Flu.

Had flue vax but not Covid. I am more worried about my children and grandchildren getting it.

Nan2024

My grandson is 17 months old and in good health, so not eligible for the NHS flu jab. Can we, and should we, book him into a pharmacy so he can receive it?

Ask the pharmacy, get proper advice.

My grandson is 17 months old and in good health, so not eligible for the NHS flu jab. Can we, and should we, book him into a pharmacy so he can receive it?

Hi Tiley ,
Some people are really considerate, but some are unbelievably gung ho .
I witnessed the following and similar events actually happened twice (the first time due to an expired pass )
at the height of the epidemic - a guy was refused entrance to the bus .
He'd repeatedly tried to bring his e scooter onto the bus . The driver recognised him .
So he completely lost his temper and deliberately spat on the driver .
I thought that he was going to kill him . If he'd had a gun or a knife I dread to think of the consequences .
The doors were locked .
He tried to break them .
The Police were called .
He was a huge guy and well muscled .
He was screaming abuse and swearing at all of us .
And trying to spit .
We were terrified .
When the Police came he was arrested with some difficulty .
We all had to get off the bus .
It had to be disinfected .
I had lots of shopping and slowly made my way home .
My legs had turned to jelly and I was shaking .

With Asthma and being over 80 I had my flu and covid jabs back in the autumn.
Early in January I got, what I can describe as a very, very mild dose of 'flu. So all the usual symptons - sore throat, aching limbs, tiredness, coughing - BUT throughout I was able to get up and move around at home,, made my meals, did the washing etc. Nothing like full=blown 'flu when getting out of bed to crawl to the loo is a major problem.
Can only put the mildness down to the vaccine and I thank it very much.

Tiley could you offer him a tissue maybe?

🤔

Esmay

Hi Tiley
I read your post.
I'm increasingly annoyed that people who obviously have bugs don't wear face masks and cough all over you .
I watched a man who uses my bus regularly picking his nose and wiping the contents on the rails .
Yuk !

Oh how disgusting Esmay
.People are so selfish I've lost track of times people say its only a cold or cough, yes to them it might be but to others it can be serious.

Hi Tiley
I read your post.
I'm increasingly annoyed that people who obviously have bugs don't wear face masks and cough all over you .
I watched a man who uses my bus regularly picking his nose and wiping the contents on the rails .
Yuk !

You probably caught it off your friend. I hope you soon feel better. Have you read my post before your post

I seem to have caught another bug doing the rounds.
My head aches a great deal . I'm nauseated and my stomach is queasy ,achy and upset .
Occasionally I'm retching and vomiting .
My friend had it and I wonder if I caught it from her .
I've have all my jabs and wear masks and yet - I've got this .

Whitewavemark2

I know that it isnt always possible, but I think the elderly should always try to get vaccinated and avoid situations where flu etc can flourish, because I suspect that it is our demographic that is clogging the nhs.

My DH was hospitalised with sepsis before Christmas and one day I turned up to find him in isolation, because he had been exposed to flu (a patient in the ward). Luckily he was ok, but to get flu on top of sepsis would have been enough to carry him off I would think.

I completely agree with you. Us elderly need to take more responsibility for not catching flu etc. I am in my 70s and in the at risk category due to a rare cancer. I have had all the jabs offered and will continue to do so. There are at least 2 upper respiratory virus doing the rounds as well as flu and covid. Myself and husband have been shielding since just after Xmas. Shopping is all delivered. We do go out for a walk each day but go in quiet places. I am scared when I attend for necessary hospital appointments so wear 2 masks plus a liner of thick kichen towel and of course our hand gell. On getting home first thing is hand washing. I know so many people who are really ill with flu which they all reckon they contracted in the supermarket or out for a coffee at local cafes. I wish they would take more care of themselves and maybe think by doing a few changes to their life over the winter they could help out the NHS who are really struggling again. Rant ovet

I know that it isnt always possible, but I think the elderly should always try to get vaccinated and avoid situations where flu etc can flourish, because I suspect that it is our demographic that is clogging the nhs.

My DH was hospitalised with sepsis before Christmas and one day I turned up to find him in isolation, because he had been exposed to flu (a patient in the ward). Luckily he was ok, but to get flu on top of sepsis would have been enough to carry him off I would think.

You can still get the flu even after having the vaccine. I was very unwell for 2 weeks and finally had to see a Doctor who confirmed I indeed had the flu, explaining that the boffins can only calculate which strain is most likely to cause problems and therefore vaccinate accordingly. Seems they got it wrong as so many hospital cases of flu. Almost 3 weeks in and I am still fighting this horrid flu, which has wiped me out.

Just to add, the other day we visited the National Gallery for the (long sold out) Van Gogh exhibition. It was packed. I said afterwards to dh, that if either of us comes down with any nasty bug soon, we’ll have a fair idea of where we caught it.

watermeadow

No vaccines give 100% protection and no doubt most of those hospitalised with flu are old and frail.
Flu is horrible. One of my daughter’s entire family had it all through the Christmas holidays and it’s left my daughter exhausted.

I was only early 40s when I once had it over Christmas. It knocked my stuffing right out for at least 3 weeks, and even after I was miles better I still remember walking the dog with dd1, who said, ‘Mum, can’t you walk a bit faster?’

‘Sorry, darling, I honestly just can’t.’

(Any GN prudes please skip this bit, but after so much coughing the relevant muscles were so affected that for quite a while afterwards any cough or sneeze meant that I both farted and wet myself! (Only minor leaks, but still…)

I always have my flu and any other jabs on offer. I think we all need to take more responsibility to try and prevent ourselves catching flu etc. I have gone back to wearing a mask when I am out and about. Yesterday I had a hospital appointment so double masked. The nurse said how the hospital was full with flu, covid and upper respiratory virus' yet I didn't see one member of staff wearing a mask.

I am just recovering from a bug which I can only describe as an extremely mild form of 'flu. Same sort of sympton, aching legs, and arms, really nasty cough, extremely tired all of the time, and feeling run down and weepy. Thank goodness my vaccines are all totally up to date, as I am sure with out those I would have been bed ridden for the last fortnight.

With the vaccine, I was still able to function, just stayed indoors in the warm with plenty of drinks and paracetamol. I am in my mid-eighties and have asthma.

Last thing I want is to be hospitalised - pretty sure it would be the end of me.

Ive had flu, Covid and RSV vaccines this year. My son and most his family were ill for over a month with flu over Christmas. Talking to my son today he said that so many of his work colleagues both in this country and abroad have been very ill with flu, over Christmas. The one thing they all had in common was they didn’t have the flu vaccine, mainly because they were considered to be in the young, healthy age group. I’m amazed at the people my age who say they won’t bother with it saying “no it’s a waste of time” for people in their 70’s it’s a killer.

NotSpaghetti

I think they know the strains now Farzanah (see article above)

Thanks for that NotSpaghetti very informative, I hadn’t seen it.

The news team on radio Scotland complained this morning that they could not get flu inoculations, they are in Glasgow and all the pharmacies have run out.

I think they know the strains now Farzanah (see article above)

Many hospitals are now insisting on face masks as they are overwhelmed with patients with respiratory conditions.

Just found this:

www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-high-numbers-of-flu-hospitalisations/

January 3, 2025

Peak influenza activity typically occurs in December to January, as it has this season. But it can vary widely, sometimes not peaking until February or March. When by nature there is uncertainty, any changes to the timing of the flu vaccination programs can be more a matter of judgement than for other infections.

This winter flu season is made of predominantly influenza A H1N1 cases, with some due to H3N2 and influenza B. Overall activity started to rise slowly from low levels at the end of October to more apparent hospitalisation rates for flu by mid-November.

One key reason for the later start of vaccination for older people, based on JCVI advice, was to provide better protection closer to the main start of the flu season. The earlier start in September of the vaccination programme in adults in previous years reached 80% of the final uptake by mid-October. That meant some waning of immunity would have occurred before the flu season in those years.

This season, influenza vaccine coverage in people aged 65 and over was reported as 73% for the week ending 15 December, which is slightly lower than the previous year (76.7%).

Children are offered vaccinations earlier as they are the main source of transmission of influenza infections to others. Research suggests that protection in children from the flu vaccine does not wane over a few months, unlike in adults.

This article explains quite a lot I think so I've included the link. I'm interested in the children aspect too.
The article also talks about antivirals.

We do have access to effective antiviral treatment for influenza but to be effective these treatments must be given within 2 days of first symptom onset.

Yes Bluecoat apparently the circulating viruses are flu of different strains, RSV and covid. It’s mainly the over 65s and young children who are hospitalised. It seems too early to tell if the flu vaccine for this year was predictive of predominant strains.

It doesn’t make sense to me that hospitals and surgeries are not insisting on mask wearing, decent ones, not the flimsy blue ones either.

There seems to be several infections circulating at the moment. My husband is a fanatic about hygiene (to an insane degree, to be honest!) and we have our flu jabs every year, but he was hospitalised last week with RSV. He'll be 75 this year and thus eligible for an RSV vaccination, but it's probably not possible to protect against every virus that's floating about.