Not to give my child Flu jab

[Binjob118]

My son is 6 and has been offered the nasal flu jab at school. He has had it the last 2 years and had no problems, but I now feel reluctant to give it to him. Does a healthy child really need this? I have to admit this change in my thinking has come about since the COVID vaccine rollout and the many vaccine injuries that seem to be being ignored by the MSM.

My DH also pays for it every year now. Don’t regret it one bit

@infinityminusone I'm not quite sure what the point you're trying to make is. That people would be better off letting themselves contract the flu because if they came across a similar strain again then they'd be more likely to be covered by immunity? That doesn't account for the fact they still have no immunity to the other circulating strains and are 'only' covered for the one they've had.

The paper you linked to says the same again...

Is there a reality that vaccines could be improved from understanding to more extensive longer-lived disease-generated immunity?
Resoundingly yes!

Does that mean most people should be considering that a reason not to have a vaccine?
Resoundingly no.

This. I had real flu once which turned into pneumonia and a myriad of issues. It's not just "a bad cold" and in religious about making sure we all get it now.

We have everything we can have, had all my covid vaccines/flu vaccines and DC have had any that are suggested. Flu can be awful for any age group, so a quick squirt up the nose is preferable in my book.

Also I see a lot of people who were in the fit and healthy, never had anything wrong with them, rarely ill gang until they found a 'lump' or some other random symptom and they then joined the immunocompromised gang.

I have the flu jab because I would rather not miss work or give my colleagues or family flu. My DH and baby DS had flu one winter and were very unwell; DS's teeth developed odd ly as a result. My other DS had flu when he was 11 and missed three weeks of school. It was horrible and took a long time to recover from. I don't really think it is something to agonise over : do what you think is best. It is pretty safe if that is what you are worried about.

My point is that imprinting in childhood may be important in preventing more serious illness in later life when we're more vulnerable. I understand that there are multiple strains circulating and I have at no point said that people (specifically children) should not have the vaccine - it's a personal choice. The vaccines try to predict what strain might be circulating and for many vaccination in the here and now is more important than what may or may not be around in the future, but it's also true that exposure to some strains in early childhood may prevent more serious illness in later life.

I'm 46 and pay for it every year. Flu is truly debilitating. Personally, I was much more ill with flu at 31 than COVID at 45.

My kids get it too every year.

DH gets it free as he has quite severe asthma.

It’s not a child’s job to do anything at all to their body to protect an adult.

Flu is nasty. I lost a parent to it when they were just 36 and I was 9. Rare but happens (he got complications and went from healthy to dead in 24 hours).

So naturally, I feel quite strongly that if vaccines are offered then it's a good idea to take them bearing in mind it might just spare someone from a nasty illness.

But it's your call, no one can dictate what you should do/or not do.

This.. it really winds me up when people claim to have flu when it's just a cold 🙄 I'm not eligible for an NHS jab, but after having flu about 10 years ago I pay for one every year. I was bedridden for 2 weeks. Ds gets his nasal spray too

I think at school it's a nasal spray rather than sn injection

I nearly died from flu when I was a kid. So I make sure both my kids are always vaccinated! It’s just a little squirt up the nose, it has never bothered them.

My dd has a seizure medical condition, which is brought on by vomiting, nose bleeds, pain but also can be triggered by distress. The symptoms are real. Her heart stops beating. So yes, ‘distressed at a spray’ is a thing. It isn’t really the spray though, is it? It’s an unknown person doing something to her.

Dd hasn’t had the flu jab / nasal spray ever and she hasn’t had her teen boosters because of this. She even had a seizure when I took her to the doctor just to discuss what to do about not having her teen boosters to ask if the doc could give her a mild sedative.

My daughter had the flu a couple of years ago and she was the illest I've ever seen her, almost a week just laying on the sofa sleeping and no energy, it was horrible. She had actually had the spray so it doesn't ways prevent it but we get it every year. It's not worth the risk. I.m.o if you are against vaccines then you're against all medical care and science because that's what it's all based on. There's a lot of false information and conspiracy theories from people who think they are smart and know better, be careful what you're reading/listening to.

“Nearly 15 000 excess deaths associated with influenza were reported in the most recent flu season of 2022-23—the highest figure since the 2017-18 season, which had 22 500 excess deaths.1
In a report on the first season in which flu has been widespread since the covid-19 pandemic, the UK Health Security Agency said that hospital admissions across all ages were higher than average.” Taken from the BMJ.

At the end of the day, it’s your decision. Personally I’ll be vaccinating my children, and will continue to as long as they’re eligible. Flu can kill anyone, not just the elderly or vulnerable.

Not exactly

If you look at the global statistics, then there are two groups most at risk, and the other one is infants. Someone aged 2-3 is roughly same risk as a 60 year old. Lowest rates are for those in their 20s.

Pregnancy is not a great time to have it either.

Only one of my children has ever had it and that is because they have a medical condition that makes them more vulnerable. My other children have never had one and after half a century of life, I've never had one. I've also never been given the option of anything other than an injection for flu vaccine, so haven't considered the nasal option.

All children (right up to 18, I think) get the nasal version, unless medically contraindicated

(Main contraindications IIRC are allergy, serious immune compromise which means they must never receive a live vaccine, or close cohabitation with a person with immune compromise of that severity)

Sure, I'll get one.

The ignorance around vaccinations and even health in general is astounding.

This won't apply in your household as you are at higher risk of serious disease.

But in a household where everyone is in normal health, but unvaccinated, the DC are more likely to die from flu (or have a really bad case of it) than the parents.

Do people really want to have the risk that way round? When there is a free and readily available way to protect their DC?

It will also help keep absence among staff and kids generally lower.

Protecting the elderly- it's also about helping to keep Gp appts and hospital places lower. So it benefits you too.

It's suddenly much harder to get a Gp appt around here. Fewer people traipsing to the Gp with flu and subsequent chest infections is only going to help.

You make your own decision, no one will try to ‘force’ you to have a vaccine (despite what anti vaxxers will have you believe). If you’re going to ‘do your own research’ use proper, reliable sources though, those by actual experts. Personally I don’t understand how most people (some unusual circumstances excepted) come to an alternative conclusion than to go ahead get the vaccine when reading and understanding the actual facts I just don’t understand but there you go.

It's not an immunisation like the measles vaccine.

Flu jabs boost or prime the immune system to help prevent worse infections. You may still catch it but usually with fewer symptoms.

One person's flu can be another's' mild sniffle. It just depends on your personal immune system.

The immune system can go OTT in pregnancy hence why you were vax but also perhaps got the big immune system reaction when you caught the bug

Flu 'vaccines' (actually given nasally to children) have been a winter standard since DS was a child - for well over 10 years. They are a great idea - proper flu is actually a fairly horrible illness.

How do you feel about rubella? That doesn't benefit the child.