Can anyone shed light on this year’s flu vaccine?

If you are annoyed or stressed about the length of wait at your surgery for your flu jab or indeed anything, take comfort from this letter in today’s DT.
Things could clearly be even worse!

SIR – In my doctor’s waiting room there was a sign saying: “Please queue here for a flu jab for over 65 years

Love it!!!

Our surgery has two Saturday morning flu jab parties in the village hall. You get given a letter inviting you to come - purple for over 65, white for young 'uns. Everyone on the practice books who is either over 65 or vulnerable gets a letter, and you just roll up at the hall with your letter.

It is very quick indeed as they have several docs and nurses all standing ready with their syringes in hand!

And you can get tea and cake too - usually in aid of some charity.

It is quite a jolly social occasion!

I have flu jab every year and haven't had flu luckily in the years I have been having it. This year I had the new immunisation which is supposed to better activate immune system in older people. My arm started aching immediately afterwards, which I took to be a good sign (no redness or swelling) as I imagined my immune system girding loins to fight interloper! If immune system has loins . However this aching lasted for less time than aching after the old jab, - so who knows? OH never has any reaction so his immune system isn't girding it's loins I inform him. He knows I'm mad

I had the trivalent vaccine last Wednesday with no ill effects apart from a slightly swollen and red arm at the vaccination site. It’s still there a week later but not causing any real issues - presume it will gradually disappear.

I also had no ill effects from the under-65 version, but am now wondering if lack of reaction may equate to a low immune system?

My post was lighthearted ChaosInc. I don't think you can draw any conclusions as to whether immune system responds - it works in mysterious ways

I wouldn’t go to Tesco for it, Waitrose is sure to have a free-range, organic, Heston BloomingLovely vaccine in a salted caramel vial.

watermeadow "Overheard in Waitrose"

watermeadow

Perhaps they’ll be offering them in the middle aisle at Aldi!

??? I love the idea of all the supermarkets offereing vaccines to reflect their ethos!

Our surgery is begging people to go to them for flu vacc because they are losing revenue when eligible folk attend elsewhere, so it's a money making exercise for pharmacies and supermarkets, and surgeries apparently.

GPs are paid for doing free vaccines. Have been for years. Pharmacies also been doing them for years (not sure how long NHS). I rather liked having mine done in local pharmacy where I could have a 5 minute chat about other medication with nice Richard the pharmacist, instead of being told to sit outside for 10 minutes before going home.

My GP has usually texted or phoned by now to make an appointment. When I checked yesterday they said they were still waiting for the vaccine. They are usually pretty efficient so there must be a problem, as others on here have described.

I went for mine and they have run out until 31st. That day should be a bun fight with everyone wanting it then. They have have cancelled 3 other days because of the lack of vaccine!

I paid a tenner to have my vaccination, the one for under-65s, at Boots a couple of weeks ago. I had a sore arm for a couple of days, but no other issues. DH needs the one for the over-65s and apparently it won’t be available here until the second week in November.

Did anyone still get the flu even after a flu jab?

suefone they always say it is not possible to get flu from the vaccine as it is 'dead", however. they cant cover every version of the flu as it mutates so sometimes you can get flu - I think that is right.

It’s always possible to get flu even after vaccination. In older people their immune system doesn’t always respond to the vaccine. This year’s is supposed to have a better protection rate for over 75s. The flu virus mutates periodically and current vaccine may be ineffective as you have pointed out lulu. I’ve been lucky and never had flu after vaccination.

I had my flu jab at the GP surgery when I attended for something else. No reaction at all, so I'm not sure if this shows I'm extra tough or that it hasn't 'worked' this time. I did have flu about thirty years ago. It was devastating, as others have said. All I can say is, if you have to ask, it's not flu.

My nearest hospital here in Scotland is already admitting seriously ill flu patients, a month earlier than expected, which sounds worrying.

I’ve just had my flu jab this morning. I was fine for about an hour but now my upper arm is a bit painful and stiff and I can’t raise it far.

I had it in my left arm and I think I would have a problem driving as I don’t think I could change gear. I was given a flyer about all the possible side effects (quite a few) but not being able to drive wasn’t on the list.

Our NHS practice also had the mass immunising on several Saturday mornings. Meant there were a lot of sore arms in church on Sunday?
Even after a couple of weeks the injection site is still a tad sore, but no other reaction!

I had the flu jab last year and for the first time in my life got flu really badly a couple of months later, but I had been in Australia and sat in front of a seriously unwell passenger on the return leg to Singapore. It came as no surprise that I got it. Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. The nurse reliably informed me last week as she sunk a needle into my arm, that this year's vaccination is much stronger than last years

Some years (4?) ago, the flu virus mutated after that year's virus had been administered. So I got flu - not as severe as it used to be when I was younger, but identifiably flu. Fever, headache, nausea. I hope it won't ever happen again.