Wise ones

I had my Flu Jab yesterday, Under 65 with Health Complications, my Surgery was well organised with two separate sessions going on. I first had Flu Jab 9 years ago & every year since.

Last time I had Flu was nearly 50 years ago but I do not want to repeat the experience especially as I am widowed & live on my own apart from Cat don't think he can nurse me . Only side effect I get is a sore arm for a few days.

Having read more about this year’s jabs I think maybe the difference between mine and DH’s notifications is the fact that he is now 75. Hence the two coloured slips sent so we’ll probably be directed into different rooms.

I used to get the flu jab when I was caring for my parents then they told me I wasn't eligible once they'd passed away and neither was my husband. Then a couple of years ago they started to send for us both to have it and even rang up a couple of times last year to make sure we booked in. I did have flu one year even after the injection and was laid out for a week so obviously that must have been a different strain. We both have some health issues now so it seems sensible to take whatever precautions we are offered but so far I've not seen anything about this year's time schedules.

One of my teachers' sons who was the same age as me, 18, died of viral pneumonia caused by 'flu. scared the pants off me. I accept every test/vaccination etc. offered. we depend on the herd immunity - those of us who can't have one for whatever reason depend on the rest of us being socially aware.
Go for it! - if only for the sake of your fellow citizens

I'm not (quite!) old enough for a free jab but I'm going to pay for one this winter. I had flu in January and was laid low for three weeks. Horrible!

In Scotland you have to be over 75 to get the 'enhanced' flu jab. From what I've read, the new version helps aging immune systems to have a better response to the vaccine.

My DH and I are both over 65 but have been allocated different dates for jabs. He has been given a second date if he can’t attend the first but I can only attend one date (which is the same as his second)
Very odd.
Not to mention the fact that we’re not usually out of bed at that time on a Saturday! ??????

I have never had flu, my parents never had it, neither have my sisters. I understand that up to 45% of the population are effectively
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11676296/Four-in-10-Brits-immune-to-flu-symptoms-raising-hopes-of-new-vaccine.html. I therefore do not have the flu jab. I have what I admit is an entirely superstitious fear of it. I have happily had both the shingles and pneumonia jabs.

Evianers I was like you for years and was quite stubborn about it, then a lady I knew younger than me died very suddenly from it and two other friends were in intensive care with pneumonia and I changed my mind and thought it was worth giving it a go so for the last four or five years
I ve had one and I must admit I ve not caught anything more than a very slight cold since
So will continue

Do you find that flu jabs help? I haven't been offered them yet and as I haven't had flu for about twenty years I honestly don't know whether the jabs are worth considering.

www.sciencenews.org/article/universal-flu-shot-may-be-nearing-reality

Long but does explain.

Yes, I agree with Harris27, please have your flu jab. I have asthma and always have the jab. One year my husband caught proper flu and was flat out in bed. I looked after him but didn't catch it. I don't know what would have happened if we both had it at the same time. I had to keep waking him up to drink water.

I have quite bad asthma especially in the winter months please have your flu jab it could stop you getting pneumonia if you get a bad dose of flu. Watched my mother in law die if this in Feb not nice.

Neither of us have ever had 'flu injections, but having been laid low with a genuine dose of same this March, we are thinking of having it. We are advised here in France by letter that the option is there if we wish to take it up, but interesting to read that there are difference categories this year. Wonder if the same applies here?

I read that this year’s flu vaccine provides no protection against Japanese flu. I will have mine anyway.

I wonder about that as well Scribbles. It seems the fourth strain is Japanese flu which is expected to be quite prevalent this winter. I suppose all we can hope is that the uptake is high amongst the under 65s which will then offer some protection to us older ones.

I wonder how many over 65s will "absorb" the triple vaccine only to be laid low by the fourth virus that they aren't protected against?

This is interesting, and it explains why DH and I have been told to go into different "groups" at the surgery. (I thought it was just their organisation for some reason - maybe to do with statistics!) Thanks for raising and for clarifying this issue.

It seems that for this years flu vaccination they have added something to the vaccine for over65s that will stimulate the immune system to better absorb it and therefore it will give more protection- that’s the theory at least. It’s called an adjuvant I think. It will be offered by all GPS but don’t know about pharmacy’s so best to ask. Booked our jabs for 1st Oct and noticed on the surgery website they are doing sperate clinics for different age groups this year. Over 65s get the triple adjuvant vaccine and under 65s a quadrivalent one. Hope this helps.

Thanks Teetime it’s just no one else had mentioned it on another thread about flu jabs and I was wondering what it was all about

The D o H will have issued guidance and pharmacies have to follow this as well as GPs.