To urge you to get your flu jab…

[sundriftwanderer]

i got flu over Christmas and it’s genuinely been the most poorly I’ve ever been. It hit me out of nowhere on Monday night and I’ve been so unwell. Night sweats, fevers, diarrhoea, the most horrendous cough, sinus congestion, a three day headache. I tested positive on Wednesday (I only tested because my dad had it), but I knew before that I had it.

Im at the point now where I slept until 11am today, had a bath at 7pm and I could go back to bed now and probably do another fifteen hours. It’s been horrendous. I’m hoping I’ve turned a bit of a corner, but I can’t imagine how it would be if I hadn’t been vaccinated.

My dad tested positive on Monday and had to have an ambulance today, thankfully he’s not gone in to hospital but he’s been asleep for pretty much five days now. He’s also vaccinated and I dread to think what would’ve happened if he wasn’t. I think we could’ve lost him.

It’s been awful. Please get your vaccine, it could’ve been a lot lot worse.

I'll have to look that up but I'm hoping it's true. Even better .thanks. .

Oh and I’ve also had I think 6 primary Covid vaccines some boosters, pneumonia vaccine twice, meningitis vaccine and shingles vaccine without any problem. My DD worries because her DSs pick up everything at school and she worries I will get their bugs! Never happened to the point that her entire household gets a virus/bug and I’m the only healthy one to look after them!

In a 12 month period I had a bad chest infection, pneumonia that required an ambulance & hospitalisation and flu. Flu was way worse than pneumonia.

I remember limiting how much I drank as I could only manage to crawl to the bathroom once or twice a day. My skin hurt so much I wished I could remove it. Just endless days of delirium, sweating & hoping I might pass out to avoid the pain.

Luckily my employer was giving free flu jabs in November. I was already planning on paying for one.

My mother died of the flu. Twenty years ago now. She was 54, totally healthy, never smoked, barely drank, no underlying illnesses. Completely fine on the Friday and on the Monday I was performing CPR on her when I found her lifeless in bed.

She didn’t have the vaccine.

There is nowhere to book it. Others in other areas have posted the same. No availability, presumably because the genuinely vulnerable have used all the stocks.

Completely agree OP. My kids have all suffered badly with the flu this winter with a week off school each, and thats with the vaccine! Last year I was severely unwell with pneumonia for 3 months and it's changed my life. I'm a 30 something woman and was deathly ill for weeks and weeks. I've Completely changed my attitude towards health and wellbeing and no longer take it for granted!

I had 'genuine flu' diagnosed with lateral flow test & had very mild symptoms similar to a mild cold - slight tiredness, runny nose & sneezing Didn't feel unwell at all & carried on as normal. It definitely didn't affect my ability to use my phone or take a bath

Flu is the same as COVID with a vast spectrum of symptoms. One person can be severely ill & whereas another will have few/no symptoms.

Had flu all Christmas- thought I was getting better and then relapsed. DH, DM, DD, DF have all had the jab and although affected have not been as ill as me. I didn’t have the jab as not in a vulnerable group and could not get one (easily). Next year I will try harder to get one organised as this has wiped me out for two weeks.

You’ve both been vaccinated
you’re both floored with flu
not great adverts for a vaccination I’m afraid
Year after year everyone I know who gets flu vaccinated ends up ill with flu - my own Dad being in that number this year

Nope. Don’t need it. Haven’t been ill in years. Not even a cold

Yes, 2 people on an internet forum who got the flu despite being vaccinated is a very convincing argument against vaccination. And of course everyone you know who is vaccinated. Everyone….

Let’s forget the fact that the flu vaccine doesn’t guarantee that you won’t get flu, that the vaccine is based on the prevalent strains circulating and that not all variants are covered.

Obviously you have better insight and knowledge than all the highly trained, highly paid charlatans trying to inject us with poison/microchips/whatever for their own evil gains. Not quite sure what those gains might be but I’m sure you have the answer to that too. Gosh, all that money wasted on actual research and we could just listen to you and do away with vaccination programmes. Is it just the flu or does everyone you know get ill after other vaccinations? Mmr? Diphtheria? Polio? Tetanus?

You can stlll get flu.
I had a similar attitude - am in rude health, didn’t want to pay. But from talking to people and educating myself I decided I really didn’t want to be lying in bed wishing I’d spent the darn £20 on the vaccine.

Got my flu jab in November and paid for it. I then found out work reimbursed the cost so claimed the £16 back. It was worth it and my daughters were ill over Xmas but I wasn’t. If people actually did what they were advised at the time then they could have provided more protection for others.

Pretty much everyone I know this year has caught it, and they've been miserable for weeks.

I usually catch every bug under the sun and struggle. I was a bit ill for a few days.

The only time I've been exceptionally ill despite getting jabbed was last year. Some people I know who were vaccinated were hospitalised that year, as well.

I was told they they made a mistake with the variety they picked for the flu jab, and that's why it seemingly did nothing to protect anyone last year? This year, however... I feel quite relieved I had mine. I cannot think of any other reason why I escaped being bed bound for weeks - I can get really slammed from a common cold.

I have had flu once when I was much younger and it’s the most ill I’ve ever been. Couldn’t move for a week. I’ve religiously got my jab ever since - first I got it free because my work had a funded scheme (everywhere I have worked has done this so worth checking) and now I qualify for free NHS (asthma - you need to be taking 2 or more meds for it to qualify I think)

Tried to get it but told ineligible. Happy to pay but nope.

I had the jab in October and have been in bed for the last 7 days with flu!

I thought the overall effectiveness was around 15 to 25%?

Thats what they say in France anyhow (same vaccine) with some studies, saying it helps reduce symptoms.

I had to try several different pharmacies to get it and had to wait a month but did manage eventually to get jabbed. It wasn’t easy though especially when you need to fit an appointment around work.

Crikey - so much ignorance on this thread!

When you have a biomedical science degree - I will listen to what you're saying.

Otherwise - perhaps keep your batshit thoughts to yourself.

I'm 50 and have never had a jab for flu and have never had flu badly, touch wood etc, DH is 54 and the same. I hardly ever get colds. I was unwell for 24 hours when I had Covid. My kids are older and not relying on me. I don't have elderly parents relying on me and work would just have to cope if I were unwell. I'm not anti vaccine and had all the free Covid jabs but have never felt that I needed to pay for a flu jab. I don't feel I want to introduce a virus into my body that I must have good natural immunity/defences to, and pay for the privilege. I've been out socalising a fair bit, have mixed with huge crowds of people, go to a busy gym several times a week and take public transport to work so I hardly lack exposure.

Everyone you know? Really?

Can you explain this?

I thought that the Covid vaccine (well, all vaccines really) prime your immune system to recognise the variant of the virus contained in that vaccine. Of course they mutate, which is why vaccines are adjusted but what do you mean when you say it doesn’t stay in your system?

Except the vaccine doesn’t stop you getting it.

All I can do is sit here and be grateful I got the jab, because I can’t imagine how unwell I’d be if I hadn’t.