Anyone worried about this new flu?

[Starrynight999]

So my kids in 2022 had flu A and my 2 year old got sepsis after being ignored by doctors s just a virus for a week after multiple trips, he recovered and he is ok.. skip to last year they then got flu A again a much milder strain but we’re still very poorly and now this year it’s everywhere again and seems to be an awful strain and I’m just dreading it.. before anyone says.. non of us are vaccinated we are to to date with all vaccinations and I’m really not an anti vaxer.. but I don’t know how I feel about the flu spray if I’m honest.. doesn’t look like they are working much.. I’m just also anxious about it.. how is everyone else feeling?

Not worried one bit but we haven’t got anyone vulnerable in our family. The flu is around every year and always has been and the nhs is overwhelmed every single winter! at some point the nhs will need reforming it clearly cannot cope doing absolutely everything for everybody especially with our rapidly growing population

Honestly, speak to a GP to get some reassurance. Don't come online to look for your reassurances that not getting the flu jab is perfectly fine; you've gone through the experience of you small child suffering with the flu, and you are choosing not to take the most obvious precaution against it happening again for reasons only known to yourself.

I never used to get a flu jab until I started working in a school and it was offered to me. I am absolutely a convert. The difference between what other members of my household go through during flu season versus myself is huge. (Yes they should also get jabs, but DH for example always waits for it to be offered to him on the NHS, which is often too late in the season to avoid illness).

My OH had his flu vaccine in the last autumn same as we always do. A couple of weeks ago he collapsed in the bathroom, I did some base line obs, oxygen sats, pulse rate, breaths per minute etc and his sats were 82%! As he’s asthmatic I was very worried, called NHS 111 for advice but they sent an ambulance. Yes……..it was the flu…….clinicians said that he was lucky that he had taken up the chance of the flu vaccine as this helped lesson the effects of the flu . I honestly think he wouldn’t be here now, he was so poorly! PLEASE people…..have the flu vaccine and PLEASE protect your children and agree for them to have the nasal spray dose.

yes OP stop whinging and get the blood vax.
people

I mean, that’s just down to vaccine efficacy. The flu vaccine efficacy in adults is not that high, around 40%, but that still is approaching a 50/50 chance that if exposed you wouldn’t get it. The kids one is much higher efficacy, around 75%, which is important as children are such germ vectors. I did have the vaccine and did have flu, but then neither my [vaccinated] husband or daughter came down with it, which was such a blessing as otherwise would have been total hell rather than just horrible and me out of the game and needing looking after.

i just don’t really understand the reason to make a post about worrying about something that you haven’t done one of the main mitigating factors against. Fine if you don’t want to vaccinate, but what’s the point of the post?

Thank fuck we’ve come a long way and flu isn’t wiping out families like in my grans era then eh cos we now can vaccinate

You are fortunate to be able to get the vaccine. My son is 16 and in 6th form. He can't get the vaccine at a pharmacy as he is under 18. And he can get it at school or at the doctor's surgery as he is not clinically vulnerable. It is beyond frustrating, especially during the super flu epidemic.

No I'm not worried about the flu. I am a healthy adult. My kids don't get the flu spray either, I don't see the point. I never knew anyone as a kid that got the flu and we didn't have vaccines. If you are worried then get it.

If they have had Flu A twice it should be much milder this time round

Even in the anti-vax countries
You find that those who preach to the masses about the 'danger' of jabs
Are the ones who've had every vaccination secretly going they could!

Try not to worry, I'm ashmatic and I caught the the flu within 2 weeks of my vaccine. My son who's diabetic and in primary school caught it and he was OK too. I was put on anti virals as soon as I tested for it and steroids for my asthma.

You know the flu symptoms, get anti virals as soon as you can.

I'm very PRO vaccine, but I think you've made a good point, the OP is worried about the flu yet won't vaccinate against it.
You can't be antivax but then worried about said virus at the same time. Wild.

I've never had a flu vaccine and never got the flu as have millions of people. The reason they only offer it to the vulnerable is that it's not necessary for most people.

Why on earth would you make a thread about how worried you are about this new strain of flu while refusing the only thing that can offer your children some protection from catching it?

It doesn’t make sense to be so concerned about something but not vaccinate the children against the very thing you are worried about.
Im pretty pro vaccination, paid for my children to have the meningitis ones before the were added to children’s vaccination schedules because a family member has worked with children with limb losses due to it, paid for my children to have the chicken pox one because I was worried they’d be super poorly after a friends child ended up with Sepsis and almost died.
The point I’m making is each of those things concerned me enough to enter into my thoughts, so I did the one thing I could do to actively prevent my children being very unwell, no matter how small the chances seemed.
I’m not vaccinated against the flu but my children are, they have immune compromised friends and relatives and it seem to be affecting children more this time around, plus children have poor personal hygiene and are germ spreaders.
If you’re so worried about it you need to vaccinate them or decide you’re not that worried and continue as you are.

Had it last week. I was pretty rough for a few days in bed.but fine now. Last time was about 25yrs ago. Infact the last time I had it I was bad and it was after the flu vaccine. Not had the vax for yrs.

If you’re not sure about the flu spray they can get the jab. You choose which when you give permission.

But that's all anecdotal evidence and basically meaningless. Luckily we have empirical evidence that the flu vaccine could indeed stop your child being hospitalised this year.

This is a really great example of just how crap we are as humans at assessing risk. You know the risk of flu to your kid and yet still fear vaccine injuries more. Even though statistically and logically it makes no sense.

To overcome this, we have to get better at looking at statistics and data as a species. Otherwise we are vulnerable to misinformation and making poor decisions based on fear.

publichealthscotland.scot/news/2025/december/new-evidence-from-scotland-shows-that-the-flu-vaccine-provides-important-protection-against-severe-illness/

She clearly says they are up to date with vaccines And is asking opinions about the nasal spray ? Some people on here can be very opinionated and unkind tbh

So your kids don't get the flu vaccine and they've had bad flu twice. I think you know what the answer is!

You know, when I ended up with lung damage from a flu induced secondary bacterial pneumonia, I resolved to be first in the queue for the flu jab every year thereafter. It just seems like the natural reaction.

Nasal spray is still a vaccine

Get the jab. I had flu last year for the first time in my life (I'm 57). I genuinely thought I was dying. It's the worst I've felt in my life. (I've had dengue fever and other dreadful viruses). I will never not get the flu jab again. Please, everyone DO IT!!

I've had bad flu but I caught Swine Flu five years ago from a rellie that flew here from SA, I thought I was going to die as it was shutting off my airway. I have never been so ill. He was hospitalized with it. As a result, I'm first in the queue for a flu shot now.

If you don't go out a lot , you are probably okay not being flu jabbed as you're much less likely to get it.

If you're around lots of different people then I'd get it this year.

I normally get it, but hadn't got round to it. When I came back from a trip I came down with it, I was really wiped out and am now needing to be super healthy to maintain any equilibrium as I'm still pretty knackered.