Flu jab yes or no?

[Charlie14]

I've never had a flu jab...I had my son 7 years ago and don't think I had one then either...I'm now 12 weeks pregnant and my dr have messaged about getting my 4th covid booster and flu jab. The covid booster I'm defo not having I've already had 3 jabs and had covid. But the flu jab I'm not to sure.. any advice would be great. Thanks

I've never had flu and the only time I ever had a flu vaccine was when I was pregnant. I work with kids as well so I stand a fair chance of catching it every year but still haven't. It's just not worth the risk to little one imo

I have the flu jab every year as I'm asthmatic, including during both pregnancies. Your immune system is suppressed when pregnant which can make flu very serious, it's not a new untested vaccine and is very safe for the baby. Getting flu would pose more of a risk to the baby than the jab.

I have the flu vaccine every year. Flu is not a mild illness just have the vaccine

I get the flu jab every year anyway; had it last year around 16 weeks pregnant.
Never had any issues would do again.

Yes. I would also have covid vaccine because the effect wears off, your vaccines that you’ve had don’t cover omicron and your immune system is compromised during pregnancy. I saw what happened to my pre vaccination neighbour and her baby who caught covid when she was pregnant.

I would have the flu jab have never had a reaction.

Are they administered it simultaneously with covid jab

Safe when pregnant, had it with my first.

Flu is hideous, and there's a reason they don't only offer it for free to pregnant women, but actively encourage it. It is safe, much safer and better for you than getting flu. I have paid for the flu jab every year since getting flu, I'd much rather have the jab than go through that again!

Several medical professional friends I have spoken to have told me about pregnant women massively suffering in hospital with Covid over the course of the pandemic. Don't risk it, get the jab. Many, many times safer than getting covid.

Yes otherwise it wouldn't be recommended!

What are you hoping to get from this?

I had the flu jab with my younger daughter. Had 3 Covid jabs and had Covid earlier this year, it was horrible! I would love another but a bit too young. I’m definitely getting a flu jab again this year after having one last year. Yes I worried about the flu jab when pregnant because that’s natural when pregnant but there comes a point where you have to trust in medicine. Have both to protect you and your baby.

Have all the jabs you are offered! They are done for a reason! Although as it’s out of flu season at the moment there’s probably no urgency to get it done for a few weeks.

Had no side effects with my flu jab.

Some advice..like I said

I had my third covid jab less then 6 months ago..I'm not having a 4th right now.

I had it during pregnancy, the only time I've ever had it. Five minutes later I could have forgotten I'd had it, I had absolutely zero after effects. I would definitely get it, flu can be very nasty.

This is MN but for what it's worth I've never had a flu jab neither my child. I had flu so many times as a young child and it provides immunity for all strains when you get infected with one strain. had it twice as an adult, you know when you have flu if you've had it properly.

No flu for years. Child never had it. Honestly though follow the NHS and do what they say, they know best.

And if you don't believe that don't come here and talk about it, they don't like it.

I'm a teacher, I somehow in a school of over 2000 staff and students managed to never get covid until my partner got it around Easter this year. Despite having 2 covid vaccines and the booster I still felt awful with it so personally I'd get another booster if I was you. I thought I was never going to catch it as I had gone so long without doing so in a job where I was exposed to positive cases every day, but then it got me.

I wasn't bothered for the flu vaccine and only had it once I was pregnant because it was recommended. However I'm glad I did, in 29 years I'd never once caught flu but somehow that winter all my family got flu (long before covid pandemic.) At first we thought it was a cold but they all ended up really unwell with it and I was fine. I was the only one who had had the flu vaccine and I'm so glad I did.

My personal experience of pregnancy was I was susceptible to so many more illnesses, even a simple cut on my finger would take twice as long to heal when I was pregnant.

You post makes no sense.

"I had flu so many times as a young child and it provides immunity for all strains when you get infected with one strain. had it twice as an adult, you know when you have flu if you've had it properly."

If one strain provided immunity for all strains then you would of had it once and never again. Not many times as a young child and twice as an adult. The viruses that cause flu constantly evolve so one time catching it doesn't make you immune, which is why a new vaccine is needed each year.

Flu can be dangerous for you and your baby so yes I would get it (and did so whilst I was pregnant)

Some advice..like I said

I advise following NHS recommendations and if you have any specific concerns about your own medical history, speak to a GP.

I got the flu jab at my booking appointment in March. I got my covid booster before I knew I was pregnant in early February. I caught covid at 26 weeks and I felt really awful for 4-5 days, probably after three protection from my booster wore off/ a different strain.

Personally I would get any jabs I was offered.

What risk would that be?

immunity is a multifaceted process that includes antibodies as one component of the overall response; natural exposure to pathogens engages all layers of the immune system. It provides cross-protection. Immunity doesn't mean you can't get something, it means you are protected and that your body can fight the disease off without real harm.

You can do that with flu if you're healthy, and I have, many times, therefore a vaccine would not improve my chances of that significantly enough to risk any possible adverse events.

I’ve had flu. It nearly killed me. I don’t want to go through that again. I have annual vaccinations, including during pregnancy.

If it nearly killed me as a fit and healthy 22 year old, imagine what it could do to a newborn!

I had the whooping cough vaccine but I didn’t bother with the flu one, mostly because I’ve never had flu and anecdotally I do know so many people who got run down and unwell after the flu jab! I’d probably do the same again.

Had the flu jab most winters since I was in early 20s due to healthcare work, never had any effects beyond the sore arm for a day, will def be having it (plus Covid booster plus whooping cough) this autumn as now pregnant.
Most ‘flu’ people talk about is a cold, not genuine flu, influenza is not something I want to catch with a pregnancy suppressed immune system and definitely would like antibodies to pass onto my baby before their born. The flu jab is updated each year to reflect the common variants of the virus that are currently circulating, so even if you’d had flu in previous years the jab would still be worth getting.