Stupid flu jab, to have a mild cold ever since

[GrassWasGreener]

I'm not a great believe in the flu jab. I believe in vaccinating my kids of course from the deadly things, but the flu jab I think is a load of tosh. Maybe it's more relevant for elderly people at high risk but I don't give it much support. I am pregnant for the first time and when I went to doctor for confirmation, she really insisted I have the stupid flu jab. Trying not to be skeptical and to follows docs advice I said ok. Well 3 days later I got a bad cold (I'm never sick, always seem to skip the colds and flus), the cold took 2 weeks to clear and nearly 5 weeks on my nose is still running. It's driving me mental and making other early pregnant symptoms just seem worse and I feel fairly sorry for myself.

So of course I'm blaming the jab, has anyone else felt crappy after the jab? Did you turn it down in the first place? If you feel it caused you issues how long did they last?

I get it every year and never have any problems. It’s not a live vaccine. I did have a cold recently and felt worse because pregnancy can exacerbate some symptoms.

I’m grateful to anyone wh gets the flu jab as it cuts down on the chances that I will be infected with the flu.

It’s got no live viruses in it so I don’t see how it could possibly have caused you to get a cold.

You just have a cold. They are common in winter.

The flu can kill you, your baby or cause permanent disability and lifelong health problems to your baby if you catch it during pregnancy. Why on earth wouldn't you want to reduce the chances of that?

Also, you are always going to catch more colds and mild bugs in pregnancy because it suppresses your immune system, so whether you "normally" get colds doesn't really matter or mean anything.

A lot of people have colds this time of year and you might not fight it off as quickly since you are pregnant. I promise you it’s not from the flu jab.

I had the flu jab as I was pregnant, minimal side effects. OTOH my DH works in ITU and last year at one point there were 7 pregnant women with flu in ITU at once. It’s really dangerous when you’re pregnant which is why you’re better off vaccinated.

I’m sorry you’ve been feeling so rough.

Thanks for some clarification guys

The flu and colds are different and the flu jab does not and cannot cause you to get a cold.
However, your immune system is dampened in pregnancy, hence making you high risk and eligible for the flu jab. This lowered immune system does mean you might pick up colds and other bugs more easily.
Also, a bit of a runny nose can be a pregnancy symtom, look at pregnancy rhinitis.

The flu jab isn't just to protect you form getting a cold. It also helps to protect vulnerable people in the community - babies, elderly, people with compromised immune systems etc. It's also not a live vaccine so won't give you actual flu. That being said I always feel a little bit under the weather after having it. It could just be physiological. It's also winter - cold season.

Its quite common to get congestion as one of the many and lovely side effects of pregnancy

As others have said, flu jabs don't give you cold symptoms. But having a suppressed immune system through pregnancy will mean more nasties stick to you, and more easily than before. Which is exactly why they insist on the flu jab - you're more likely to catch it in pregnancy and, if you do, it can kill you and/or the baby or cause the baby permanent damage. Again because of the suppressed immune system. Also have a look at pregnancy rhinitis - it's one of the routine pregnancy symptoms, basically a persistent runny nose that isn't linked to colds. And as for feeling run down and achy, that's just the first trimester and whatever cold bug you have. Get well soon and don't be so down on the flu jab, it may well save both your lives!

I also would not normally have it, I consent to my children having it because I'd go with medical professionals opinion over my own reasoning and I only had it myself this time for the same reasons. I'm not an anti vac person either, I would always vaccinate against the serious and deadly illnesses (I'm aware it can be for the vulnerable and should they have the vaccination they will be protected so I don't see how it's selfish to decline at your own risk.) Anyway, I had it and the same as my son and loads of kids at his school got ill. I did have the flu the Dr thinks and on top of morning sickness it was horrendous, I was so poorly I didn't get out of bed for a week and even after that I've not completely shifted it 6 weeks on, they said they'd give me anti biotics last week but I feel like there's enough improvement to not have them. It might not be related to the jab (but huge coincidence) that's sort of my point too, it's one strand of the many different flu you get a vaccine for, I'm not trying to preach you shouldn't have it or its a danger, I had it because I trust medical professionals and its for my baby not me but I can understand your reservations OP, I've thought the same.x

I had the flu jab and I’m pregnant. Pretty sure they told me no live vaccines in it.

I’ve had three colds since December. V annoying but nothing to do with vaccine.

I noticed some comments that you are likely to get more colds when you are pregnant.

I found it was the other way round. I caught every cold going and spent half the year miserable until I got pregnant. While I was pregnant, it was bliss - no colds at all.

Afterwards, I started catching colds again but nowhere as frequently as pre-pregnancy.

Does this work differently for different people?

Does this work differently for different people?

Not really. You have to be mildly immunosuppressed, especially in early pregnancy, or your body would reject the foetus. It was probably either coincidental that you didn't get sick during your pregnancy, or perhaps you had a deficiency of some sort pre-pregnancy that got fixed when you started to take pregnancy vits. Hard to say for sure!

I’m early pregnant and congested/wheezy-it is very common and nothing to do with the flu jab.
Your immune system is currently buggered that’s all.

All the kids got it at out local school this year. Both my ds's didnt feel great for a couple of days after. Ds2 had a very high temp the night after.

One of my colleagues insisted I'd get a cold after having my flu vaccine because she had in her pregnancies she had a cold at the time and I feel she just didn't want to be blamed (not that I would) for giving it to me.

I believe I did catch her cold but it seemed much milder than I would usually get one, as was a cold DH gave me before Christmas, so like @woollyheart I feel pregnancy has made me get ill less than before. I really hope this is the case as last winter I had the flu twice, and a stomach bug.

Feeling a bit achy and having a temperature in the few days following the flu vaccination is common and in no way means that the vaccine has given you the flu. It is your body's immune system responding to the vaccine and learning to make the appropriate antibodies. It might be slight uncomfortable for a day or so but that's it.

It is scientifically impossible for the vaccine to give you flu. It is not a live vaccine. It's true that the vaccine only covers some strains of the flu so if you are exposed to a different strain you might still catch it. It's not a guarantee that you won't get flu but it does reduce the risk.

The vaccine also take a few weeks to become fully effective so if you are exposed during the week or so after vaccination you won't be protected, again, it's not a guarantee.

I appreciate that the flu vaccine offers less protection than some other vaccinations (because it cannot cover every strain of flu) but flu is so hideous and dangerous in pregnancy that I really think doing anything you can to minimise the risk of catching it is worth it.