# Flu Vaccine



## pyjamas (Jun 24, 2011)

We have been offered for LO to have nasal spray flu vaccine by GP surgery. Is this worthwhile?  x


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## beckalouise (Aug 29, 2010)

I've been trying unsuccessfully to copy the link to the NHS information on the flu vaccination but it's very easy to find if you google it. However in summary it's very important! Flu can be a life threading condition, as a nurse I've had it and the school nurses are coming to my son's school to vaccinate all of the infants with the nasal vaccination. As my husband isn't entitled to the free vaccination we will be paying a very cheap £10 for his in Boots.


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## Barbados Girl (Jul 7, 2012)

Flu can be a killer. We are vaxxing and I get it free as I am asthmatic.


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## cosmopolitan4112008 (Oct 18, 2013)

We are not going for it. All others vaccinations were taken, but this one not. I dont see it necessary, at least not in our case. My boy ocassionally has a runny nose and thats it.


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## Dame Edna (May 17, 2007)

I got proper flu for the first time last winter. Boy, did I know about it. I can't remember the last time I felt that ill with uncontrollable shivering/shaking, fever, chills, sky high temperature, terrible. It was very very different to a cold (runny nose, cough, feeling tired). No comparison. Now I know why they say you will know the difference between a cold (even a bad one!) and proper flu!

My DH also then got it and he was also really sick and bed ridden like I had been. Our son on the other hand stayed well - because he had had the flu sniff at school. Thank God he did get vaccinated.

In summary I would always get the flu vaccine for your child and for yourself (pay if you have to) as you literally can't function if you get it.

This year I paid for a flu vaccine. I don't want it again and my son had his at school.

No side effects.

X


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## Barbados Girl (Jul 7, 2012)

Cosmopolitan, having the occasional runny nose is no indicator as to how someone will react to flu. It killed millions of young and healthy people in 1918. Children with flu can and do end up in ICU.


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## cosmopolitan4112008 (Oct 18, 2013)

I agree, but ee are in 2016, not 1918. I918 was immediatelly afterbthe 1st world war, food was scarce, people were tired and poor, exhausted  and of course, general health was much weaker. Now, 98 years after is different. High mortality could be found in the poor and developing countries.


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## Dame Edna (May 17, 2007)

Each winter hundreds of thousands of people see their GP and tens of thousands are hospitalised because of flu. Last winter, PHEreceived reports of 904 people admitted to intensive care or high dependency units with laboratory confirmed flu and, of them, 11% (98 people) died.
This does not account for the many deaths where flu is not recognised or reported - estimates of the annual number of deaths attributable to flu range from 4 to 14,000 per year, with an average of around 8,000 per year.
For most healthy people, flu is an unpleasant but usually self-limiting disease with recovery taking up to a week. However for older people, the very young, pregnant women and those with a health condition - particularly chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease or those with a weakened immune system - are at particular risk from the more serious effects of flu.
I agree with Barbados Girl, who i think is doing the right thing for her adopted child. These are not stats from 98 years ago. Do your own research, make up your own mind but to me these stats speak for themselves!
X


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## cosmopolitan4112008 (Oct 18, 2013)

Whatever makes you feel comfortable and convinced.


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## Barbados Girl (Jul 7, 2012)

Cosmo, where are your citations for that? The Spanish flu disproportionately affected those with the strongest immune systems, i.e. 20-40 age range, not those with weaker immune systems, like the very young and old. Do you have any statistical evidence to show deaths were proportionately higher amongst the poor (amongst whom food shortages were more accute?) Or were deaths more prevalent in places like Germany, Russia and Turkey where food shortages where food shortages were more accute than in places like France and Britain?

Do you know why there was no similar pandemic in WW2 when food shortages were, if anything, more accute, with more widespread rationing and by your logic, more people with weakened immune systems? I think the introduction of a mass vaccination programme amongst the troops may have helped.

This is what happens when people become complacent about diseases which three generations ago were killers: they don't think vaccination is needed because they don't see people dying of these diseases any more and credit is given to our super immune systems and modern medicine. In most cases, it is actually due to vaccination programmes but if people don't vaccinate then the benefits of herd immunity will be lost.

On the adoption pages we deal with a world of vulnerability and suffering. The last thing I want is to see my child, or anyone else undergoing more suffering which is easily preventable by a vaccine which we can get for free, probably ten minutes away at the Drs. Unlike a lot of people in developing countries who would give their eye teeth to be so lucky.

Please people, vaccinate your children.

Rant over.


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## cosmopolitan4112008 (Oct 18, 2013)

Barbados Girl, nobody told you that you are wrong for opting for the flu vaccination. If you go to my first post, i explicitly said that my decision and my words are for my own case. My child has been vaccinated for all other things and i would never go against it whether those diseases exist or not anymore in the modern world because i know what effects they would cause if he would ever be affected by them. However, some of the people i know are fietcfully against it and i let them be. I explained to them what i think about it and why and thats where my discussion finishes.  I even took a whooping cough vaccine because i read about it and didnt want to risk his health. I know the ladies who didnt for their own reasons and i didnt interfere nor i tried to convince them. Im also not trying to convince you not to vaccinate your child. As i said, whatever makes you feel comfortable. We are all entitled to our own opinion when somebody asks us about a certain issue.
This would be my last reply to this topic.
Peace to all!


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## Forgetmenot (Jun 22, 2010)

I wish we could! Lb was so poorly last year with chest, has been really poorly again with the first bout of coughs colds, always hit his chest hard and we can't have it as he's not two, or officially asthmatic, even though he does have inhaler xx


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## ritzi (Feb 18, 2006)

Forget me not - you can have a flu jab privately for under 2s.....its a needle rather than the sniff up the nose. 2 1/2 doses 4 week apart.....just had it for my little one. hope that helps!


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

Are children routinely offered the flu vac? Is it a one off nasal spray or yearly? I get offered it yearly for working for the NHS and little pink was offered last year but we were away and then when I called up they'd run out of the spray. So will we be offered again this year? My little boy was prem and is small so hoping he will be offered too, they are 2 and 3. Thanks xxx


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## crazyspaniel (Sep 12, 2012)

Lolly, it's a yearly nasal spray.  Don't know about 2 yrs olds but we had letter from gp when dd was 3 and 4 inviting her to have it. At 5 the gp did it while we were there for something else and this year she's having it at school.


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## Forgetmenot (Jun 22, 2010)

Two year olds get offered nasal! I asked hv last week!

Thanks ritzi. Where did you get it done and how much? Think we will.  He's still not right theee weeks later. Def a weekness of his xx


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

Ah brill thanks guys, hopefully they'll have a letter through soon, if not I'll chase the docs. I've seen signs in our local sainsburys saying they offer the flu jab to adults for £5 xxx


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## pyjamas (Jun 24, 2011)

Thanks. Have now booked the appointment for LO to have the nasal spray vaccine, x


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## Tw1nk82 (Dec 5, 2012)

Our little boy is having his on Thursday. We have also booked with boots to pay for his men b injection private seen as they only routinely give them to babies born after may 2015. I think it isnt worth the risk just wish nhs backdated them as it is going to cost £220 xx


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## ritzi (Feb 18, 2006)

Forgetmenot - Boots, or a private GP. Our GP did ours privately. The drug itself is cheap around £10. The GP charge what they want though for a private appointment - around £75.


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

Saw the sign today, wasn't sainsburys, it is asda doing adult vac for a fiver xxx


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## Dame Edna (May 17, 2007)

Had mine done at Asda pharmacy for £5.  Pharmacist very professional - the needle must be ultra thin as it didn't hurt at all


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