Flu jab please help

[Flufluflu2025]

Please be kind!
I am very worried about this super flu. I have autism and very bad anxiety and no family to help if I caught it.
i haven’t had the flu jab yet as lots of friends had it and ended up very poorly (some in hospital) and they are convinced that it was from the flu jab as they all had very similar symptoms, very high temp, chest infections etc.
Now I don’t believe this but due the way my thinking works, my brain is arguing with itself.
I know I need to have it as I am so worried about catching the flu.
can anyone help me and give me proper advice please?
thank you

I and all my family have had the flu jab for the last 25 years.
It has never made any of us ill, beyond maybe an occasional sore arm for 24 hours.
During that time none of us have ever caught flu, despite working in conditions where we are around the virus.
I wouldn’t think twice about having it.
There are far too many scaremongers about.

I had the jab in October. No issue. Not even a sore arm.

A couple of weeks later I got what I assume was the flu. Came on really fast. But I was only feeling really bad and in bed for one day. So I assume the jab did just what it was supposed to and reduced how ill I might have been.

Had a sore arm for about 5 mins then absolutely nothing. Please stop spreading this nonsense.

Agree re:scaremongering. The anti- vaxxers seem to be making a comeback on SM...

OP I’m interested in how you know all of these friends?

Do you know them all in person and have they told you that they’ve had the ‘flu vaccine and ended up in Hospital?

I’m interested becauae I have never, ever met anyone who has been Hospitalised through having the ‘flu vaccine and it just seems a bit odd that in the social circle of one person you’ve met so many just this year.

If on the other hand these aren’t your close friends i would take what they say with a pinch of salt.

I’ve been having the flu vaccine to close on 30 years and it’s yet to make me feel unwell.

@Flufluflu2025 are the friends people you know well in real life or people you have got to know online? If the latter be very wary.

@Flufluflu2025 I had the flu jab weeks ago and had absolutely no symptoms afterwards whatsoever. Not even a sore arm. Nothing. DH and DC have both had it, and they had no reaction either.

Sometimes it is just coincidence when someone falls ill immediately after having the jab. They had probably caught flu already but weren't showing any symptoms at the time of the jab.

Op in my county all children are offered the flu jab in school (it might be countrywide but I only know about my county). My dc have always had it, apart from when autistic dd2 was anxious about the needle. I have never heard of a single child going into hospital because of it and I’ve been on whole year WhatsApp groups and lots of local Facebook groups.

I have it every year because I’m a single mum and don’t want to be too ill to look after my kids. I’ve never had a side effect other than sore arm.

I’m not sure if it’s just a coincidence your friends were ill after having it.

As everyone else says, the flu jab cannot give you flu. Some people get brief flu-like aches and pains, but that’s just the vaccine getting the body’s immunity ready to fight the flu.

Your friends who got sick probably caught the flu, or COVID, or got bacterial pneumonia before the vaccine had chance to work properly.

Just an annoying co-incidence.

Never had more than a sore arm.
Anyone who got ill afterwards was either already infected with flu before they had the jab, or it was a different respiratory virus. The third possibility is they are lying, this is more likely if these people are internet randoms because there's a sector of society who are anti medicine and spread fear.
People who genuinely end up in hospital with flu are usually elderly or have other illnesses that make them get sicker.

Your friends would have been ill whether or not they had the jab. They were already incubating the virus that caused the illness when they had the jab. A few years ago I was scheduled to have my flu jab at work, but due to an emergency I had to postpone. That night I went down with flu. If I had not had that emergency and I had the jab as planned I might have formed a belief that the jab caused the flu, like your friends have. It’s up to you, but I’m chasing to get my 17 yo a vaccination because I heard on the radio under 18s are entitled to it. This strain is really nasty.

We always get the flu jab. I get it free, DH has to pay, but we always book for October. Never had any issues, and never had flu.

It was reported months ago that the Southern Hemisphere had a bad flu season, and that generally does indicate a worse season here.

However, it is not a more serious strain, just more infectious. The stats show the same curve as other years, just earlier. I think the media (and the government) are making it seem worse to get people vaxxed, and try to stop the doctors strike.

Me, DH, DB, DM, DMIL all had the jab and felt fine 🤷🏻‍♀️

Not true. No flu jab gives 100% protection but this year's jab gives reasonable protection even from the new variant and can also mean less severe symptoms if you do happen to catch it.

To show how it works, last year I had the FLU jab in October and in December I went down with pneumonia. I had a week of rest and antibiotics and I was totally fine. DH got flu, he was floored for three weeks and got had two ear infections etc. the GP that saw him thinks I had flu but it didn’t develop into the full virus due to the vaccine but I passed it and unvaccinated DH got the full virus. He copied me in getting a jab this year.

I like pros and cons lists

Pros - may prevent flu, may lessen flu symptoms if you get it - especially with this years nasty strain, not hugely expensive, quick

Cons - may feel a bit flat for a day or two after the jab, no 100% guarantee, may have to hunt around to get it with low stocks

That’s anecdotal evidence. I always have the flu jab and have never had any side effects from it. It’s not a live vaccine so can’t give you flu.

I’m very surprised that so many of your friends have been ill after the flu jab. It’s not a live vaccine and can’t give you flu, although you might have some reaction to it, but your friends’ reactions sound disproportionate.

Everyone I know who had had the flu jab this year reported no side effects at all. It was so painless going in that I even wondered if I’d had it!

Do some research and see if anywhere near you still has any stocks of the vaccine. Supermarkets might.

Thanks everyone. My local pharmacy have it in stock, don’t do them on a Saturday so I’m booked in first thing on Monday morning. Thank you all

Yes. I had terrible flu last time I had the jab. Turned into pneumonia

The flu jab cannot cause flu. It certainly can’t cause pneumonia (I’m assuming you mean bacterial pneumonia). You unluckily caught the flu around the same time you had the vaccine, that is all.

I’ve had every jab offered to me and apart from my first COVID one, I haven’t even known I’ve had anything. Definitely go for it. There are a lot of viruses around atm and if you can protect yourself from the worst one, do it.

It's age 5-14 years especially at risk from the H3N2 strain that media are going on about.

Probably not exposed previously, unlike age 16+, and young kids have a different kind of immune response / nasal vaccined too.

Adults like OP not so much at risk.

Hope it goes well, OP. I had it early November through work and had no side affects. DH had it on Thursday, has a bit of a headache, but not so much he couldn't manage half a bottle of wine this evening!

That’s good news.