I am on the flu jab list, do I need to stay at home?

[Sparrowlegs248]

I have a couple of relatively minor conditions that mean o receive a flu jab and have done for 10 years (I'm 42).

Looking st the guidance, I don't have heart disease or kidney failure etc

The GP told me to look at the nhs website. Work are sending those home who they think they need to.

It depends what the condition is, but yes, probably. I have asthma and I pretty much haven’t left my house (except to walk around outside - we live in a very rural area) since last Friday.

Yes. If you have the flu jab you are vulnerable

Thanks. Now I just need to get the point through to work.

I have asthma but I work in the NHS and many of us do. We can’t all go home. So we are only sending the people home who would be mostly likely to die or need ventilating
It is a horrible situation for us all to be in

@Menora it really is dreadful. I could work from home, but my employer are being very very difficult about it.

See I get the flu jab but I don’t know why.
I’m a healthy 34yr old but since joining my surgery in 2008, they’ve said I’m eligible for the flu jab.
I was born with a hole in my heart and a murmur but all tests since I was 16 have shown no issue whatsoever. Whenever I’ve asked why I have the flu jab, they just say “because you flag up as needing one.”

So I don’t really know what I’m meant to do.

As far as I know, self distance yes - which we all should do, self isolate is for when you think you have the virus or told you do. An awful lot of people are confusing the two, leading to people self isolating for no reason. It'll be a hard enough time without doing that unnecessarily

Not necessarily. It depends on why you get it. For example I have rheumatoid arthritis and the medication I take makes me "increased risk" ie only slightly more at risk than your average healthy person. Yes absolutely social distance and if you work in a role with a lot of people then it might be different but I'm a nanny with 2 kids who aren't going to school and have both parents WFM so for me it's not more risky to go to work than to stay here with my son. But you have to weigh up the risks for yourself

Grandmasterstitch

I may be very very wrong but isnt rheumatoid arthritis considered an autoimmune disease? And the drugs youre on are related to that autoimmune response?. And theres some supicion that cornavirus is similar to aids in that it creates an auto immune response harmful to the body. Which is why the drugs currently tested are the drugs used in the treatment of aids. I suspect theres very good reason for you to be on the vulnerable persons list.

I agree, this is about social distancing not locking yourself away for 12 weeks
So working from home, not going to the shops etc

@Hazelnutlatteplease yes but there's a lot of different drugs available. Some hugely dampen your immune system (steroids, biological) and some which help manage the disease without causing your immune system to deaden as much (DMards) I've paid great attention to what the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society has to say on the subject and this is their information. I haven't taken it lightly, I'm obviously higher risk than a completely healthy 31 year old but the information is that it's not as much as if I were on different medication. Of course I'm going to be sensible regardless!

I am also on flu jab list for asthma. I work in retail so unable to work from home.
I only work part time so that reduces contact, and apart from work and shopping not going anywhere else. Do use public transport to get to work.
I dont feel completely comfortable going to work, and customer facing, but employer would not be sympathetic to taking 12 weeks off with no actual symptoms.
I assume there will be no pay and I cannot really afford to lose the wages.

Also my asthma presents as a dry but wheezy cough, so not sure if I will know if asthma or coronavirus. Not really sure what to do.
The government advice seems to be a guideline rather than an actual directive. Unless you are in the very high risk group which I am not.

I'm happy to work (need the money!) But not so happy to be AT work, given my role. I could do a large chunk of my role from home.

Then ask to work from home? I am WFH 3-4 days a week where possible and sometimes I can’t avoid going in as I have to meet people. You can only ask

I'm also a bit confused. My manager sent an email today saying only the people who are in very high risk categories (heart failure, chemotherapy etc), who will receive a text or email confirming that from NHS, should be isolating. For anyone else it's business as usual.

I'm NHS support staff, working from home as we were all told to. I have IBD and diabetes, both on the increased risk list. So I am worried about being called in to help in a front line support role. I'm also worried about the kids going to school and bringing it back without realising.

I'm quite anxious about my health anyway, and there seems to be ambiguity which doesn't help my stressed brain!

If you can do your work from home, your employer should be allowing that regardless of vulnerability in any case.

But if you have any vulnerability, which you obviously do if you qualify for the flu vaccine, even if it's minor, you should definitely work from home - I think you should just tell your employer rather than asking and send a link to the official guidance on what those with vulnerabilities should be doing.

Where I work the staff (who cannot wfh) will be unpaid if they take 12 weeks off. They won't even get SSP as they're technically not sick.

Many can't afford to so they are ignoring the advice due to financial reasons.

There's conflicting advice, we have NHS people saying that people should self isolate, or have themselves told to be - without either having the virus or in suspicion of having it. The advice from government is to distance and not isolate. Not saying anyone is right or wrong, butnirs not consistent advice