Flu, Dec 2025

[Binky]

Working abroad in the 90s I caught malaria and was hospitalised for 10 days.
About 15 years ago I caught flu and I reckon I felt as bad, really grim so these days I always get flu jab.
In work before I retired it was offered free so I always got it yet some work colleagues refused saying they'd rather have flu than jab!
If you've ever had proper flu not just man flu you'd never ever want it again.

 

[Tashman]

I'm 2 weeks in now with mine, week 1 was horrific. Working at home was definitely not a bonus in this instance. my productivity was through the floor. Ha my jab around 6 weeks before first symptoms. I won't say I've been bad, but I even got sympathy from Tashwife!

 

[Binky]

So jab hasn't helped as far as you know? That's a bit worrying.

 

[PhotoNic69]

Any side effects? Maybe that's the one I'll get. Every year I think I should get a jab but then never get round to it.

Not really any side effects. Felt a little bit like I was developing a cold for a day and the arm was sore for a couple of days but that was it.

I've got a severely compromised immune system so the Docs invite me along to sit in a waiting room of very old people! Think the jabs took less than a minute with the checking of names DOB etc.

No, don't think they tailor the batches as the year goes on. It's one batch of COVID/Flu and that's it till next year.

 

[Binky]

As for side effects of flu jab, I've never had any other than bit of a sore arm for 24 hrs but I've still weight trained after so pretty insignificant anyway.
The vaccine is inert or not live anyway so as far as I know you cannot get symptoms?
Happy to be corrected on that but I think some use that as an excuse for not getting it.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

Working abroad in the 90s I caught malaria and was hospitalised for 10 days.
About 15 years ago I caught flu and I reckon I felt as bad, really grim so these days I always get flu jab.
In work before I retired it was offered free so I always got it yet some work colleagues refused saying they'd rather have flu than jab!
If you've ever had proper flu not just man flu you'd never ever want it again.

Yep regarding never wanting flu again, I was so weak on the turbo over that three weeks in October '21, I wondered if my usual rides to around Old Winchester Hill were suddenly over.

It took some pretty hard training over that winter and early '22 to get back into shape and then have my best season.

But then, ironically, long covid did its best to prevent me riding anywhere near Warnford towards the end of that summer.

 

[ColinJ]

If you've ever had proper flu not just man flu you'd never ever want it again.

Agreed! I was so ill with it that I couldn't even stagger across my bedroom to call in sick. I had to crawl across the floor and pull the phone off the desk by its cord (remember those phones - it was a long time ago!). After the call, I made a desperate slither to the bathroom which I only just got to in time before projectile emissions from both ends!!

So jab hasn't helped as far as you know? That's a bit worrying.

Jabs don't necessarily stop you getting ill, just tone the disease down a bit. Feeling very rough rather than dead, perhaps?

I have been bad with Covid a few times, but only for a few days at a time. Maybe I would have ended up in hospital if I hadn't been jabbed?

 

[markemark]

Influenza jabs are best guess. The look at strains in august winter countries (eg Australia) and design a jab based loosely on those strains for uk 6 months later . Doesn’t always work out.

 

[Binky]

Jabs don't necessarily stop you getting ill, just tone the disease down a bit. Feeling very rough rather than dead, perhaps?

Yes that's always been the case, the vaccine won't stop you catching flu but will usually ensure symptoms and duration are less.

 

[vickster]

Do you know if the jabs get updated with the latest anti-flu variants as the winter progresses? And do different pharmacies have flu jabs that protect against different variants?

Not as far as I know and they cover the same variants based on advice from (presumably) the WHO

 

[Punkawallah]

I get a lollipop. The nurse opens it up for me.

Safety first! :-)

 

[Punkawallah]

Agreed! I was so ill with it that I couldn't even stagger across my bedroom to call in sick. I had to crawl across the floor and pull the phone off the desk by its cord (remember those phones - it was a long time ago!). After the call, I made a desperate slither to the bathroom which I only just got to in time before projectile emissions from both ends!!


Jabs don't necessarily stop you getting ill, just tone the disease down a bit. Feeling very rough rather than dead, perhaps?

I have been bad with Covid a few times, but only for a few days at a time. Maybe I would have ended up in hospital if I hadn't been jabbed?

Just well enough to go into work and spread the infection around :-)

 

[Punkawallah]

The wife was kind enough to bring it in for us. Not sure whether it’s a perverse sense of ‘keeping up with the Joneses’, or a pathological desire to see me off.

 

[VinSumRox]

Do you know if the jabs get updated with the latest anti-flu variants as the winter progresses? And do different pharmacies have flu jabs that protect against different variants?

No, the strain of flu for the vaccine is decided early in the year, then the vaccines are manufacturered in time for the vaccination season later in the year.

 

[briantrumpet]

Not as far as I know and they cover the same variants based on advice from (presumably) the WHO

Here's the best I could find, from November.

https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2025/11/1...-year-with-the-current-uk-influenza-vaccines/

It looks like there are various differently-branded vaccines, but all covering the same strains.