Anyone else had their flu jab yet?

[Nigel-YZ1]

I'm told I get a flu jab because I'm asthmatic. On the couple of occasions I went to Boots etc to get one, they refused because I'm asthmatic.

 

[vickster]

See whoever manages your asthma, presumably GP practice nurse (or hospital nurse)? Has the practice not summoned you?

 

[presta]

Sure, but how do you know you if are one of them?

Erm....

if I get to 59 having never had it, I wonder what's the probability I've been lucky and what's the probability that I'm immune.

So....

Immune to what? There’s three/four* main types of ‘flu, each of which has multiple strains - and you think you might be immune...

and.....

I asked the pharmacist when I collected my meds yesterday afternoon. Yes some people are immune to the flu

 

[Dirk]

Had mine on Friday, done by the local pharmacist as a favour.


Preempting ..... no you didn't catch the flu from an inoculation... because science,

I'm in two minds about it.
6 years ago my otherwise healthy, 88 year old, father had the flu jab. Within a couple of days he went down with severe cold/flu like symptoms. Two weeks later he died.
I know they say that there was no connection, but I'm not convinced.
And, no - I do not have flu jabs.

 

[PK99]

So I asked the pharmacist when I collected my meds yesterday afternoon. Yes some people are immune to the flu, and no, I'm not eligible for the vaccine. So I'm a public health menace, just like the tens of millions of others who aren't vaccinated.

it's not immunity but differing immune responses. perfectly possible to have the virus and be asymptomatic.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/44275043/ns/health-cold_and_flu/t/why-some-people-dont-get-flu/

 

[biggs682]

Got my voucher so one day next week will be getting it done

 

[FishFright]

I'm in two minds about it.
6 years ago my otherwise healthy, 88 year old, father had the flu jab. Within a couple of days he went down with severe cold/flu like symptoms. Two weeks later he died.
I know they say that there was no connection, but I'm not convinced.
And, no - I do not have flu jabs.

That would have been a pre - existing infection and it takes some time to build the immunity following the jab. I totally understand your reticence though

 

[gbb]

Well I just had one at Boots. I did venture into the docs this morning but it was rammed, I thought I'll pop in on the way back but an unexpected trip to the shops shortly after saw me looking at Boots advertising....ah well....that'll do.

I'm only 59 so don't automatically qualify for a free one but given my previous with TB, pneumonia and pleuisy....he agreed I'd almost certainly get it for free at the docs anyway .
Easiest jab I've had, almost painless. I did ask his opinion on the pneumonia jab, he thought unless you're vulnerable to chest infections it possibly wasn't worth it...but of course consult your (my) doctor.

Last time I had a flu jab (which was the first and only other one I've had)...i was bad the next day, classic flu symptoms, headache, fever, achiness and I've been guilty of thinking it's given me a mini flu....but it hasn't of course. That was just a coincidental mini flu...or a reaction to the jab itself. Here's hoping the same doesn't happen tomorrow...we're going to Yarmouth to drop in on family who are holidaying there for a few days.

 

[presta]

Your pharmacist was probably using shorthand (not realising he was dealing with a clinical and epidemiological expert such as yourself)... or you've just heard what you want to hear.

I made it clear that I was checking what I'd been told on a forum, and not interested in getting vaccinated. I stood chatting with her for several minutes.

The fact is that it is extremely unlikely that anyone is entirely immune to 'flu, given that there are so many strains out there and any one individual is vanishingly unlikely to have come in prior contact with them all.

University of Michigan researchers.......infected 17 healthy people with the flu virus and discovered that......half didn’t notice a thing.
So if people were infected every 5 years on average, the probability that I've been lucky would be about 0.1%, and the probability that I've been infected but not got sick 99.9%.

 

[presta]

Nothing about people being immune to the 'flu.

Irrelevant. As the patient it makes no difference to me whether I'm immune or just "reacted differently", if I don't get sick, I don't get sick. I wouldn't care if I caught ebola a hundred times if it didn't make me sick.

 

[PK99]

Irrelevant. As the patient it makes no difference to me whether I'm immune or just "reacted differently", if I don't get sick, I don't get sick. I wouldn't care if I caught ebola a hundred times if it didn't make me sick.

But the people you infect might have a different view on the matter.

 

[jefmcg]

I wouldn't care if I caught ebola a hundred times if it didn't make me sick.

Yeah, you would.

Google "typhoid mary"

 

[presta]

But the people you infect might have a different view on the matter.

Yes, me and all the other millions who are not vaccinated because the NHS deems it not worthwhile.

Right...

Yes, right. You have spent the whole of this interchange with the attitude that any possibility other than me just being lucky was ridiculous. You were wrong, and singularly obnoxious, arrogant, and patronising about it.

 

[vickster]

So if you were infected with HIV or Hep B for example, but not symptomatic (due to an effective drug regimen / low viral load), you'd still have unprotected sex, knowingly donate blood etc because you're not sick?

 

[classic33]

Yeah, you would.

Google "Typhoid Mary"

The Nurse?