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Covid

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Original poster

Have you had the flu jab, or do you plan to get it?

31 replies

nellodee · 03/03/2020 16:49

I haven't, but I'm thinking about it. It would reduce false alarms on the NHS, and also stop me catching flu and then going in to a hospital crowded with Covid sufferers and ending up with both.

Can anyone see any downside? Last time I had it, I felt shocking awful for a week, and then it turned out that year it didn't actually help anyway.

Where do you actually get it? I've heard you can get it at supermarkets, but how does that actually work?

OP posts:

Batqueen · 03/03/2020 16:51

Always get it. It makes my arm hurt a lot for up to a week but I’d rather that than get flu. That’s the only downside.

Batqueen · 03/03/2020 16:52

Supermarkets with a pharmacy section, same as most pharmacies.

AlternativePerspective · 03/03/2020 16:54

You can get it from most chemists but if you don’t fall into a high risk category you will pay somewhere between £8/12.

I have it anyway as I am high risk, but do bear in mind that the flu jab isn’t going to protect you against corronavirus. Do also bear in mind that the chances of you ending up in hospital with flu if you do not fall into a high risk category are tiny.

BatleyTownswomensGuild · 03/03/2020 16:55

Got mine at Boots. This year's strain was particularly achy on the arm, but definitely worth it. Not wishing to be alarmist but my elderly mother was hospitalised with pneumonia following a bout of flu. Plus I have a couple of good friends who are immune-compromised and I would never forgive myself if I passed something onto them that could have been easily prevented with a vaccine....

Basically flu viruses

Original poster

nellodee · 03/03/2020 16:57

I was just thinking, you don't want to end up going to a crowded hospital full of Covid sufferers, if you haven't actually got it. I can imagine getting flu and getting very panicky, otherwise.

OP posts:

Original poster

nellodee · 03/03/2020 16:57

Do you have to book, or can you just roll up?

OP posts:

ChasingRainbows19 · 03/03/2020 17:04

the flu vaccine doesn't stop you getting all strains of flu and isn't always the right strains that end up being spread around.
I'm not sure how effective it's been this year. But flu seems to have been pretty widespread. I have the jab as I work in the NHS.

Also Coronavirus cases will be isolated inseparate areas/ ward. Or even at home if well enough.

If it makes you feel better/less anxious go ahead and get it.

arethereanyleftatall · 03/03/2020 17:19

What do you mean by 'it turned out that year it didn't actually help anyway'?

Original poster

nellodee · 03/03/2020 17:23

It's never 100% effective, as they are making a best guess of what strands of previous flu viruses it's going to be "in" that year (I think, please correct me if I'm wrong), but the year I had it, it was almost completely ineffective, the worst it has ever been. And I felt shocking for a week (which may not have been the flu jab, it could have been something else I picked up coincidentally a the same time.) It's usually pretty good, I'm not knocking the flu jab, but it's not an exact science, "have this, and you definitely won't catch the flu" type thing.

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Nonnymum · 03/03/2020 17:25

It is still being offered? I thought it was only available at the start of winter. I had mine at boots I think it cost £12. I havent had the flu but I don't know how much has been around this year.
If you Google boots flu jab you will find somewhere near you that offers it if it's still available . You can book on line.

Original poster

nellodee · 03/03/2020 17:25

But I'm thinking this year, if it would help the NHS, I should get it. Trying to get a fix on whether it will make a concrete difference to anything at all if everyone gets it. I think I've only had the flu once or twice in almost 50 years, so I've never made a big effort in the past.

OP posts:

Original poster

nellodee · 03/03/2020 17:28

Thanks, you can still get it at Boots. I think I might book me and my husband in. I can't see how to book it at Tescos, which would be handier for me, though.

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Orangeblossom78 · 03/03/2020 17:28

Dh has nasty flu here, and yes he had the jab.

GPwife2411 · 03/03/2020 17:30

It's been pretty effective this year. Amongst children - a high risk group - all of the deaths have been from the strain contained in this year's immunisation.

It's a common hospital acquired infection - so if you were in getting treated for CV, your chances of getting flu would be pretty high and this might also make your recovery more difficult.

I would highly advocate getting it.

GPwife2411 · 03/03/2020 17:31

I should add, its my understanding that all of the children who have died were not immunised.

gamerwidow · 03/03/2020 17:31

I always have it. Even if it isn’t 100% effective it still protects against a lot of the flu viruses. If you’ve had it and still got flu that’s bad luck but doesn’t mean it isn’t worth having.

gamerwidow · 03/03/2020 17:34

if a vaccine was invented for CV tomorrow you’d get people on here saying they didn’t want it. Everyone wants a vaccine until it actually exists.

justasking111 · 03/03/2020 17:37

DS off work with the flu, his colleague in hospital with respiratory complications so office shut down. Have the jab. I have it every year, OH pooh poohed it until he got the flu then pleurisy, DS had it healthy 18 year old nearly hospitalised but luckily strong antibiotics kept him out. My GP said it is not the flu that gets you but complications.

Orangeblossom78 · 03/03/2020 17:42

What about older DC are you having them done? I mean teens, guess it is up to them?

I think most primary age had it at school, up to year 6, ours did anyway

AlunWynsKnee · 03/03/2020 17:56

I had it in September. I am in a group the NHS vaccinates. Barely sore at all this time. Last time was sore for a couple of days.

tenlittlecygnets · 03/03/2020 19:03

The flu jab is not a live vaccine and it cannot give you flu. I wish people would stop spreading misinformation. If you were ill after it, you must have caught whatever it was before having the flu jab.

MitziK · 03/03/2020 20:02

Got it in September by strolling into the chemist and asking, as did DP.

Didn't react to it in the slightest, no side effects, nothing.

Then looked after an entire school's worth of kids in the middle of the November-December flu outbreak. Not a single sniffle.

I'm immunocompromised. And was absolutely fine. As I was the previous year whilst all around me coughed, spluttered, shivered, sweated and ended up at home with the flu. And every other year I've had the vaccine - on the year I didn't get it because I had relied upon the GP and they didn't have any stock, I got flu twice - badly.

Thank fuck for the vaccine.

greasyspooncafe · 03/03/2020 20:04

Get it every year as I'm a single mum and it's a no brainer after one year I had it twice and was off work both times for two weeks.

Grasspigeons · 03/03/2020 20:10

I have it. Slight achey arm for a day or two. I have it because i make my son with asthma have it and it doesnt seem fair not to as well. It is more effective some years than others.

bobstersmum · 03/03/2020 20:12

I have any vaccines going! I have to pay for flu jab but I'll always have it. I paid for pneumonia jab last year too.

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