Flu jab

I pushed my dear Mother in her wheelchair to the surgery today as arranged. When we got there she was told "we've run out of serum" so I pushed her home again.

To Mr 'Brainy-Trainspotter' (!)... Thank You Much for writing that, l mean that, of course. But I do wonder if my explanation of what was misunderstood was understood, however...

...Separately, There was already another Thread awhile back, addressing the topic of "needles" and so I did not want to (myself) start that over again... being misunderstood once per Thread is bad enough for myself...!     Stay Well, all.

I had my flu jab this morning.  It was very quick and painless.

It turns out that this morning's session was for the under 65s.  So no oldies with Zimmer frames !

I got there between the rain.  No queues.  I even took two of the tiny sweets. ( A mars & milky way).

I.have never.ever felt.under par as a result of the vaccine, well I've never noticed anyway.

The stiffness in my arm I experienced once I put down to the needle entering an awkward place. It certainly was not by any stretch of the imagination anything resembling flu. So it isn't inevitable at all that you will.have symptoms after the jab 

And by the way, I absolutely hate injections, knowing it is only a little prickk  with a needle doesnt help, but I have to let the nurse get on with it.

Greetings to both of you and to all who may read. I get misunderstood a lot, and so am glad to see these replies (...). The thing is, what I really focussed upon is also now said below, ('lucky' for me):

__Pathfinder__ said:

I had mine last week.  Also had it done at the local pharmacy.  For me I always feel lousy the day after, but it passes quickly.

...I never actually said that 'The Flu jab causes flu', but I did say that it might cause some sort of... well, feeling under-par, which is what this quote and the previous quotes were highlighted for. The General media as far as I ever read, never admits this 'feeling under par' because of the jab, and that THIS being mentioned at all, here, was what I was grateful for. The General Media always just says "Flu Jabs do not cause Flu", but never mentions or explains what sometimes happens afterwards, what has been said here, now by two persons, the Media just dismisses feeling 'under-par' afterwards as a sort of coincidence.

...This was a bit long - hope anyone understands what I meant, now? And the only Apology I truly have is for my one genuine mistake --- *Madame* Boating_Taxonomist...! I do apologise for calling you a "Mr" and shall try to remember for the future upon this Forum. Meantime, Good Fortune to you and to all. 

I pay to have one, have done for about 10 years since I got flu, never again!

I'm female btw, not a guy...but I'm also a biologist, and I can tell you, flu jabs do NOT cause flu and cannot give you flu.

You don't seem to understand how vaccines work; they introduce viral or bacterial antigens (the parts your immune system 'reocognises' when you encounter them) to your bloodstream that tells your body to make antibodies. So should you encounter the actual virus, you already have the antibodies to fight it off and prevent you from getting ill.  

Mild reactions (like slight fever or muscle aches) are simply a sign that your body is making antibodies. They are not symptoms of flu. These occur with any vaccinations and aren't unique to flu vaccines (anyone who has kids will know its common for kids to be a bit under the weather for a day or two after getting their routine childhood vaccinations).

There are some immune conditions that mean your immune system doesn't functioning properly where you might not be allowed to have the flu vaccination (or any other vaccination) because your immune system might not be able to react appropriately and it might make you more vulnerable to other illnesses. But otherwise, your immune system comes into contact with viruses and bacteria all the time and copes just fine; if having a vaccine significantly weakened your average person's immune system to make your vulnerable to other illnesses, the same would be true any time you came down with a minor cold or suchlike that it had to fight off, and that's obviously not the case (we don't all come down with everything under the sun when we get a cold for example because our immune system is 'busy' fighting the cold).

Love the mental image.

Our flu vaccination is also due on Saturday 9am to 1pm

I'm immuno-compromised - my whole family get the jab.

The GPs do it on a Saturday - it's like a scene from a zombie movie with all the shuffling coffin dodgers in slippers & zimmer-frames all descending on the surgery en-masse.

Sorry if that came across blunt I did mean to add that people with weaker immune systems would probably struggle with it but my daughter woke up and started cleaning the bathroom floor with toothpaste and apparently I didn't finish writing before I replied 

If they offer it you for free, then get it.  Theirs nothing worse than laying in bed for 3 weeks puking your guts up and generally feeling like someone hit you over the head with a house brick.

I had mine last week.  Also had it done at the local pharmacy.  For me I always feel lousy the day after, but it passes quickly.

Yes, of course. I did say this at the end:

Disambiguating Cynosure said:

yes, do go and have the "Jab"

I am not opposed to the Jab, but am very physically weak and most treatments only make me sicker, that is all. Everyone is different. Both Posts including yours now, make very good points. (Not often said by the Media... that is the benefit of any Forum, certainly.)

I have the flu jab as does my mother due to copd both of us get the flu like symptoms which are not contagious but unlike flu which can be fatal to someone with copd or to young babies as well as immune suppressed people it is not just to protect you but those around us who can't have the vaccine 

I have had flu jabs for the past twenty years because of a heart problem.

There was only one year I had a problem with the jab, the site was very stiff and achy for months afterwards, but had no problems at any other time.

Flu is a very unpleasant disease (not the mild 'sniffle' that many people say is flu) and is very debilitating, last time I had flu (probably 25 years ago) I was in bed for a week and didn't (couldn't) eat for that time and even visiting the toilet was a tremendous effort.  So anything which helps prevent that is well worth while.

The flu jab though isn't infallible due to the many mutations and variations of the flu virus, but it will reduce the chance of going down with it.  But what the thinking is that the jab should be paid for if you do not come into the categories that make you vulnerable I do not know.  It seems totally illogical that for a relatively small cost many lives could be saved (flu kills many people every year) and the saving to the economy in preventing lost production and sick pay would be many times more than the cost.

But then many cost-saving measures are false economy.

Boating_taxonomist said:

It always makes my arm ache/feel really weird for a day, I always make sure to get it when I've nothing too important on so I can take the rest of the day off, and I feel under the weather for a couple of days, but that's it (and that's good, because it means you're having an immune response like you should).

...Especially this part:

Boating_taxonomist said:

nd I feel under the weather for a couple of days, but that's it

...I would like to Thank Mr Robert for starting this Thread if only just so that "Boating_Taxonomist" could Post such an answer - !!!!!!!!!! (& I voted both of you up.)

...I am Asthmatic as well, but do not want the "Jab". Some members of my family have it, and more often than not, they get "Flu like symptoms" after a day or so. The Media and officials vehemently maintain that the Flu Jab "does not cause Flu" - but Mr.BoatTax - you in my opinion have said it all, there.

I sincerely hope that "officials" are reading that. And now I know better why I have always avoided this Jab. If one's immune system is sort of weak anyway, then while it is engaged with that particular Strain of Flu-Jab, then other illnesses can attack with greater effect... perhaps...

(To Mr.BT, I apologise if you disagree or did not mean that at all. And Mr.Robert... I say, that if one is pretty healthy / has allowance anyway, as is suggested, then yes, do go and have the "Jab".)

I get a free flu jab because of my asthma. I make sure I get it every year (not had flu yet so...tbh I just don't fancy risking it given that having a cold hits my asthma quite hard). I tend to get it done at a pharmacy rather than my GP (if you're in England or Wales you can do either) because it's often more convenient. It always makes my arm ache/feel really weird for a day, I always make sure to get it when I've nothing too important on so I can take the rest of the day off, and I feel under the weather for a couple of days, but that's it (and that's good, because it means you're having an immune response like you should).

If you've been offered it, there's obviously a good reason you should have it.