child's school a consent form from the local health authority is emailed and then children are taken to school and dropped off as normal on the day and nothing more is mentioned.

Show quote history

I have worked in schools previously before a change of career.
Also parents talk to each other and kids come home and say who did and didn’t have it.

Volhhg · 30/11/2022 15:08

There's 60 children in my child's year at school. No way would she remember correctly or who happened to be absent that day. Mostly the parents don't speak that much and no one has mentioned this in the WhatsApp group probably to avoid contention

Prettyinpink22 · 30/11/2022 15:26

Volhhg · 30/11/2022 15:08

There's 60 children in my child's year at school. No way would she remember correctly or who happened to be absent that day. Mostly the parents don't speak that much and no one has mentioned this in the WhatsApp group probably to avoid contention

goodness schools I have worked at and also that my child has attended the WhatsApp group goes off for a lost hairband so when something like flu jab comes up there is always a few certain parents that regularly comment that will talk about the up coming vaccines.
I also have a child with a memory like a elephant who could tell me what everyone had for lunch😂, so when they are left in the classroom whilst the rest go for a vaccine they remember which children were left with.

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