Had flu vaccine Thursday at 4pm. Now I feel like shite.

[HaveIGotAClue]

I woke up sneezing this morning. Pains in my bones. Headache. Bleary eyed. Lethargic. Feel hot in my face and inner ears. Feel like I have, a high temperature. Took two paracetamol at 3pm; not due more until 7pm.

Nurse stated the usual 'you may experience muscle pain and fever and if so, take paracetamol'.

Have I got a cold or are these normal side effects? I need to be able to function on Monday. If they are just side effects, how long will they last?

Felt rather proud of myself yesterday; apart from the pain in the injection site, I had nothing unusual.

PS - never ever getting it again.

PPS - what the fuck is the point of taking something that gives you pretty much the same effect as the thing you're trying to prevent!?

And furthermore - what the fuck is in the god-damned thing that can cause this sort of reaction???????????????

Plus I feel cold, apart from my swollen head.

Feel like crying.

That's why I never get it. It gives you the flu

Someone will be on in a sec to say it isn't because of that it's a coincidence but nearly everyone I know who has it gets sick after

Seems pretty late for side effects. I think you have caught a bug.

I'll be the person to say it doesn't give you the flu.

Everyone I know doesn't get sick after.

If people do have side effects they are from an immune response not from getting the flu.

Nurse made point of saying 'people say it gives you the flu but it doesn't'.

Maybe I just have a cold on top of the side effects.

what's an immune response

Your body produces antibodies in response to the vaccine. You can feel a bit rough while this is happening.

I have never been as ill as I was after the flu jab. 3 weeks I was ill for. Ended up on steroids for my asthma and then anti biotics. Probably coincidence. Had it on the Friday, ill on Sunday night.

However, my husband and my son have both been knocked for six by a fluey thing this week. Both very poorly but I am fine except for a sniffle.

I asked nurse whether it covers swine flu and she told me there is no swine flu anymore. This, after me reading about two confirmed deaths from swine flu; one in the UK and one in Ireland.

Hope you feel better soon anyway!

Fanjo - will it be gone by Monday?

Well I don't know.

I don't think it's that making you ill by now I think you have a cold.

So hope you fight that off soon.

How soon do the side effects usually start?

Usually about 6 hours later in my experience.

Am not a doctor though.

It's not a live vaccine, it can't give you flu. It's a coincidence.

Ye, that's what the old NHS website told me too. [cynical]

I have had the flu jab every autumn for years. I've never had any reaction other than my arm being hot, red and sore for a day or so. I've only had flu once in the last 35 years so it must be doing its job!
There is a nasty virus doing the rounds at the moment, maybe you've got that and it's a coincidence.

I had my third flu jab in November, and felt really bad for about a week after, (previous two had been fine). I think it's the immune reaction, as pp have said, but it's rotten while it lasts! Hopefully you'll be feeling a bit better by Monday.

It really, really can't give you the flu. It's not a live vaccine.

Punk. I'm not stupid. I know it can't give you flu. It appears to be able to give you flu-like blooming symptoms though!

I've had genuine flu a couple of times as opposed to man flu and was offered the flu jab last winter by my employers. Never ever again. I was ill for over a week and it was much worse than when I'd had the flu in the past. Took me ages to get over it. A colleague was similarly ill after the vaccination too. Refused to have it this year and I've been fine. I'll take my chances in future, thanks very much.

That was almost certainly a bug you and your colleague caught coincidentally with the vaccine.