Re: Flu Injection!

Chest infections have nothing to do with the flu. A chest infection is just that, an infection, but the flu is a virus, totally different which totally incapacitates you.

I've had the flu three times in my life and it was awful because I couldn't stand up or walk, even my eyebrows and hair hurt - that's the flu. If you can walk, you don't have the flu. If you have a runny nose, you don't have the flu. The first time was when I was 16, then when I was in my 30s, then again in my 40s, but it only lasted about 24/48 hours on each occasion.

Nobody is going to inject me with a flu virus which is what they do. What is a flu injection anyway? One type pays for all? No such thing.

The flu virus has many strains. Hong Kong, Spanish, Russian and many others, all of which cause varying kinds of illness so which do they inject you with? There's no such thing as "ordinary" flu.

Nope, I pays me money and takes me chances, but I'm not having a man-made substance pumped into me to make me feel ill, when I might not get it in the first place. Not a chance.

However, I am not trying to put people off having the flu virus injection if they feel safer having it. It's just not for me.

Re: Flu Injection!

The vaccine protects your airways making a chest infection much less likely, never said it stopped you getting chest infection just that when your airways are protected you are less likely to suffer from them to the same extent. You need to understand how the vaccine works and not put people off getting protection in this way, it could and does save lives.

Re: Flu Injection!

I love them infecting me with a flu shot,better than the flu itself,last flu i had lasted 2 weeks and left me bedridden for a week and then took about 2 months to get back to normal,everyone here had it,some type of new Asian or Russian strain they missed.

Billy

Re: Flu Injection!

I used to get terrible colds and flu (something to do with a very narrow nasal passage that is ideal breeding ground for the virus to lodge in) and after my first run in with cancer, was advised to have it - and I've had the jab for the past 14 years. Best bit is, I don't even get colds any more! I advise most people, who mention it, to have it - why be ill if you don't have to be.

Worst I've suffered is a bit of a stiff arm - tetanus jab was much, much more painful afterwards.

From what I've been told, doctors make a prediction each year about which flu strains will be the most prevalent and each innoculation contains the dead virus of three of them - so, they are protecting you against the three most likely. It's a dead virus so not exactly man-made. The dead virus helps your body identify and fight the virus which it wouldn't necessarily be able to do otherwise until you had flu in ful force. The immune system recognizes vaccine agents as foreign, destroys them, and remembers them.

Nearly all vaccines are made this way and how many would refuse to be innoculated against TB, tetanus or diptheria? The vaccines are all prepared differently (whether viral or bacterial) but nearly all of them rely on dead or inactivated strains of the virus/bacteria.

Re: Flu Injection!

I am like a pin cushion, if they are not taking something out, they are pumping something in. Makes me feel of use to society, think of all those people I am keeping in employment; the manufacturers of the drugs, needles and the little bits of gauze they give you to hold to stop any more blood escaping, not to mention nursey.

My next jab is for shingles ... yooouuuu may not be old enough for this one ..... but if you do not have the flu or pneumonia vaccinations you may not live to experience the joys of the invitation to the shingles party

Re: Flu Injection!

Agree with you there, Mollie. i've never had a flu jab and don't intend to start now. And most people who think they have flu only have a bad cold. I wouldn't advise people against having the flu jab, but I think they should know it is only a "best guess" scenario. I think it was last year that they got it wrong, and there was an increase in flu cases as the vaccine developed was ineffective.

Exactly, which is why it is a best guess scenario.

Re: Flu Injection!

So why is there a push for all front-line staff to be given the flu jab?

I can only go by personal experience - working with young children, I would get two or three doses of cold/flu every single year. For the past 10 years or so, not one bout of cold and/or flu and the only thing to have changed in my life is the flu jab. I've had my granddaughters sitting next to me with streaming colds and I didn't get the cold once.

Re: Flu Injection!

Could also be that your immunity from previous colds has built up over the years. I get far fewer colds now, too, but I haven't had the jab.
I think the push for front-line staff to have it is twofold - it MAY prevent them getting flu this year if they are exposed to it, and (more cynically) it benefits the pharmaceutical companies...

Re: Flu Injection!

I don't think it will be immunity improvement given two more bouts of cancer and other ailments plus high stress and depression (at times) - wouldn't those all contribute to lowering it?

Re: Flu Injection!

Fair comment, and I don't know the answer!