Fed up of hearing about the flu

[SpoonBaloon]

I know I’m being unreasonable but am I the only one who’s getting wound up by the constant coverage of the flu on every national news outlet?

It is December. Of course the flu is going around! Every winter we hear about the NHS being overwhelmed.

I can accept minor coverage but it’s been the main story for days on end and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop! And I know the flu kills and people need to be aware to take precautions but surely people don’t need it to be pointed out to them that they have an increased chance of catching the cold or flu in the run up to Christmas?

I was deathly ill with it last year but luckily have managed to avoid it up to now.

That's how I read it

When the adult children no longer "need" you. What do other mums do? Im literally so lonely and feeling lost. Feeling hurt that no on listens to me or even "sees me" . No one thinks to see what my wishes are or even seems to care about me. Feeling lost and do not know who I am anymore. Has anyone else experienced this. I dont feel wanted or loved at all anymore.

I've worked as a nurse within the NHS for over 16 years and this year is the worst I've seen the system overwhelmed by seasonal flu, and as rightly said in other comments it's happened a lot earlier than normal.

Community nurses are on red alert to assist the ambulance service with outstanding calls.

The system is completely on its knees. I say its rightly so this is the main news coverage day after day.

People scare mongering at usual. Take no notice! I have health anxiety and I'm switching off from all the idiots hyping it all up. These germs don't just suddenly appear in winter. They are with us all year round, every year. How many times have you got sick this year? I bet not much.

North London. I called our local chemist who said they have stock but we have to wait till next week due to limited appts.

Given the vaccine is only 30% effective, why would anyone bother?

People do need to be reminded. The more people vaccinated, the less people likely to be hospitalised. Remember how Boris's government dragged their feet about closing the airports etc and the speed with which Covid spread. We not only protect ourselves with the vaccine we protect each other and the NHS.

Yanbu the media is just one round of hysteria and sensationalism after another. Then the next week reporting about the high levels of mental health problems.

They are also reporting it doesn’t work 🤷🏻‍♀️🙈

Where did you read that?

It reduces hospitalisations in adults by between 30-40%. It’s what the NHS says. 70-75% in children apparently but it’s the elderly who are usually hospitalised by flu.

I’ve been trying to get a jab for about a month now, tried multiple pharmacies, no luck. Going further south to visit family this weekend and a Morrisons there tell me it’s hopeful of a new batch this weekend. They can’t guarantee an appointment until it’s allocation arrives though because I don’t qualify for NHS jab yet.

In a lot of cases I don’t think it’s not being bothered but insufficient supply.

Ah ok, so you don't know actually how effective it is, as it may also reduce symptoms of those who would not have ended up in hospital.

I'd say a 30-40% reduction in hospital admissions is significant!

Anecdotally, my brother has the jab this year, my sil, niece and father did not.
My brother did not get flu, whereas my SIL and niece are still affected by it 6 weeks on, and my father passed away from flu after 2 days if it.

Ask a nurse if they'd rather have only 30% less flu admissions, or none, and then decide if it's worth the "bother".

I don’t understand your snarky response. I was purely pointing out where the pp had got the figure from. And stating what the NHS said. It’s you who decided it didn’t sound good, not me.

Sorry, I guess I just get frustrated when people take figures and then twist them without any real understanding of how statistics work, and end up with an odd conclusion. Fine if you keep it to yourself, but then spreading it around as misinformation is dangerous and it makes me quite angry. That's why I'm snarky, nothing personal!

You many be interested in this article "written by two old geezers who have serious problems reconciling the screaming headlines with the Government surveillance data"... https://dailysceptic.org/2025/12/12/the-screaming-super-flu-headlines-vs-the-data/

In summary, YANBU.

I work in A&E we’ve been watching the cased increase for weeks. We swab people. They test positive for flu. Not covid. It’s not random numbers, infact the true numbers will never be known because many won’t ever be swabbed at home etc.

Ah I'm sorry, I hadn't realised you weren't the same person.
I'm not sure your data is where the commenter got their 30% from though, as the % of hospital admissions downs not equal effectiveness. I'm guessing it's another data source.

Because so few patients bothered getting their nhs vaccine for the last couple of years, our practice got fewer in. We contacted people repeatedly from September onwards asking them to make appointments. We even rang the immunosupressed. Used the last one a few weeks back. Now they've all changed their minds and are having a go at staff as we have no further supplies and will not be getting any, so yes, I am sick of hearing about the flu vaccine!!

We’re getting on a plane next weekend. I’m going to get it, aren’t I. Think I’ll wear a mask

Capacity by design? Aye, let's see the response to that budget. The public want these things but hate paying tax.

Well thanks to all the media coverage of the flu this year I've just booked my flu jab. It doesn't seem to have hit hard yet in my country but that may be on its way.

Are these people in the hospital for fly symptoms or is it like COVID where people are swabbed anyway even if they've broken a leg

It's airborne isn't it?. You'll have to cover your eyes as well.

Be a canny Kodak moment that.

I think my DH picked his up on a plane. He became ill about a week after flying. Luckily it was on the way home rather than while he was on his trip. Use a mask and one of those barrier nasal sprays and an alcohol hand gel. Try to board last rather than standing in congested queues of people.