Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

Original poster

Who's getting the swine flu jab?

39 replies

daisy5678 · 29/12/2010 00:23

I don't know what to do. I know carers can get it, but am worried about side-effects, and even more worried about getting it for my sonm because I hate him having any kind of vaccinations. He had the early jabs and then the initial single measles, mumps and rubella jabs but have steered clear of the boosters.

Anyway, what are people thinking of wrt this?

OP posts:
goingroundthebend4 · 30/12/2010 06:41

ds3 has not been offered it
.Dd was and had to point out that erm yes she is very high risk but how the feck would it work since part of her illness is that she cant make antibodies so no immunsations work .Despite as a baby having all the baby ones and mmr which was when they discovered there opps .Im living in dread of school starting as so far we have been able to dodge the flu season

And when i asked about me having it was told no not even as ds3 carer

sneezecakesmum · 30/12/2010 19:39

Goinground - that is total crap that the GP wont vaccinate you. It seems common sense that if DD cant make her own immunity then those around her should be protected. A couple of months ago Asda and others were offering the flu jab for £8 but theyve stopped now, dont know if its still available at LLoyds ??

DJAngel · 30/12/2010 22:24

Really tricky one this. I've always been wary of vaccs of any kind and although dd offered vac last year we declined.

But - currently dd is so ill with flu, not sure if swine flu or seasonal flu but now thinking again about whether we should have had it, and that will definitely consider next year.. Been at the hospital all day with her today and was a bit gutted they sent her home coz I'm very worried about her and certainly don't want to go through this again. She woke up with really high fever with 60 breaths a minute and blue lips this morning.. so scary. Had been at GP day before but really deteriorated overnight.

She has epilepsy too though and I'm terrified also of losing the control we've got.. However the fevers dd has been having have been so high I've been waiting for a seizure but touching wood so far ok on that front at least..

For us it's one of those whatever you do doesn't feel right situations.. Pretty shit..

Sidge · 30/12/2010 22:27

DD1 has asthma and has an annual flu jab and had the swine flu jab last year.

DD2 has SN and is medically vulnerable so also has annual flu jabs, had the SF jab last year.

DH and I also have the annual flu jab and I had the SF one last year (primary care NHS worker).

None of us have been unwell afterwards, apart from a slightly sore arm and I had a bit of a temperature for 24 hours after the SF one last year.

DD2 has always been fine after her flu jabs; she's so vulnerable to respiratory problems (was nearly killed off by pneumonia 3 years ago) so for me the risks of flu for her are greater than the risks of a flu jab.

chocolatespread · 30/12/2010 23:04

A friend is just recovering from swine flu and she has been taken aback by the severity of it. Her temperature was so high that sh struggles even to talk, and her chest heaved with pain. She is otherwise usually fit and well. She said she couldn't imagine a medically vulnerable child coping with it.

DS2 has a natural tendency to fevers - it's his default setting when he's ill, and has just had a cold which the other two sailed through, but which left him staring at the ceiling and not wanting to eat for days. I really don't think I want to gamble on him not getting swne flu - although I don't know where I'll get the jab, because according to the med receptionist "he's not actually disabled" Hmm and she refused to make the appointment.

Sidge · 30/12/2010 23:32

chocolatespread that is awful, it's not the receptionists job to decide who is entitled to the jab!

I do hope you've made an appointment with the GP or practice nurse. If she still won't make you an appt then speak to the practice manager. Her actions are disgraceful and she should be pulled up on it.

goingroundthebend4 · 31/12/2010 07:04

NI know i asked on the grounds any of us get the flu dd will get it and then were in serious trouble as she will end up in hopsital she will get secondry infections and yes she likely to end up in Picu if she survives it.Has allergys to severla anitbiotics as well as having empysema so dodgey chest anyway

But nope we was refused it

gibbergabber · 31/12/2010 09:26

dd has had it as the likelihood is that a dose of flu would be life threatening. ds2 (19) has had flu over Christmas and I've been quite worried both about him and about her getting it despite having the jab.

It's not an easy decision givemesleep.

meltedmarsbars · 31/12/2010 15:11

Is the guideline for carers that they get offered the jab if the child would have to go to hospital if the carer was ill?

Sidge · 31/12/2010 15:22

Those of us giving flu jabs give them under a PGD - a Patient Group Directive, which is a signed "prescription" for large groups of patients eligible for certain vaccines without a GP having to write a prescription for each person.

Our PGD for criteria for inclusion for flu jab says:

CARERS: those in receipt of Carer's Allowance, or those who are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill (At GPs discretion)

brandy77 · 31/12/2010 17:04

glitter is that right that its combined this year with the seasonal flu? i havent looked into at all too be honest, my son cant have the flu one because of the egg, he did have the swine flu one last year but this year is pratically needle phobic after continuing hospital admissions..spose i havent got to worry now if its got egg in. il be worried sick that he will get it when he goes back to school... hes been poorly over most of xmax

sneezecakesmum · 01/01/2011 12:30

The flu jab this year has H1N1 (swine flu) in it but is grown in eggs Sad

Not sure if they have any egg free vaccine.

ihavenewsockson · 01/01/2011 20:39

We're going to get it next year as we're just recovering from swine flu.

DS2 has asthma and was nearly hopsitalised. They only let me take him home because I have a nebuliser here and there's nothing more they could have done at hospital. He was on 4xnormal stregth antibiotics as it led to a chest infection. It was very scary. He's 22mths.

DS1 has ASD, he;s 3.1. He's had flu and the cough remained, but he couldn't tell me that he had earache too Sad Took him to GP as I knew something was wrong. Turns out he's got a really bad ear infection and he's on antibiotics too.

Last winter we had 9 weeks of illness from December to February.

Getting them both jabbed next september. I'm terrified of loosing them to SF.

Original poster
daisy5678 · 01/01/2011 22:32

Thank you all for your thoughts. It's not easy, is it? Sad Confused

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page