People saying they’ve never had flu?

[Cumbrianlassie]

I find this incredibly strange. I’ve had flu several times in my life and I’m 36, I mean the ‘proper’ flu - body aches, fever, skin pain, headache, cough, no appetite, fatigue for several weeks and weakness.

I had it in January, as did my DS and DP.
Havent had this new strain yet but feels inevitable!

Are some people just immune?

Why aren't you eligible for the flu jab? I always have it and have only had flu once, I use to pay for it but now I get it free through work

Flu, 55 never had it. Had Covid twice - tested positive Xmas eve dec 2020 and July 2022. Worst illness I have ever had was noro virus in 2013 which knocked me out for a week and I couldn’t get out of bed with out being sick. Covid other than loss of taste didn’t know I had it. Cooked Christmas dinner in 2020 and enjoyed with husband and children across table from me, played board games. No one else caught it from me.

Never had it, am in my 50s

I've had the flu jab for a couple of years now, so I hope I never will!

I'm mid-40s and I can safely say I've only ever had genuine flu once in my entire life. I'm also really unlucky if I get a cold once a year. I just tend to not get ill.

I think some people get it more.

Some people think they get it more.

I've had some rotten colds but only felt ill enough to call it flu once. I had the most intense fever dream.

Maybe I have had it more than once, but that is the stand out occasion where I can confidently say it was either flu or the worst cold/flu bug I've had so far.

I think I had proper flu one twenty years ago. I could barely get out of bed to stagger to loo and back again. I felt dreadful then five days later I was fine. I think I averaged sbout 22 hours of sleep a day. I’d wake up incredibly thirsty and covered in sweat, drink some water, fresh pjs, couldn’t even shower and back to sleep.

I'm 61 and have had it twice in my life, once in my late twenties and again when I was 48. Both times I felt so ill I felt like I might die. In bed for a week then several more weeks till I was completely better. For the last couple of years I've had the flu vaccination.
It annoys me when people say they've often had flu but have continued to work etc, no they haven't, they've just had a bad cold.

They probably had flu. Why would it annoy you?

I’m 34 had it twice 6 years apart. 2nd time put me in hospital.

daughter is 11 and has had influenza A for the fourth year running 3 weeks ago.

They probably didn't. It annoys me because it's over exaggeration, attention seeking, dramatic and inaccurate. I don't like those qualities in people, they irritate me. It also diminishes the experience of people who actually do have flu.

I've never knowingly had flu.
The time I initially thought I did (fever, whole body hurt) it turned out to be Campylobacter from testing carried out when the gastric symptoms were stubborn.

The twice I knowingly had Covid, I wasn't "ill"; the vaccination was worse (although hopefully mitigated early exposure?)

I'm not eligable for flu vaccines but did accept it years ago when pregnant. The DCs do have their puffs each year. Unfortunately DS2 got the illness first this year and missed it due to being off school. I've done well to dodge it this term between DS and the rate it's gone around work. I have recently had phases of feeling run-down like I'm fending something off, but not full-blown ill.

I’ve never had it and I’m 56…probably doomed myself now…

I’ve had flu once and never had Covid. I’m 46.

I’ve had the flu twice. Once as a child and once as an adult. I remember it because it was bloody awful. On the other hand, my (ex)SIL pleaded the flu every time she had the common cold. I don’t think everyone actually understands what it is and what it does to you.

I had it once as a teen and at least twice since and i’m mid 30’s. In fact i think i’m not sure whether i have it now, just not quite as bad, but definitely worse than a cold. Although i’ve never needed help getting to the loo… but definitely needed to stay in bed for first couple of days. Nothing comes close to having food poisoning though. That will forever haunt me.

I've had awful colds, and other viral infections e.g covid, tonsillitis, with the same symptoms as flu (aches, fever, etc). But I don't think I've ever had actual flu where people describe not getting out of bed and being ill for weeks.
I've probably gone and jinxed myself now and will get flu 🙂

Never had flu, never had covid. Rarely get colds. I commute into a city twice a week so regularly on public transport. I think that some people have a genetic immunity. I’m late 50s.

Pretty sure I've never had flu. I'm 50. Also I don't recall my husband ever having a sick day from work and my DS had his first ever day off school sick last week and he's 14! (Sorry he did have covid and was off school when we all had to test but was asymptomatic)

I'm 54, was a primary school teacher and have had 38 rounds of chemo in the last 7 years. I've never had flu.

Never had flu.
Not quite yet old enough for the vaccination, tho recent texts from the GP surgery seem to think I am :)
Not planning on having the vaccination even when I am old enough.

Im 36 and never had flu thankfully. Had colds etc but nothing ever bad enough to make me take to bed for days. Had the flu jag intermittently for years depending on what ward I was based on but just extremely lucky I guess.

I’m over 60 and have never had flu - only ever had flu jab once in 2020 when I thought I should due to covid. Almost never get colds

Many people only get flu mildly, not sure how you can diagnose 🤔

If you've been ill with flu symptoms then you've probably had flu 😂

No, you'd know if you'd had covid.
You wouldn't have been able to get out of bed, it's a really serious virus. You definitely couldn't have cooked.
People just think they've had covid when it was probably a cold.