Flu jab effectiveness

[Winterfrost27]

Hello, I have a newborn at home and toddler in nursery and wondering whether

1. both myself and my toddler should get the flu vaccine this year ?
2. Just myself should get it ?
3. Or neither of us …

I’m just not sure how effective the vaccine would be and everything has side effects.., would natural immunity be better ? I am
also aware it would only be for certain strains and sometimes they get the predictions for dominant strains wrong ? I also heard , please correct me if I’m wrong, that you need flu jab every year once you start or your body reacts much more severely if it catches flu ?

From what I know, kids only need it if they’re vulnerable, but it’s offered to all kids to minimise flu spreading . I’ve never had flu jabs before myself , apart from when I was pregnant but this winter I’m just worried about my newborn being exposed and being too sick to look after them properly. Any thoughts please ? X

p.s does anyone know if the flu jab is the same everywhere or if different countries would have their own version ?

Would be best you both get it x

Well there was a vicious flu strain doing the rounds last December which took out seven of my colleagues for over a week. The rest of us who'd had the flu jab did not get ill. Coincidence?

Yes, both get it. To protect yourselves, and your baby.

The flu vaccine varies in effectiveness each year. You need a jag each year cause the flu strains change.

Flu is absolutely brutal and anything you can do to avoid or mitigate is advised.

Children are at higher risk of complications and are spreaders to others.

You are best both getting but prioritise your child for reason above.

My kids get it annually. I've had it every year too since I lost my hearing in 2018 when I contracted flu. I have to wear hearing aids now. Nothing I can do about that unfortunately but certainly don't want to catch it again. It was awful.

I also lost hearing due to a virus in childhood and also wear hearing aids.

Get both of you vaccinated. As a household we all get vaccinated against flu now.

I had flu so badly as a child my legs temporarily stopped working and I couldn't walk. I still remember days and days of being confined to bed at Christmas, my bike from Santa sitting in the corner of the room. It was well into January before I was well enough to ride it.

My children who are teens both got flu last year. My word did they suffer! I didnt get it and I'm vaccinated. It was horrible for them. I was actually quite worried. Get vaccinated.