Flu jab what to expect

Sncjw

Sore red hot area where they inject it for a few days. If you get any signs of cold then it could be a coincidence as takes a couple days for that to come through anyways. You could have already had a cold infection

Remember flu is not the same as a cold

Missus_Hyde

I've been having the flu jab for quite a few years now and have never had an adverse reaction to it.

I have regular blood tests (every six weeks) and usually get the flu jab done at the same time, to save having to make two separate trips to my doctor.

Mark_Jefferson

I used to be really nervous about needles (things have calmed down massively thank goodness!) but I still don't like anything that looks like it's going to hurt. So I was apprehensive when going for my first ever flu jab but don't really know why! I barely felt a thing. Sometimes I feel a bit 'off' for a few days afterwards, like a cotton wool head thing, but this might be normal seasonal stuff/placebo effect. My 93-year-old grandmother gets hers every year and it never even slows her down, so maybe I'm just weak!

pogofish

You don't get the flu after it because the vaccine is inactive but some people can have a minor immune reaction for a few days - which accounts for the pain round the injection site and also it can feel like a very light go of the flu. That's because your immune system is responding to the vaccine entering in your system and producing antibodies like billy-o. Which is actually good.

IIRC, it is likely that any response (and by no means all people will experience one) will be worst the first time you get vaccinated and it will be much less on subsequent vaccinations due to the continued presence of a wider range of antibodies in your system.

On balance, I would say its very much worth it - I used to suffer badly from the winter flus, and sometimes more than once due to the very international nature of my workplace - viruses from all points came back after the holidays, so even if you had the flu before Christmas, there was no guarantee that you'd have built-up resistance to other strains from other parts of the world! :mad:

So eventually I fell into one of the at-risk groups that qualified for a free vaccine and it has helped to greatly cut-down the number of times I've been hit by flu.

DigForVictory

If you get your flu jab at a flu jab clinic, the atmosphere is usually cheerful & anticipatory, like a gaggle of folk waiting for a jumble sale to start.
Dress code definitely be able to expose arm from elbow to shoulder quickly - and don't worry, the needle is so fine you don't need a sticky plaster.
Our nurses usually ask if you are left or right handed & go for the other arm, but being relaxed makes everything less uncomfortable. You don't need to look, or have a chair to recover on, it's a walk in, walk out procedure lasting seconds that'll spare you the horrors of having flu.

Still anxious? Think of your worst ever cold. Treble it & leave yourself so weak that if someone told you the cost of a brand new car was there in £50 notes on your doorstep, you simply wouldn't have the energy to do anything about it. The jab in comparison is short fast effective and heaven sent when you eyeball the alternatives. Go give the flu jab team a huge smile!

pmduk

I had flu a few years back, and ended up with bronchitis as a complication. Several weeks in bed. I'd not dream of going without a flu jab now, they're completely trivial compared with the fear (for me at least) of crossing a dentist's threshold.

Nick_C

Normally you will just feel a bit of a prick.

Very rarely, some people will have a severe reaction. Always stay in the surgery / pharmacy / clinic for 10 minutes in case this happens.

At work a few years ago this happened to a colleague and we needed to call an ambulance. He had previously had flu vaccines without any adverse reaction.

House_Martin

Its all been said about the jab symptoms but I hope this year they pick the correct virus whats heading our way.

The one in Australia at the moment is supposed to be a nasty strain and most likely it will hit the UK properly around xmas.
Flu is absolutely awful and nothing like a cold.There is an old expression which uses the £10 note on the ground test .
If you have flu you cant manage to bend down to grab the tenner because you feel so ill
.Its a killer.
I ve only had it once in my life back in the 1970 s (Spanish Flu or Hong Kong flu ) as a young man and still remember how bad I felt
.I dont want it again and as a type 2 diabetic my surgery usually grab me whenever I get in touch for a yearly jab.Arm ache and possibly a slight temperature is the usual symptoms for me..
I will order my jab very soon so it has time to build up by xmas.I think it takes a few weeks to build up to some immunity to the one or two viruses the WHA select for this winter.
The last two winters they have selected the wrong viruses heading our way when only a third or so got any immunity at all so I have nt got too much faith in the jab but its better than nothing.
We have nt had any big winter flu outbreaks for many years..we re over due a big nasty variety.
Funeral directors love a good flu outbreak..good for business











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suejb2

Nick_C wrote: »

Normally you will just feel a bit of a prick.
.

And there it is, can't believe it took 18 posts. Was going to post this mysef, well done.