Flu jab

[Bean_Queen]

 I was persuaded by my GP 3 years ago to have the jab along with a pneumonia jab and I was ill for 3 weeks.  

It's possible that you had already caught a bug, that it wasn't the jab wot did it.  There are loads of viruses at this time of year, chances are you'll catch one. I've got a bad cold at the moment, have had it for over a fortnight along with Winter Vomiting Virus at the same time (no fever, so it isn't flu).
If I'd had the flu jab, I'd prob be blaming my illness on the jab too.

[Bean_Queen]

[ceres]

It's possible that you had already caught a bug,

No. It's not.

[Tulipa]

No. It's not.

Not even when you sat in the waiting room?  It can be the worst place for picking up bugs.

T.

[ceres]

Not even when you sat in the waiting room?  It can be the worst place for picking up bugs.

T.

Nope!

[Borlotti]

Might go next week, but will probably get my blood pressure taken and told off because I haven't been for 5 years and haven't been taking my pills. (I know, it is the silent killer etc. etc. but with walking, cycling, tennis and allotment was hoping to get it down without medication). I might be able to sneak in and do it myself, do check it at home but not sure the machine is very accurate as it varies so much.  Been putting off the dentist and optician so if I feel brave may get the whole lot done together next week, or maybe the week after!!!!  Sitting in the waiting room with all those ill people is enough to make ones blood pressure go up.

[Paulines7]

I'm not 65 but I'm asthmatic so I get called in too.  I was persuaded by my GP 3 years ago to have the jab along with a pneumonia jab and I was ill for 3 weeks.  I won't have the jabs again.  I've just had flu for the first time in many years but it didn't affect my chest.  I know if it goes into my chest to get to the surgery or walk-in centre for antibiotics and to get nebulised.  I'll take my chances.

The immunity builds up over many years of having the flu jab so it is important to get it done every year.

From all accounts you are taking a bigger risk by not having it done. 

There is no way that you can positively say that you did not pick up the bug prior to your injection 3 years ago.  Even if the nurse came to your home to give you the jab she could well have passed it on to you.  If you went to the surgery .....well, I'll say no more except perhaps that prior to having flu jabs I was very ill every year with flu and always after I had visited the surgery usually in connection with my arthritis.

[ceres]

?

[cleo]

Certain `at risk` groups are offered a flu jab-nobody forces anyone to have it.

I have one as I am diabetic-no adverse reactions-I had flu once(or something similar)-flu to a cold is as an iceberg to an ice cube.

Of course some will react a bit-but thousands do not.

[Amazin]

The immunity builds up over many years of having the flu jab so it is important to get it done every year.

How does that work, then, if there are several different strains around and you only get vaccinated against one or two?

From all accounts you are taking a bigger risk by not having it done

Whose accounts? Not my GP's.

[ceres]

The immunity builds up over many years of having the flu jab so it is important to get it done every year.

Does it?  There's a different flu strain every year so how does that work?

From all accounts you are taking a bigger risk by not having it done.

My experience says not. 

There is no way that you can positively say that you did not pick up the bug prior to your injection 3 years ago.  Even if the nurse came to your home to give you the jab she could well have passed it on to you.  If you went to the surgery .....well, I'll say no more except perhaps that prior to having flu jabs I was very ill every year with flu and always after I had visited the surgery usually in connection with my arthritis.

I can.  I said I was ill for 3 weeks afterwards.  I didn't say what I was ill with.  You are assuming it was flu.  It wasn't, but it was as a direct result of having the vaccinations.

[Paulines7]

The immunity builds up over many years of having the flu jab so it is important to get it done every year.

Does it?  There's a different flu strain every year so how does that work?

That is what the nurse told me when I had my first jab but there is nothing I could find on the web to substantiate this.

From all accounts you are taking a bigger risk by not having it done.

My experience says not.

There is a lot of evidence on the web to show that this is true.  The Government are now considering giving the flu jab to pregnant women and children as they do in the USA
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/article3128651.ece 

There is no way that you can positively say that you did not pick up the bug prior to your injection 3 years ago.  Even if the nurse came to your home to give you the jab she could well have passed it on to you.  If you went to the surgery .....well, I'll say no more except perhaps that prior to having flu jabs I was very ill every year with flu and always after I had visited the surgery usually in connection with my arthritis.

I can.  I said I was ill for 3 weeks afterwards.  I didn't say what I was ill with.  You are assuming it was flu.  It wasn't, but it was as a direct result of having the vaccinations.

That was unfortunate, but the fact that you had a bad reaction should not put everyone else off having theirs.

[ceres]

That was unfortunate, but the fact that you had a bad reaction should not put everyone else off having theirs

Indeed.  The OP was seeking people's experiences who have had the jab.  I gave mine.  I didn't TELL anyone they should or shouldn't have the jab.