Kitchen Garden Forum

We had our annual flu jab last week. Usually I have no reaction at all - but this year's jab has really knocked me back. Headache, chills, sneezing, etc. etc. Felt quite poorly for 6 days now. Just starting to recover today, I think.
Husband has had no reaction at all.

I was just wondering how many other folk have fared with this year's jab?

We had ours a week ago and the day afterwards both of us felt slightly under the weather but within 24 hours were back to normal. Arms not so sore as GP said they were using a new injection mechanism which didn't hurt the skin so much. He was right and neither of us experienced that normal arm soreness which often lingers for a few days.

Our surgery has got it down to a fine art. Line up, sleeves rolled up ready. One patient every two minutes. The battle isn't the surgery. It's tryingg to get a place in the surgery car park on Saturday morning injection days. It,s like the Harrods Sale !

Good to hear you are ok Primrose. I agree, the actual jab was painless. We had ours done in the local Boots chemist this year rather than face the queue and the parking mayhem at the surgery.
Apparently it's a new system - you can make an appointment to suit yourself. It's still free. I think other pharmacies are doing it too.

I'll have to take your word on the, "Harrods sale", Primrose....

I'll have to take my own word too OH. Can't see myself queueing up with a sleeping bag to buy overpriced stuff that I don't need anyway, but you have only to watch TV clips on the news to see how many people are only too happy to part with their cash.

Hi Diane.

The work program has started & loads of my colleagues are either saying it hurt like hell or they had dreadful symptoms. Last years was a live vaccine & not terribly effective, this is supposed to cover more strains. I will get it done as owe it to the patients I come in contact with, but more negative than positive comments to date. But hey I work right next to Occupational Health so they'll get me whatever!

Westi

Hi Westi,

Hope you don't get the side effects. My husband didn't - so it's not affecting everyone.

Many years ago I had a flu jab through work as a "perk". One week later I was hit with the worst flu I have ever had. I was in bed for two weeks, off work for three, had the doctor out twice (that was when doctors came on visits, our's don't) I was almost put into hospital with what was possibly encephalitis. I don't remember ever feeling so poorly. So I personally will never ever have another flu jab.

My OH and I are going on Wednesday - so thanks for the warning!

Like all of you I have heard the horror stories, but then isn't that typical. We hear of the bad side of things but rarely do people publicise the good side.

Now having said that, I have never had, and will never have, a flu jab thank you.

Me and the Memsahib have had the flue jab for years, with no problems.

We had our flu jabs yesterday, and have been doing so for what seems like forever. I have had no effects but my wife has felt as though she is getting a cold; this will undoubtedly be because it IS a cold, picked up from the one I had last week. I am sure that some of the patients who think they have had an adverse reaction to the jab are having nothing more than the cold they would have developed anyway regardless of any jab. Think about it; how many of us get through the autumn and winter without a cold, and how randomly do we get them? Some are bound to coincide with the jab and, therefore, be blamed on it.
Interested in Primrose’s ‘production line’ at the surgery. Ours manages with a one minute interval on the bookings.

Ah I think the extra minute built into our queueing times was designed to accommodate a friendly "Nice to see you- Hope you're all well but I'm sure we're be seeing you here if you're not" type of greeting ! Or. "Did you remember to key your car registration number into the machine at Reception?" for those who haven't attended for a year and not realised they could now be fined for unauthorised use of the surgery car park unless their visit is recorded.

The Occupational Health Nurses got me today as knew I'd be the example needed for the others to follow as I always have it each year & actively encourage my staff to as well. (Today's actively encourage was to lock some of them in the office for the nurse).

No ill effects in the form of pain of the jab some others have told me & if I get any cold / flu symptoms it will be a co-incidence most likely, or just the fact my immune system is well healthy & fighting the invading pathogens.

Catherine if you had possible encephalitis it was nothing to do with the flu jab but a way more serious & different virus attacking a completely different area than the flu & you were very seriously ill. I'd think I'd avoid meeting new, even if modified virus's too after that experience!

Westi

Thanks Westi I must admit I was seriously poorly the pain in my head was so extreme that I sat on the landing crying and rocking for hours not knowing what to do. The first week of my illness I can't remember what I did eating, sleeping or anything. I always thought it was the flu jab but now I have doubts. I still wont be having another flu jab.