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I've never had flu

(37 Posts)
jeanie99 Sat 02-May-20 03:32:58

Even when hubby had a very bad attack of flu some years ago I still didn't get it.
GP advised me to have the flu jab since being 65yrs but I didn't bother until 2 years ago when I was 73.

Why do some people get flu and not others.

Coolgran65 Sat 02-May-20 04:00:22

Me too. I've never had flu don't know why.

Baggs Sat 02-May-20 06:42:54

When I was thought to be asthmatic (I’m not asthmatic) I was advised to have a flu jab each year. When it became clear that I didn’t need asthma medication the advice changed, or rather, disappeared.

When I questioned whether I needed a flu jab I told my GP that I had never had flu. His response was “you don’t want to get it either”.

I guess in the end it’s about how much at risk one thinks one is after taking advice from one’s GP, who is getting it from epidemiologists presumably.

I don’t think there is a single right answer. It’s a question of risk. GPs are using the available information about risk of flu.

grandMattie Sat 02-May-20 06:47:47

Apart from Asian 'flu when I was about 6 years old, I haven’t had it. I have nursed DH through a couple of infections,
I do, however, accept all vaccines offered (apart from rabies ?)

grandMattie Sat 02-May-20 06:50:10

BTW*Baggs*, your doctor is right. A friend never had been vaccinated until she got flu last year. This year, she was first in the queue for the jab! It is not a nice disease.

Blinko Sat 02-May-20 07:05:38

I wonder whether those who have never had flu might also have some resistance to C19. Or at least get a mild dose.

NotAGran55 Sat 02-May-20 07:16:23

My husband was very ill with it 24 years ago but my 1 year old son and I never caught it .
As far as I know my 2 siblings have never had it and I don’t recall either of my parents getting it .

Pantglas2 Sat 02-May-20 07:18:03

I wish I’d never had it! Caught it it 2002 and have had a flu jab ever since in the hope I never get it again!

Willow500 Sat 02-May-20 07:20:58

When I think back I've had it 3 times! My eldest son had just started school the first time (he's 49 this year!) so my parents had to take him and look after his younger brother as I was just too ill and my husband had to work. The last couple of times have been in more recent years - once after having the vaccine. I'm steering well clear of C19 if I can!

BlueSky Sat 02-May-20 08:30:04

I can only remember having it a couple of times as a child. In bed, high temperature, doctor visits, the full works. As an adult I would say just heavy colds and coughs.

Oopsadaisy3 Sat 02-May-20 08:35:54

Had it once about 4 years ago, I was surprised as I thought I’d had the flu before after a flu jab many years ago, however, this was something else entirely, shaking with fever, then shaking with cold, everything ached wouldn’t want to catch it again.
Maybe we should have been wearing masks back in the day and not carried on going into work and travelling around, maybe we could have saved some lives?

FlexibleFriend Sat 02-May-20 08:40:05

I've never had the flu either and never had the flu jab when offered it my doctor was a bit taken aback as not only have I never had the flu I've never even had a cold.

TerriBull Sat 02-May-20 09:28:46

Also never had it, worst I've experienced are some heavy head colds, but I know they are not to be confused with flu, although many claim flu is what they have with a heavy cold. Anyone will tell you that you can't get out of bed, if that is what you are actually suffering from.

Rosina Sat 02-May-20 09:38:42

Had a dose of flu a few years ago and completely lost my sense of taste and smell. It was awful - the world becomes quite a strange place when you can't smell anything or taste your food. Luckily for me, over the course of the years those senses have returned - they mostly don't - but not as sharp as they were. I would never want to catch it again, so I have the flu jab every year now.

vampirequeen Sat 02-May-20 09:50:13

It's a horrible illness. I get the jab every year.

If you think you've got the flu then you haven't. You know when you've got the flu and usually begin to think you're dying.

Razzy Sat 02-May-20 09:52:09

My husband has flu every year but as he continues with work and hobbies it is safe to say it’s man flu ?
I’ve had it twice. Once mildly when young and once in Dec 2009. The latter was swine flu and was horrendous. I was on a work course, I think my immune system was down due to staying in hotels, stress etc. I was so cold I had to sit in the classroom with about 3 layers of clothes plus coat, gloves, hat, scarf etc! And was still cold! No idea how I drove home but literally crawled into bed and stayed there for a good few days.
Litmus test is “if there was £5 on front doorstep would you get up to get it?” If no, you have flu! For me, if there had been £1million I still couldn’t have got out of bed. Proper flu is horrendous!

grannyactivist Sat 02-May-20 09:57:09

I had the flu in 1985 and became extremely ill with it. I have had it since, but in a much milder form (although still very debilitating). I'm surprised sometimes by people who tell me they've got/had the flu, but have still been able to get out of bed and do things - even when I had what I think of as a mild case of flu I have been unable to get out of bed other than to drag myself to the loo.

EllanVannin Sat 02-May-20 10:52:56

I only get it after the 'flu jab---every Christmas for the past 3 years now ! Not so much as a cold throughout the year, just a low resistance at the end of the year. Weird.

blondenana Sat 02-May-20 10:59:57

I have never had the flu either,and rarely get a cold, my daughter always gets everything going, she wonders why i don't
Never get the stomach bugs either, very strange
Hope i haven't jinxed myself now
Although i did get a strange thing in February,and wondered if it was a mild dose of covid 19, just felt very tired and lethargic

timetogo2016 Sat 02-May-20 11:07:00

I had the flu once about 30 years ago.
I came on on Christmes night as fast as turning a light switch on.
I couldn`t get out of bed without going dizzy and had to drag myself to the toilet.
Iv`e never felt so ill and it really makes me cross when people say they have the flu and are walking around, i tell them they have a heavy cold as you wouldn`t be stood there.
Strangly it tends to be mostly men shock horror.

Witzend Sat 02-May-20 11:14:14

Who knows? I’ve only had it once, about 20 years ago and it knocked my stuffing right out for at least 3 weeks. I was working in a front line job with the public at the time, many of whom thought nothing of coughing and sneezing at you, so I didn’t have to wonder where I caught it.
Nobody else in the family caught it from me, though.

I do agree with timetogo - anyone who wonders whether they’ve got a bad cold or the flu, just has a bad cold!

Lona Sat 02-May-20 11:39:18

I've never had it, I don't think my parents ever had it and my children and grandchildren haven't either!
I do have a flu jab though, don't want to tempt fate!

grandMattie Sat 02-May-20 12:10:05

Had Asian flu in 1950, but have all vaccinations going. A friend had 'flu a couple of years ago, having steadfastly refused vaccination. Last autumn, she was first in the queue for her jab! Not a nice illness and convalescence is so slow...

grandMattie Sat 02-May-20 12:11:17

Sorry to repost. None of my posts were showing earlier ?

notanan2 Sat 02-May-20 12:14:23

I never got flu until I got it..
First time ever a few years ago: couldnt eat or even sit up for two weeks. Couldnt work full time for 3 months after as it left me totally wiped out.

But I never had it before that. Not having had it yet means nothing really