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Flu Jab query .

(58 Posts)
Birdwatcher4 Wed 23-Sep-20 11:17:33

What month is the best time to have the jab I have been told the later you have it Oct/Nov is the best time any GN have an opinion .

Liz46 Wed 23-Sep-20 15:02:30

We had ours done at the civic centre, organized by our GP. In one door and out another. There were just two staff - one greeter and a nurse. The nurse was excellent and it hardly hurt.

My husband told her that he had suggested we go to the pub for some lunch but I wouldn’t go (extremely vulnerable) so she offered to go with him!

Birdwatcher4 Wed 23-Sep-20 15:14:01

Thank all for your opinions and advice .Greeneyedgirl I think what you said about having it later was what the person who told me to have it later was trying to explain to me . I have booked with my pharmacy to have I late October

welbeck Wed 23-Sep-20 15:28:21

Dr Bharat Pankhania said on his twitter on 20 Sept;
Surge in #COVID19 is a not second wave, but continuation of first.

Wherever we circulate with other human beings, infections go up. This also informs us about personal & strategic prevention measures to take.

Get your seasonal influenza vaccine, ASAP

BlueBelle Wed 23-Sep-20 15:30:17

Oh dear kate you can’t die from it
It can’t make you ill as it’s not a live vaccine
I m booked for Oct 3 just pop in Boots while I m out shopping all good
I believe it is only 65 or those with certain conditions who get the free NHS jab charlie Always has been

MayBee70 Wed 23-Sep-20 15:35:18

MissChateline

I’ve had my flu vaccination every year for many years. We were offered them through work before I retired. I’ve not had anything resembling flu or even more than a mild cold for at least 25 years. I tried to get a pneumonia vaccination at the same time but I wasn’t aware that the pharmacy charge was £70. Not being prone to chest infections I doubt that I would qualify for a doctors referral. Probably best saved for someone who really needs rather than me being ultra precautious.

I had my flu jab at Boots and had arranged to have a pneumonia jab at the same time, not realising it would cost me £70 so I cancelled that. She did say it covered more than the free NHS flu jab so I’m going to ask my doctor about it. I’m prepared to pay if it’s a better vaccine.

Kate1949 Wed 23-Sep-20 15:36:09

I know I'm being daft BlueBelle . My husband's name for me is Nervous Nerys.

welbeck Wed 23-Sep-20 15:41:49

i had mine yesterday, and i have heard experts whom i respect saying we should all get the flu jab this year, everyone, and to do so as soon as possible.
i also read that if one was to get flu and covid at the same time the risk of death is increased greatly.

NonnaW Wed 23-Sep-20 16:01:48

Husband & I had ours yesterday, also both offered the pneumonia jab as well which we both had.
V3ra love the ‘while you wait’ for the vaccination- how else would they expect you to have it? smile

Charleygirl5 Wed 23-Sep-20 16:07:39

BlueBelle sorry but my pharmacy is only injecting 65 +- nothing to do with freebies.

V3ra Wed 23-Sep-20 16:34:37

NonnaW haha yes indeed! It was more that people had come in to ask if they could book an appointment, and were then told they could have it there and then if they could wait for a few minutes. One chap went back to the car to bring his wife in as well. The pharmacy were being very proactive.
I'd gone to pick a prescription up for a friend and they said I could have the vaccination, but I'm under 65 so I have to go back next month.

PECS Wed 23-Sep-20 17:20:09

We had an appointment, for mass flu jab day, from our GP practice for October but as I had to go for a blood test the nurse asked if I wanted the flu vaccine as I was there. That was last Friday. smile

tidyskatemum Wed 23-Sep-20 17:35:04

Our GP's website states that they won't be offering flu jabs to the under 65's until October or November as they are trying to get as many older patients as possible vaccinated first. I called this lunchtime to make appointments for myself and DH and by 3pm we'd both been done!

Bellanonna Wed 23-Sep-20 19:38:47

We will be having ours tomorrow too, Charleygirl.

Marydoll Wed 23-Sep-20 20:34:00

I received a letter today to have my flu jab on 30th September at the local football stadium.

I phoned my GP for advice, as I have been shielding and wondered why I was going there.

He told me it is a national initiative to target people 65 and over and the football stadium will be safer than the surgery, as there will be strict measures in place, with lots of room to space out.

Grandma2213 Thu 24-Sep-20 03:35:44

I picked up my repeat prescription from my pharmacist and got the flu vaccination at the same time. I usually have it from the GP but haven't been there for 19 months (badly sprained ankle). In the meantime they have moved and I'm not sure where. I don't even know the name of my GP as they change so regularly! Now the pharmacy is about to close and staff sent to other branches. Such a shame as she is a lovely lady and seems to know all her regular customers by name. Are they trying to make it even harder to get medical treatment I wonder? hmm

Juliet27 Thu 24-Sep-20 06:04:57

^ Also, I have booked my cat Tara in early Friday am for her annual injections. She will be thrilled.^
Thanks Charleygirl5 that's reminded me that the dog needs his annual injections and his anal glands checked. The vet will be thrilled!

FannyCornforth Thu 24-Sep-20 06:12:20

Re cat vaccinations.
Rosie is having hers next Friday.
It was due about a month ago, but the vet is working through a backlog due to lockdown.
But they said not to worry because the previous year's vaccinations work for at least 15 months.

Willow500 Thu 24-Sep-20 06:33:58

We should have been having ours at the pharmacy today but they rang yesterday and said they'd run out of stocks - the next lot will not be available until 12th Oct. It seems there has been such a rush for vaccines stocks are low all over. They'd been told not to stockpile but only heard yesterday they couldn't have their next allocation - they've already done 12,000!

I feel quite anxious about it as I feel we might now be in danger of not getting it and both of us are over 65 with health problems. More annoying is the fact that our GP surgery rang last week to book us in and I told them we were already booked at the chemist (where we've never had them done before). I will try to ring this morning but fear they will be booked up as well now! So much for all those over 50 getting vaccinated!! hmm

FannyCornforth Thu 24-Sep-20 06:42:54

I should mention that if you live with someone on the shielding list you are entering to a free vaccination.
I remember the government saying this months ago, but I doubted that anything would come of it.
But lo and behold there was a box to tick to those ends.
The pharmacist hadn't noticed it before and seemed a bit confused.
As I was in a characteristic fluster, I just paid because I just wanted to get out quick!
It was 13 quid at Boots which is a bit steep, only 7 quid at Asda last year.

FannyCornforth Thu 24-Sep-20 06:43:27

Entitled, not entering.

Calendargirl Thu 24-Sep-20 06:47:21

Kate1949

We'll I've booked my first one ever for 9th Oct at the pharmacy. I'm very nervous as a relative swears it killed his mother some years ago. She died the day after having it.

She would probably have died anyway.
Coincidence.

Marydoll Thu 24-Sep-20 07:36:46

I've been getting flu have for years, due to my underlying health conditions, never killed me yet! ?

I take everything which is offered to keep me alive.
I don't always feel great after them, but, every little helps.

ExD Sat 26-Sep-20 12:41:28

I always have a reaction to any inoculation, and have often wondered why.
When I take my cat or dog to the vet's for a jab, the animal is weighed and the appropriate amount of medication carefully worked out to suit the size of the animal.
However, when both my husband and myself present for a flu jab we receive the same amount in the syringe.
He is 6ft tall and overweight at over 20 stone, I am 4'10" and weigh 7 stone.
I sometimes wonder why we both get the same treatment ..... and he never reacts to the injection but I always do ...... ?

EllanVannin Sat 26-Sep-20 12:53:21

Mine was on Thursday morning. Somewhat botched as my arm bled, but all was well after a good nights sleep and no soreness. It'll part-protect from the worst ( hopefully ) I wish D would get one as her job is confrontational to all and sundry and with having the children too, one of which goes to a school where a child had tested positive for the infection though only that part of the school is out of bounds so far.

Ladyleftfieldlover Sat 26-Sep-20 12:59:36

My local Health Centre has advised people over 65 to await a text, letter or phone call with an appointment. Apparently we will have to queue outside in masks, wear a short sleeved top as there will be nowhere to change and have a coat in case it’s freezing!