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

Very useful thread - thanks all for the info.

For anyone interested in the pneumonia jab: DH and I not yet old enough to qualify for free NHS one, but went to Boots and paid (£70 ( and yes you get boots advantage points for it) for the private one you can have earlier. No side effects that either of us detected. It is complementary to the NHS jab, protects against a different set of bugs, and we will still go for the free NHS one when we are 65. The pharmacist said the training they have received is that in fact it gives protection for life even though the leaflet says it lasts 20 years. Sounds good to me. The plan is to stay healthy!

Our Dr operates a conveyor belt system for flu vacs.in one door - jab- h. behind- jab-assistant writing something down,out another door followed closely by NEXT.

There is a story going around that some people are getting a placebo vac. my arm has always been sore after and I've felt a bit off colour for 2-3 days after, nothing like that for me this year but h. had those symptoms as usual, seems a few people are saying the same as this.

It's not that old people don't need that 4th vaccine, but the adjuvanted one isn't yet made in the quad version and on balance they decided it's better we're properly immunised against three of them than not properly immunised against any of the four

Had mine on Wednesday after getting a text from GP. Sent home from work after lunch and ar home today. I feel vile. Raging temperature, diarrhoea swollen and sore arm. No idea which one I had but I’m under 60.

I don't know whether mine was 3 in 1 or 4 in 1 (I am 73 and in England) but I had the most awful reaction, for the first time ever. Had it on Saturday and was streaming with cold by the end of the day (first cold for nearly two years). I have been really poorly but had to go ahead with uncancellable engagements. Husband has now caught it from me. I can only assume it's a very strong vaccine this year.

Here is some good info about this years flu vaccine.

www.gov.uk/government/news/new-flu-vaccine-available-this-winter-for-those-aged-65-and-over

My local Tesco* jabbed me with the trivalent version of Fluad a few days ago.

Several of us were queueing and of different ages so we had to fill out different forms. I gave the same information three times on three different forms!

Followed by a day with an aching arm and then a day of diarrhea.

It’s seems a lot more active this year than in previous years.

* my GP said I’d have to wait until November.

October last I received my annual flu injection I was in formed I was already protected against the dreaded chest infection. Four weeks later although never having been further than my local supermarket I went down with a chest infection that saw me receiving' home care' and intravenous antibiotics. Hospitals I was told, by the team who looked after me, were inundated with patients like myself.It took me until well into the new year to feel myself again. Should I still have this years flu injection? or keep away from all human contact until spring.

The whole flu ordering process seems to have been a nightmare for GP practices, it is usually difficult, but not this bad. As others have said, the Trivalent protects against three flu viruses, and the Quadrivalent against four. The Trivalent has had an immune booster added. Your immune system starts to go downhill as you get older, so this was designed to give better protection to over 65s. Why they didn't just add the adjuvenant (immune booster) to the quadrivalent I don't know, but I'll guess it was something to do with cost! You can read about them here. www.doctorcall.co.uk/news/post/what-is-quadrivalent-flu-vaccine Personally I have gone for the quadivalent, happy to pay the £9 to Tesco for the extra protection instead of the over 65's freebie!

Our surgery and local pharmacy have run out of flu vaccine and won't have any until November!!! Didn't know there were different kinds and have no idea what I was given!
I was given mine when I went for a blood test, but DH who has CLL now has to wait!
I spent several days in bed after mine with temperature and feeling absolutely grotty and still don't feel 100% and have a cough a fortnight later.Probably coincidence.

I'm not and never will have the flu vaccine. IMO it's unnecessary. I've never had flu and very rarely had a cold, certainly not one which kept me off work.

travelsafar flu knocks you off your feet, you will be ill in bed for at least week and feeling dead rough for another 2 or 3. A bad cold can make you feel rotten for a couple of days, but if you're able to function a bit it's not flu.

I rang my GPs office a couple of weeks ago to enquire about the flu jab. They are not even starting to give them until the beginning of November! They did say if I wanted it sooner I could use the local pharmacy. I was going to wait but have decided to have it done by the pharmacy on Monday. I do wonder why the GP practice are leaving it so late - saving money perhaps?

I had the flu last year-was SO I’ll for about 10 days. There was no mistaking it for a heavy cold. Fainted twice, on one occasion landed face down and broke roots of front tooth! What a performance. And even worse missed birth of latest DGS. Thought he would be walking by the time I was able to meet him! So, having been offered flu jab by GP, will have it although not at the mo as I have a cold!

I am completely flummoxed now, about the different types. I was given the quad type as I'm under 65 and my Dh had the triple as he's over 65.

A friend in London has been given the opposite - she's under 65 and got given the triple while the over 65's get the quad version!

Are people making this up as they go along?

I normally have a notification from my GP to come for the flu vaccination. So far this year I have not. There is so much movement of GPs lately that I am not surprised. A couple of years ago the nurse decided using her own discretion to give me the Pneumonia and Shingles injections based on my medical history.

My two DGDs are having the nasal spray soon. They are Y2 and Y5.

3 in 1 has type A x 2 and type B x 1, 4 in 1 has type A x 2 and type B x 2.
Adults normally catch type A and children type B. So adults usually get the 3 in 1. Children get the live vaccine which is more effective.
Last year one of the type B flu viruses mutated fast and hit many adults so a lot of people were off work and some very ill. This is why there is now a 4 in 1.
There is not enough money to give it to everyone so that is why not everyone is getting it. This is straight from the vaccination team's training - slightly simplified but what we were told.

I had my flu jab last week at my local pharmacy, they did say the over 65s one had an extra component this year, our Drs have a flu clinic on a saturdayb morning, but chemist much closer to me,so easier as i dont drive and long walk to Drs
Was told out Drs had run out of the vaccine
It wasnt explained what was extra though
No ill effects at all

I've got a sore arm today. However, it's on the opposite side to the arm that got jagged so I think it's probably not connected.

I had got my flu jab booked with Boots for next Monday. They have rung me today to cancel it as they have run out of vaccine. Told me to get in touch to rearrange it for late October. It all seems a bit odd because apparently it takes 2/3 weeks to take effect and we getting to that time of year where we need to be protected. Anyone else had similar problems with vaccine running out.

The 3 in 1 for older people gives a better immune response. Last year’s flu jab was only 30%effective.
Children are given the vaccine only to prevent them passing flu on to old people, who are at most risk of complications.
The majority of health care workers refuse it.
That’s a few facts to help make up your minds.

I was having mine tomorrow but the practice nurse has rung and cancelled as they have not had the vaccine delivered. Nurse will try and do it next week.

Having had flu last winter, I'd say that if you have to ask the question is it a cold or flu, it's a cold! It floored me completely, I was in bed for the better part of a week.

My Dh has had the Fluad vac while I had the Quadrivalent version, this afternoon. No side effects so far...

The manager of Boots said it's in short supply and they only got their first delivery this morning.

Had mine today. It was the 3in1. Practice nurse said the 4in1 is being kept for more vulnerable over 75's as it's in short supply but next year should be available for all who need it. That's in Tayside Scotland.

^How can you tell the difference between flu and a heavy cold??^

It used to be said that if you could get out of bed/off the sofa to pick up a £10 note from the floor, then it wasn't 'flu.
Having had it twice over the years, I would say that remains a decent rule of thumb ?