Flu Jab or Covid booster ..Which First

I will wait for the GP surgery to contact me, they look after me pretty well.

Whichever you are first offered and both together is fine.

Hi. You can have them together , just different arms. This was confirmed by prof van tam on bbc yesterday

Edith81- why is it strange? Even if no ones died from flu this year (yet) it doesn't mean they aren't still catching it or that they won't later in the winter- nor does it mean they shouldnt still be giving the vaccine for it.?

I've booked several family members in at our local chemist for their annual flu jabs. Myself and my DH were already booked in with our GP at the end of September to have ours, but appointments were then cancelled, due to them not receiving the vaccines in time.

The chemist however, is going ahead. Which begs the question, how come chemists are able to secure delivery of the vaccines, when surgeries who are vaccinating more susceptible patients can't get delivery in time to roll them out?

We had a text from the doctors telling us to drop into the chemist if we wanted a flu jab.

My husband (77) and I (74 and CEV) had letters from our GP practice about 10 days ago inviting us to have both our Covid booster and Flu vaccinations this coming Saturday afternoon. They expect the Covid jab will be Pfizer. (I had AZ last time but DH had Pfizer.) I had my second dose on 9 April, which was less than 6 months ago.
Because I am still having chemo, plus having to inject myself with Filgrastim every 2 weeks to boost my low neutrophils, I telephoned my Haematology Pharmacist for advice. The Pharmacist said it was ok to go ahead with my Filgrastim injection today because it should boost my white blood cells. She thought the Pfizer was a good choice but agreed with me that it was better to have the two vaccinations on different days. I am therefore going to have the booster on Saturday and will have the flu jab at a later date. She also told me to contact my CNS by email and tell her what had been arranged. She emailed me this morning and said that in her opinion it was ok to have both vaccinations on the same day! Frankly, I take more notice of the Haematology Pharmacists than the MacMillan nurse! They arranged for me to have my second jab at the hospital so that I had it about 10 days before my chemo cycle as the appointment offered me by my surgery was 2 days after my chemo. The surgery couldn't offer me an earlier appointment and they were the ones who suggested I contact my Haematology dept.

I missed BBC thing (its been so long, i forgot!) I must download & watch it today...Shame how they wasted so much money on that new tarted up room to appear on tv, then quickly dropped the daily broadcasts?... what a waste of taxpayers cash, that could have been better used elsewhere.?

flu jab friday so that's first for me.

I read a while ago that it’s better to have the flu vaccine around December rather than too early and the Covid one at least six months after your second one. For me that would mean getting them about a month apart in Nov and Dec.

I'd never had a flu jab, never was offered at 54 until the end of last April. They had a few left for my age group so text people to go if they wanted. I declined as it was nearly time for my Covid jab and to me it as more important and didn't know about getting the two so close together. Now I've heard we are getting both on same day, in each arm as it's ok.
Another one to think about, a couple I know who are both 70, got a call y'day from GP to go for shingles jabs, all over 50s getting offered it. You need 2 jabs, one jab and 2nd one 6 months later. If GPs say they under pressure now, we will never get to see one when all these vaccinations begin.

TeacherAnne and HannahLoisLuke:
Was going to make the same point about having the flu vaccine a bit later on in the season, otherwise protection wanes by February/March. As my DH and I would be due our Covid boosters in November, will have no qualms about having both the same day if still being offered in that way; by then, if it is causing problems to have them at the same time, it will have come out in the wash! The only thing is, they tend to run out of flu vaccine part way through the season, always assuming they have picked the correct strain of flu this year in the first place, they don't always predict it correctly

What if you can only have injections in one arm as advised to avoid other follow lymph node removal?

I'll book my 'flu injection for the date six months after my second Covid jab, so I can have them at the same time.

The flu jab is now being pushed by the government because as there was no flu last year, there has been a big drop in immunity to flu. This is coupled with the fact that because there was no flu there is also no new flu vaccine for this winter - and this is likely to produce a flu pandemic. The vaccine which is being given out now is the vaccine from winter 2019 and it is only supposition as to how effective it will be against a new strain of flu. However, because it is available in good supply the government has pushed GPs and pharmacies to get on with it in advance of the covid booster roll-out. Personally I can think of nothing more stupid that giving the two jabs in different arms at the same time. The vast majority of people have a flu-like response to the covid jab (and the booster will be just a third shot of the two we've already had) and to add to that with the stiff arm and other symptoms one experiences for at least 4 hours after a flu jab is a recipe for much more debilitation. I should have had my flu jab today but when I was in the surgery last week my GP suggested I have it there and then to 'get it over with' and release this week's appointment for someone else. GPs are being heavily pressured to get the flu roll-out under way to 'protect the NHS' as it's not equipped to handle a flu epidemic as well as the continuing corona pandemic. My GP also confirmed that the government's statements about the covid booster roll-out were rhetoric right now as there are no actual wheels in motion for this.

Readog

Hi. You can have them together , just different arms. This was confirmed by prof van tam on bbc yesterday

Different arms but same body for them to circulate in!!

Had my flu jab already when picking up a prescription at the chemist - totally out of the blue. I think the Covid is supposed to be 6 months after the first and that will take me to 1st Oct.

I have an allergy to a particular vaccine (very rare) so would like a gap between injections. Had two AZ vaccinations as was advised not to have Pfizer. So it will be pneumonia jab, Covid jab and flu jab for me.

Sooze58

Had my flu jab already when picking up a prescription at the chemist - totally out of the blue. I think the Covid is supposed to be 6 months after the first and that will take me to 1st Oct.

Snooze58 you are wrong I'm afraid.

They have determined that the Covid booster should be no sooner than 6 months after the second vaccine to give best cover to the recipient.

Get both. I'm not due my booster til November but my flu jab is this Saturday. So unless you had a very bad reaction to the Covid-19 and they offer you the same one you should have both.

My doctors is doing flu jabs first, I had mine yesterday

Edith81 the reason there wasn't any deaths from flu was because we were keeping away from other people and crowded places where we all get exposed to flu. Less places to catch it means less people die.

You are so lucky in the UK I hope you appreciate the speed and efficiency which things are done having the flu jab already and soon the booster. Here in Sweden they haven’t even thought about the flu had yet and certainly not mentioned the boosters
.I hope when they see so many other countries advancing so well they may get on with things. Good luck everyone

I intend to take whichever is offered first, first.

I don't think we need to worry about having them in a certain order.

Just get them, so you feel a little safer.

My husband and I had our flu jabs yesterday at our local GPS. Interestingly, because he is 65 in a couple of weeks, they gave him the 65 and over flu vacc, which apparently has some other elements in it (more strains I guess) and it differed from the one I got. But no more information than that.
My mum is 92 and so I hope she gets her booster in the first few rounds because she gads around all over the place (local supermarket, odd day out here and there) so feel she is potentially quite vulnerable.