Gransnet forums

Health

Flu or Covid

(38 Posts)
Kiwiqueen123 Wed 22-Oct-25 08:50:13

Just wondering if anyone else has this. DH and I had both the flu and Covid injections in the same arm. Absolutely fine for a couple of days then three days after developed a horrid sore throat and chesty cold. Lasted three or four days and I was fine, then Sunday evening it returned as a muzzy head and a cough. Unable to sleep last night, very hot and coughing etc.

Could it be the result of having both together. Anybody feeling the same.

Milliedog Fri 24-Oct-25 17:52:41

The last 2 Covid vaccinations made my heart race so I can't have any more. Has anyone else had the same problem? I just had aching hips and a sore arm after the flu vaccination so I can tolerate that one.

Babs03 Fri 24-Oct-25 12:40:39

Nightsky2

My sister has been very very sick . She had the Covid/flu jab on the Friday. Went on holiday the following Monday and the next day began to feel very unwell with flu/Covid symptoms. She could barely breathe and spent a day and a half in hospital on oxygen. She has been prescribed antibiotics and penicillin and she is still coughing after two weeks. She sounds awful.

She is wondering if it was related to the vaccines she had.
Her partner developed it a few days later. They’re now back in the UK and both are still feeling dreadful. She says she has never had anything like it before.

That sounds dreadful but it is likely she caught a virus. The thing is there are many different viruses 🦠 out there at the moment and coincidentally people are also getting their jabs. I don’t think the two are connected.

Thisismyname1953 Fri 24-Oct-25 12:03:04

You could have just had a heavy cold and not connected to the vaccinations at all . Different virus .

Nightsky2 Thu 23-Oct-25 22:51:15

My sister has been very very sick . She had the Covid/flu jab on the Friday. Went on holiday the following Monday and the next day began to feel very unwell with flu/Covid symptoms. She could barely breathe and spent a day and a half in hospital on oxygen. She has been prescribed antibiotics and penicillin and she is still coughing after two weeks. She sounds awful.

She is wondering if it was related to the vaccines she had.
Her partner developed it a few days later. They’re now back in the UK and both are still feeling dreadful. She says she has never had anything like it before.

Janetashbolt Thu 23-Oct-25 22:18:50

I have them both in the same arm as I bruise badly and can't sleep if I have them seperatley. No ill effects

Cath9 Thu 23-Oct-25 19:50:02

J have heard negative attitudes having both Covid and flu together.
I am having the flu vaccination on Saturday.

butterandjam Thu 23-Oct-25 19:34:18

I don't normaly have any reaction to vaccinations. When I had the flu and covid vaccinations together, I felt rotten the next day, hot/cold/shivery , fit for nothing.

So last year I got them separately, a week apart, and all was fine. I'm doing the same again this year.

barbaraellen Thu 23-Oct-25 19:22:51

My hubby and I have had flu and COVID jabs today but not in the same arm. Both had sore arms afterwards . My consultant told me that I may need to repeat the jabs later due to anaemia from cancer/ Chemo.

Altissimma Thu 23-Oct-25 16:48:12

Interestingly, my GP surgery refused to give us the flu and covid jabs at the same time, saying that if you had a reaction, you needed to know which vac you were reacting to. As it happens the flu jab has never caused us any problems whereas we're always ill after the covid boosters.

FranP Thu 23-Oct-25 16:37:21

I had COVID vaccination on its own at the beginning. I was dizzy, sick and had breathing issue for 24hrs. Every booster has affects my breathing for an hour or so.

Now they have decided I cannot have the COVID, I have had no such issues with the flu.

However, it did not stopped me taking it because getting it would have been much worse without

sparkle1234 Thu 23-Oct-25 16:14:57

I hope you feel better soon , chances are you may have been coming down with one or other of the viruses just as you had the vaccinations. It does happen . Last year I had my flu vaccine late at the end of November and came down with the worst flu on Xmas day , felt ill for weeks and a cough from hell that would not shift . So much for that flu vaccination.
Here's some flowers , get well soon 😊

Grandmotherto8 Thu 23-Oct-25 15:32:27

I've had both injections at the same time and suffered from no arm soreness or flu like symptoms afterwards. I think I'm quite lucky in this, as right from the BCG decades ago I've never had any side effects to jabs and thankfully never had flu or covid (fingers firmly crossed).

PaynesGrey Thu 23-Oct-25 15:29:59

Barbados Belle. Do you remember the first one or two Covid vaccinations where were given an advice leaflet which explained how to deal with possible side effects? Taking paracetamol was one of them. I have the vaccine, and take paracetamol immediately afterwards. Ten vaccinations now and I have never had any side effects beyond a sore arm for a day or so.

PaynesGrey Thu 23-Oct-25 15:22:39

Essexgirl145

Paynesgrey......Well it was a nurse that told me that can get flu from the vaccine and I did and I gave it to the rest of the family. they were'nt well pleased I can tell you.

She was wrong and should know better. You cannot get the flu from the vaccine but you can have the vaccine and still catch flu from someone else. The vaccine just teaches your immune system to mount a better response so the illness is not as bad as it could have been.

www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/influenza-are-we-ready/5-myths-about-the-flu-vaccine

Dreadwitch Thu 23-Oct-25 15:15:29

It's not the vaccines unless the flu was a live virus, in which case you might feel a bit groggy.

Barbadosbelle Thu 23-Oct-25 15:10:55

Sarnia

The Vaccine location is just a 10-minute drive from my house and I always take a paracetamol just before leaving.

Before doing this I did get quite nasty headaches after the jab/s but taking the tab beforehand seems to nip it in the bud - and I don't need another pill later.

The Covid arm can ache a bit though if I lay on it that night, but it's gone in minutes (the ache, not the arm!).
.

Essexgirl145 Thu 23-Oct-25 15:09:27

Paynesgrey......Well it was a nurse that told me that can get flu from the vaccine and I did and I gave it to the rest of the family. they were'nt well pleased I can tell you.

Barbadosbelle Thu 23-Oct-25 15:02:28

Kiwiqueen123

No, not possible.

We had both on 4th October and we were asked, as usual, if we wanted them in separate arms or the same one, and as usual we said "opposites please".

My Covid arm hurt a bit if l lay on it in bed. But only for a second on the first night.

But no, there's no way the jabs could give you the actual disease itself.
.

AlpineGranny Thu 23-Oct-25 14:06:27

Had flu jab 4 weeks ago, covid vacc 2 weeks ago. Now have a shocking cold, headache, cough all flu like but might test. May be it could have been worse (possibly!) with out jabs.

RinseAndRepeat Thu 23-Oct-25 14:03:19

As said, Flu and Covid boosters do not contain any live viruses. I tend to get redness at both injection sites which goes away after a couple of days. I was told that this is the result of a sub-dermal allergic reaction.

When people comment on live viruses they may be thinking about Zostavax which is a live-attenuated vaccine for shingles that is being replaced with Shingrix vaccine: a non-live recombinant vaccine with higher efficacy, a two-dose schedule, and a much better safety profile for immunocompromised individuals.

Having had both doses of Shringrix, I can understand why the American CDC reports that many people do not return for the second dose. It took me out for about 3 days, and the second dose was worse. The GP giving me my Covid and Flu jabs last week said that it is likely that Shringrix will have a 10 year booster to maintain the 93% protection against Shingles. I can’t wait!

I have also had a RSV injection this year which had absolutely no adverse effects.

Romola Thu 23-Oct-25 13:51:49

It's quite common to feel wiped out the day after the jabs, but it is not possible to "catch" flu or Covid from them.
There seems to be a lot of colds and flu-like, possibly Covid, infections about at the moment.

Alison333 Thu 23-Oct-25 13:51:09

Kiwiqueen123 is not saying the jabs gave her Covid or flu, but asking if anybody else had the same kind of reactions, if they also had both jabs together.

AGAA4 Wed 22-Oct-25 16:02:04

Bothe my DDs have had covid recently. There are a lot of viruses about. I've had my flu and covid jabs a few weeks ago and was fine.
The jabs don't give you these illnesses.

Sarnia Wed 22-Oct-25 15:31:51

I had my flu/covid jabs last Saturday. The nurse used both arms and advised me to take 2 paracetamol when I got home as I always have a reaction to these injections. Despite the tablets I still felt achy and unwell the following day but it's a small price to pay for some protection during the winter months. Perhaps you were starting with the colds which have been widespread recently. Hope you feel better soon.

Shelflife Wed 22-Oct-25 15:24:04

Had flu and covid jabs last week both in same arm - sore arm for a few days as I expected, other than that I was fine thank goodness.