Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

General health

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

Flip

Original poster

Flu nasal spray wwyd?

19 replies

Barmymummy1 · 18/09/2016 13:14

Thought I should start a separate thread for this one. My daughter has just started school and we've had a letter home inviting children to have the Flu nasal spray vaccine next month.

My daughter like myself has a history of bad reactions to vaccinations so I'd like her to have as few as possible, is the nasal spray less likely to cause a reaction than an injection or is it the same risk? Also are they actually that effective?

She's generally healthy and doesn't have asthma, although she has had febrile convulsions before when she's been ill and had a high temperature, and in the winter she does get things that go on to her chest more than any other type of virus. What would you do? I'm looking for facts rather than being told off and told about herd immunity, I know it's important, but she has had really bad reactions to every jab she's had in the past so I don't make the decision lightly!

OP posts:

Bigkingdom · 05/10/2016 20:09

was wondering the same thing. My son has brought the same letter home from school but he has always had bad reactions to vaccines before so i don't want to give him it really BUT in the same breathe i know all the other kids will be shedding this live virus all round the school. Ridiculous doing it at school imo.

Justjoseph · 05/10/2016 20:11

I said no.
My understanding is that it is herd immunisation to help the elderly.

We don't see any old people and the less immunisation the better for me, I feel this one is unnessasary.

lucy101101 · 05/10/2016 20:40

My DS is also somewhat problematic with vaccinations... he also has febrile convulsions.... and everything goes to his chest if he has a virus (although it doesn't appear that he has asthma)... and last year he had the flu (proper flu not just a bad cold, we ended up in A&E one night) only two weeks after having the vaccination... however he has also use had the vaccination again partly because my elderly father is probably going to have chemo soon and I do believe that flu vaccination is a good thing, not just for herd immunity for the elderly.

lucy101101 · 05/10/2016 20:41

yeOldeTrout · 05/10/2016 20:48

She had febrile convulsions after her previous jabs?

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 05/10/2016 20:51

It's not just to protect the elderly. It's to protect everyone, including the children who can't have the vaccinations. My DD had her nasal flu vaccination today and she has been right as rain all day when normally after a jab she's a bit whingey.

PotteringAlong · 05/10/2016 20:52

We don't see any old people

Really? No old person ever comes into your airspace?

Girliefriendlikesflowers · 05/10/2016 20:59

My healthy 10yo dd ended up in intensive care due to flu in March of this year, was a complete shock as she is a fit and healthy child normally. I had no idea flu could be so serious and dangerous.

She is booked in for the nasal spray this Saturday, the thought that what happened to her could have been possibly prevented in heart breaking.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 05/10/2016 21:18

Girliefriendlikesflowers how awful for your DD. I'm glad she is better now but I am so angry that she had to go through that so needlessly.

shewolfmum · 06/10/2016 00:23

They havr halted the programme in the states and they believe it doesn't offer protection. Read up. Read the PIL (live vaccine that sheds so beware around anyone vulnerable). Read stats on flu in different age groups. Then decide?

sycamore54321 · 06/10/2016 00:27

They haven't halted flu vaccination in the U.S. - my 2 year old just had his from his consultant pediatrician and I've just had mine (the injection) from my obstetrician as I'm pregnant. Pretty much everyone I know here gets it, including fit young or middle-aged adults.

HerRoyalNotness · 06/10/2016 00:32

They're not offering the nasal spray this year as they think that is ineffective. We've all our our flu shots this year incl 9 and 6yo.

They are worried that the take up will be less this year as parents won't want to subject DC to yet another shot. We had no choice as its now a requirement for green card application

BradleyPooper · 06/10/2016 01:01

I'm in the USA and the flu nasal spray isn't available here. We had it for the past 2 years but my pediatrician tells me it's been withdrawn as it's not effective.

kicker · 06/10/2016 01:10

Very probably a coincidence but I've seen it happen twice. A week after the nasal spray had been given there was a spike in absences due to a non specific self limiting high temperature like illness in my DC's class. My son (who didn't have the spray) got ill too. Very unscientific and anecdotal but it did make me wonder.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 06/10/2016 02:02

So my DD had the spray yesterday and has been quite sick just now. I rang 111 but they have said it's unrelated.

Would I still give her the vaccination if I knew before that she would be sick? Hell yes.

anotherdayanothersquabble · 06/10/2016 14:14

Anyone who has previously had a suspected vaccine reaction should not have vaccine administered in school. Talk to your doctor and read the vaccine insert as well as the patient information leaflet.

Mumchatting · 02/01/2017 18:02

If they want to protect children from flu, why don't they offer the shot instead of the nasal spray. Nasal spray has proved to be ineffective and this season 2016-2017 is not recommended in the US. I'm not even in the US but I've done my own research.

cuddlebug · 30/01/2017 00:18

My son is not getting the flu jab at all. Totally up to you x

Y0uCann0tBeSer10us · 30/01/2017 09:35

We declined this one, and judging by the vaccine take-up numbers so do most parents, so you're definitely not alone! As mentioned above there are serious questions over whether it works that go beyond the usual strain-predicting issues, with conflicting data coming out of the US and other countries. (It's possible that it's effectiveness declines over time, but the reasons for this are very poorly understood.) Also, the flu spray given to children is a live vaccine, unlike the jag, meaning it actually has more side effects than the flu jag given to adults, as described in the vaccine information leaflet (from the manufacturer, not the simplified versions you often get from the NHS).

If you really want to avoid exposure I would find out what day it's being given and keep you child off that day - as mentioned above shedding is a known issue, not surprising when a live virus is squirted up the noses of children who aren't that familiar with tissue etiquette, and so you could find you decline the vaccine only to have your child exposed to it anyway. For most healthy children this is an annoyance and a few days off sick, but for more vulnerable groups it could be more problematic. Personally, I don't think the scheme has been thought through well enough in this respect.

Flip