To ask if the flu jab actually does anything?

[itwasnevermine]

Started getting the flu jab last year because my work pays for it, it's kind of expected that we do get it.

I've never had the flu (I'm 25), and spent all of last winter with pretty heavy colds anyway. So does it actually do anything? I don’t know anyone who's had true flu, I'll get it cos it's free but what am I actually getting it for?

You've obvs never had proper Influenza
Trust me - you do not want it. It is not at all like a cold
You will be bedridden

Vit D and elderberry aren't woo, but I'd have thought the elderberry will only mildly treat symptoms, not stop them. I'd still go for a jab.

I’ve had flu many times. The Sydney flu around 1997 was the worst, and even worse than my bout of covid. One of my friends gets the flu jab to minimise days off work each year but then takes two weeks off as the side effects from the jab are so bad for her (ironically “flu-like symptoms”) so she may be better off without having the jab. Can’t possibly know.

Not true. You can have both mild or severe flu, mild feeling like a cold so you go out and about and spread it.

Apologies I haven’t read every comment so I’m likely repeating things. Plus my disclaimer that I’m not a medical doctor or public health expert - medical advice comes best from trained people. But I’m sharing a few relevant things that might help you understand what the flu vaccine does.

1: unless you get tested, you cannot actually tell from symptoms whether it’s flu or a cold. People can be very sick with influenza, but people can also have minimal symptoms. You may have had the flu but been lucky to not be really sick. You can still pass it on to others, who may get really sick, even of you are fine.

2: each year they choose specific strains (variants) of influenza to target for the vaccine. This is a science-driven process looking at what is circulating and the impacts. Year to year the vaccine can target different variants. The flu vaccine protects you against those, but not other things like colds, COVID etc.

1. You are taking the vaccine to protect you, but also to protect others. People die of influenza every year. Mostly, people who die have other health challenges - so we often see elderly people, people who are immuno compromised through medication or illness, people with certain disabilities hospitalised or dying more than “healthy” people. The vaccine isn’t perfect - it is not a get out of jail free. For a small percentage of people who have the vaccine they can still get really sick. Some people cannot get the vaccine due to health issues for them. The more people who vaccinate, the less influenza circulating, and the fewer people who contract it. Your vaccine helps provide what is called herd immunity - it’s getting the protected proportion of the population high enough that outbreaks die out.

1. Your workplace funds the vaccine because they want to save money. They’ve done the cost-benefit and they know if they minimise influenza circulating in the workplace people take less leave and stay more productive. Even if each staff member only gets a little sick once every few years - across a company that’s a lot of money! So they provide vaccines to keep you healthy and at work being productive.

Thank you for getting the vaccine and please continue to do so. By keeping yourself healthy you are literally helping to save lives from people who either can’t vaccinate, or who win the anti-lottery of vaccines not working for them. Coupled with staying home if sick, wearing masks, and washing hands frequently these things have huge impacts.

I’m booked in for my flu jab in a couple of weeks. I have it every year since being floored by a particularly nasty strain 25 yrs ago. I used to get it free through work but now am entitled to it due to health conditions.

I’m just recovering from covid. I’ve had it every year since the pandemic, always his time of year. This strain has been the worst mild/moderate flu like but still been able to function. Previous doses were no more than a very mild cold. I have had vaccine and a couple of boosters but didn’t bother last year. Although the first time I had it pre first lockdown it was very mild. A lot of people are reporting that the latest strain is worse than previous ones. Although DH who has COPD and is clinically vulnerable recovered quickly without complication. I suspect that I didn’t help matters because I went into work at the start of the infection before I knew it was Covid. DH is retired so rested when he felt rough.

I always end up with a chest infection when I have the flu jab, I had it last year after my doctor basically bullied me into having it & ended up with pneumonia which took 3 months to clear up. I've ignored the texts & phone calls to book in for one this year.

I got flu a few years ago. My daughter was about 12 she also got it. My symptoms were so bad that I heard her collapse in the bathroom and I couldn't get out of bed to go to her.

That's not because I'm an awful mum because we are incredibly close but I was just so so ill!

I’m asthmatic so get flu vaccines each year foc. Now I normally get vaccinated second half of September. Every single chemist with online booking system on website you could not book for September. Why? Booked for one Friday 11th as that’s the day after I come back from holiday.

Eighteen years ago I had flu bad around end Oct/early Nov. I couldn’t muster the energy to go to the toilet. Hate people who are walking around saying they have the flu. You would be in bed with zip energy.

The flu vaccine has helped when there has been a peak in flu cases.

Also I hate it when people say I don’t get the flu vaccine as I get the flu. They don’t listen to the nurse, pharmacist etc administer the vaccine that it takes 2 weeks for people to be fully protected. Plus if you have a virus in your body - the flu vaccine will not prevent the virus to come out. Feeling generally achy is showing that antibodies in your body are hitting the vaccine.

Each year there is 3-4 strains of virus determined by WHO. Last year I fainted 2 days afterwards

I remember in the winter of 89/90, they closed my primary school as out of 330 pupils, only 4 were well. Including me

Data is fraught with limitations. For the NHS data on staff vaccinations, there's whether organisations have sufficient data staff or the organisational will to collect and manually input details of each staff member in yet another reporting site and whether department managers are reporting data correctly.

There's also whether it's only recording staff who have it through work and not those who got it at their GP practice, pharmacy for free or privately because they didn't have NHS vaccines in stock (I got told that in Boots one year - went somewhere else). It can be limited because you might tick the box for a medical condition and not the one saying frontline healthcare worker. Admin staff aren't frontline healthcare, so although they may go and get a vaccine, they could legitimately tick another box, such as health condition or being a carer (although the carer one can end up being refused by places 'we only do it free for people who can prove they receive Carers' Allowance'. Or staff may just get it privately because whilst it's available at work, that doesn't fit in with their hours or where they work compared to where the vaccinations are taking place. When I worked for the NHS in one place, the boss was adamant that the only place you could be vaccinated was work as nowhere else counted, so wanted me to cancel my vaccine at the GP in favour of one six weeks later on my day off that she could report. I refused, she copped a strop, I didn't get flu.

So the numbers quoted there may not reflect a significant number of people who have had vaccinations externally as well as being limited by the need for staff and structures in place to record and report, as it's not based upon individuals' personal medical records.

Vitamins and minerals enable our bodies to function...so definitely not woo lol

As for elderberry,many plants and flowers have medicinal properties. They've been used for centuries to support health. Echinecea is another one. It definitely works although if you have auto immune conditions it can exacerbate issues.

I'm all for the flu jab...but I wouldn't dismiss other things that may help without educating myself first.

My work gives for free too, I didn't have it as " I've only had flu twice". I caught flu I was very very sick, off work for 3 months, got bed sores! To months to fully recover. I'm glad I didn't have the jab as I would have blamed it. Flu is horrible, I wanted to go to bed but didn't have the strength to walk up the stairs

The "woo" suggestion as you put it are for colds - that the OP is suffering heavily from heavy colds and they can make my asthma symptoms .worse.

As has been explained in thread many times flu vaccination protects against flu viruses and not the 200 other viruses that cause colds.

If you can get the covid jab that offer protection from some coronaviruses which cause colds and some people get offered RSV jab but nothing I'm aware for rest.

So for rest of the cold causing viruses - which can badly affect my and my DC asthma - it's prevention and limitation and treating symptoms.

There some research handwashing properly 6 ( or possibly 8 ) times a day mean people suffer 30% fewer colds - not sure that's true in in real world but washing my hand is easy to do . Op happy to was as mask on public transport which should also help.

But D deficiency in winter are common in UK and there some evidence that can make you more suspectable to colds. The zinc has some trails that suggest it reduced cold symptoms by a few days - which with my asthma can be helpful- traditional vit c does little apparently. So taking daily amount and no more in pill or tonics in winter months to help reduce cold durations or ward off is worth it to me and may be to OP.

They have some propriety trials with elderberry - hence my skepticism - but does seem to help a little when we've had bad enough periods to try.

Colds used to be a inconvenience now they can be very debilitating if they set my asthma off.

If there was a jab to prevent colds I'd be interested and currently Op would be as well I suspect. The Op has had the flu jab - and I'm getting mine this afternoon - hoping they offer the covid one as well seem very hit and miss that I get it. I will still be at risk of being laid low by colds this winter though.

My point was that it was entirely the OP choice.

I mentioned the data to show that not everyone who is offered the choice takes it - and so guilt tripping that she'd be risk to others by some posters was I felt inappropriate. Which is what I explained in my subsequent post on the matter.

The many possible reasons why people were choosing not to have the flu jab was not something I speculated on in any way nor did I comment on how accurate or the data collection metrics involved.

Again I was pointing out others offered free jab were making choices for themselves and the OP had an entirely free choice to make for her own reasons.

OP chosen to gave the jab - I'm getting mine this afternoon.