Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Children's health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Nasal Flu Vaccinations side effects?

20 replies

alexcurt1 · 13/12/2019 13:18

Our daughter (5) had been extremely good with colds or any other kind of illness from birth. At the age of 2 we thought we should do the right thing and get her vaccinated against flu as recommended.
The observed consequence (?) was that for the coming few month she slipped from one respiratory infection into the next. This only really improved after maybe a year. So no more flu vaccinations after that.... - Until she got to school where we opted out of the nasal flu vaccination offered by her school. Little did we realise that the pathogen used in these vaccinations is in fact not a dead virus but a live weakened on. So in a class of kids who ALL got infected with this un-dead virus her chances of NOT getting vaccinated/infected were 0.
Observed Consequence was that she came down with chicken pox a couple of weeks later. Hold on... she had had chicken pox just over a year ago. Verified by the Doc. She then came down with another respiratory illness and then contracted Noro Virus.

Of course this could all be coincidence...
I am also not suggesting that this is something widespread or endemic to flu vaccinations. The other kids in my girls class did not suffer her fate.
My questions to the mums and dads out there is: Has anyone ever observed the same ?

OP posts:
Baboutheocelot · 13/12/2019 13:20

No

HRH2020 · 13/12/2019 13:24

No, my son has had pneumonia, flu, Hans foot and mouth, chicken pox, and various bugs but he's never had side effects from a flu vaccine

NannyR · 13/12/2019 13:28

Coincidence without a doubt.

Mumdiva99 · 13/12/2019 13:29

Chicken pox is not flu. They are entirely unrelated.

My kids have had many flu vaccines - never suffered side effect. My youngest came home having had it yesterday sniffing and stuffy. Oh no I thought, flu vaccine side effect. No - his class all have colds. He's just picked one up. At least he is unlikely to get flu this year.

elliehamster · 13/12/2019 13:30

You will just get totally biased opinion on here. Vaccination on MN is a subject full of ignorance. Your best bet is to get hold of a flu vaccine insert (not the patient leaflet) the insert is the one provided to health professionals with all listed side effects. I looked at one last year so I refused the vaccine for my child. The side effects include respiratory illness, d&v, and symptoms such as malaise, high temp, muscle aches (err flu then!). But please do not listen to MN for vaccine advice, the vitriol and bullying here is atrocious. Go and read proper scientific studies. This year the incidence of all of the above symptoms are meaning children’s visits to the gp and admittance to hospital has skyrocketed. It is definitely NOT coincidence.

dementedpixie · 13/12/2019 13:31

What's chicken pox or norovirus virus got to do with your dd not having the nasal flu vaccine?

dementedpixie · 13/12/2019 13:32

OPs dd didnt get the nasal flu vaccine though

elliehamster · 13/12/2019 13:34

It doesn’t matter if a child has not had the flu nasal vaccine because it is live. Being around so many children with live virus will spread, it is not rocket science, it is contagious. It also weakens the immune system so the child is then more susceptible to illness.

alexcurt1 · 13/12/2019 13:39

Thanks for your comment. Agreed Chicken Pox and flu are unrelated. My observation following my girls flu vaccinations were more on the line of her immune systems memory, which is the basis for illnesses like chicken pox not to reoccur and vaccinations to generally work, having somehow been affected. Hence the recurrence of chicken pox.

OP posts:
Sidge · 13/12/2019 13:39

It also weakens the immune system so the child is then more susceptible to illness.

No it doesn't.

This year the incidence of all of the above symptoms are meaning children’s visits to the gp and admittance to hospital has skyrocketed. It is definitely NOT coincidence.

No they haven't.

Also her classmates having the nasal flu vaccine will have had no bearing on her contracting chicken pox. At all.

alexcurt1 · 13/12/2019 13:42

Thanks for your comment. Agreed Chicken Pox , Noro Virus and flu are unrelated. My observation following my girls flu vaccinations were more on the line of her immune systems memory, which is the basis for illnesses like chicken pox not to reoccur and vaccinations to generally work, having somehow been affected. Hence the recurrence of chicken pox.

OP posts:
Spitsandspots · 13/12/2019 14:38

So your daughter picked up chicken pox after she started school then? Must have been that live attenuated vaccine for sure Hmm

alexcurt1 · 13/12/2019 14:49

She had chickpox a year ago and then again after the live Flu Vaccine. Which makes me think her immune memory was somehow affected.

OP posts:
toodlethenoodle · 13/12/2019 14:55

@elliehamster

I am not here to bully you.

The common side effects of the flu vaccine for children are a runny or blocked nose, a headache, general tiredness and a loss of appetite. The same potential side effects you have listen are present in paracetamol. The corresponding literature in all cases is designed to be a 'catch all' so health care professionals/parents/guardians are on guard.

I urge you to reconsider your stance and maybe have a look again at the perceived risks.The flu is no joke especially when it comes to children.

The vaccine given to children is attenuated and so stimulates the immune system but does not cause the flu.

dementedpixie · 13/12/2019 14:59

Or it could just be that she did not get full immunity after the first bout of chicken pox.

vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/vk/nasal-flu-vaccine

toodlethenoodle · 13/12/2019 14:59

@alexcurt1 Are you sure the second bout wasn't actually shingles?

thaegumathteth · 13/12/2019 15:10

No I haven't experienced this.

I have experienced us all getting flu one year though and ds ending up I. Hospital with pneumonia and his asthma has never recovered - it was 9 years ago. Also when he first started school between August start and Christmas he caught chickenpox, 2 stomach bugs, slapped cheek, had god knows how many colds which turned into 2 chest infections and an ear infection. It's life.

alexcurt1 · 13/12/2019 15:49

According to the Doctor (same as with Chicken Pox 1) no doubt. He did not really give an exhaustive explanation just, not enough immunity. Which I agree with entirely. I just couldn't help think the flu vac might be to blame for reasons explained already. By the way thanks to everyone replying. We all have different experiences and opinions and want the best for our kids. In the end we decide what is best on the balance of it all.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 13/12/2019 15:52

I wouldn't have gone to the doctor for chicken pox tbh. It's too contagious to be taking them into public places. Ds has had chickenpox and shingles

alexcurt1 · 13/12/2019 15:56

Totally agree with you on that one. We normally only take our girl to the Doc when 111 (UK Phone Doc) advises us to. In this case the previous chicken pox infection was out of doubt and up to that point we did think that recurrence would be very very unlikely. Hence the visit to the doc.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page