Poor Flu Protection This Year - Lung Conditions C...

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Poor Flu Protection This Year

28 Replies

Now we know why some of us despite having our flu vaccination last year still ended up getting flu albeit a mild one but as some of us found out it created other problems such as the pneumonia some of us got last and this year.

The following link is the reports from CNN,

edition.cnn.com/2014/12/04/...

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28 Replies
megannell profile image
megannell

"Oh anthony, Your so right. thank you for the link that you have added. i know ever since my Flu and my Pneumonia injections, i know i have not been off my steroids or antibiotics for more than 3 days without getting another infection. i cant wait for the weather to break and spring Springs through..Hoping that your doing good anthony as you too have had more than your fair share colds infections...keep positive Hey!!... my friend... wishing you a Ni Ni's now....Megan.xx"

in reply tomegannell

Hi Megan not doing to bad that is if you discount infection number four since leaving hospital still like you I remain positive and cannot wait for spring the daffodils are already out below my window.

Best wishes

Ant xxx

sassy59 profile image
sassy59

Thanks for that ant. I had heard from friends in the USA that the flu jab had not been very effective and lots of people there and here have suffered as a consequence. I do wish everyone well and hope that the worst is now over. Take care all. xxxx

Dragonmum profile image
Dragonmum

Haven't had a 'flu jab for 2 years - glad I missed that one.

Offcut profile image
Offcut

They said this some months back on the English news it seems the one that is moving at a rate is from Australia. It just takes so long to produce the amount needed they can be over 4 months out of date on virus most prolific?

jimmyw123 profile image
jimmyw123

hi anthony, it has just dawned on me in reading your post,,,, i was never able to get the flu or pneumonia jab due to infections,,,,now i got my catheter changed by a district nurse in about the middle of january, i have now remembered [she was that quick] she gave me the flu shot after this catheter change, i didn't feel too great at the time, i haven't really been great since, [very bad for a while] it always came into my head, how strange all these infections and feeling awful, breathing bad etc, ever since that catheter change ? i always said to myself surely a catheter change wouldnt cause all this,, its just now in reading your post,,that it wasn't in fact the catheter change at all,,, but possibly that flu

jab, it was in my arm before i even realized [my mind was on the other thing :D ] but next time i see my g.p ill mention this now, as its seems from that day on i was a lot worse, g,p been in many times never even mentioned this!!! but i just wonder if this has any thing to do with me being ill since ? youve got me thinking now anthony!!!!

apart from that anthony, it was on the news about this flu jab, they had bought it 9 months before winter, by that time the flu had mutated and the flu jab was more or less useless,, its given really, just to have in their records "flu jab given" ,, but i have my doubts on this as i think its done me more harm than good, i might be wrong , but a real coincidence, and to think i was blaming a catheter change,, anyway food for thought for me anyway,,, i still haven't really recovered yet !! really just trying to fight it, and carry on,, anyway as i say anthony food for thought in my case anyway,,

sorry to goon, but your post has just brought this to my mind,,,, anyway hope your feeling better anthony all the very best for now jimmy

in reply tojimmyw123

Hi Jimmy so sorry you have been unwell to I think it has clobbered the majority on this site in one way or another I am just recovering from my fourth flare up since leaving hospital this year I see the chest doctor later this month and I will have some questions to put forward this time. I am slowly building my strength back up and one thing that is good about living in a nursing home the size of the one I am in is there is plenty of corridors to walk down, so far at the end of Feb when I wanted a shower I had to go down in a wheelchair today was the first day I walked down there unaided all it takes is will power and dogged persistence and you get there in the end. Soon the warm weather will be with us and then it will be outdoor exercise and eventually time to paint the town red.

suef profile image
suef

I had the flu jab but still got the darn flu, cant ever remember been so ill, great difficulty in breathing on top of copd was'nt well at all.

in reply tosuef

I can both empathize and sympathize with you Sue I am only just feeling as though I am starting to get there I walked the furthest I had done since last December. One good thing about being a large nursing home is that there are big corridors to walk down before going outside in the cold.

suef profile image
suef

I had the flu beginning of January & still have'nt shaken it off.

suef profile image
suef

I have moderate copd & i have my 1st assessment with atos tomorrow. As most ppl know we have good days & bad days. Could someone pls tell me what happens in these assessments as there are many stories been written that they never find in ur favour.

I am at the last stage of COPD and when hospitalized with the pneumonia I was told the next time I may not pull through. The question that lies heavy on my mind is do I get immunized this year or is going to be a total farce again like most antibiotics if you do not rest from them for at least 1-2 months the body grows immune to them

suef profile image
suef

Personally i doubt very much if i will have the flu jab again, i assume u have had a pneumonia jab which i had 2yrs ago & feel sorry for u getting pneumonia. It's sod's law whether we do or dont have jabs. I hope u are on the mend now.

in reply tosuef

Thank you Sue well 4 flare ups and 1 dose of pleurisy I think I am over the worst just waiting to see the respiratory doctor in a fortnight things have not gone as planned as he hoped in November. Ant xxx

suef profile image
suef

How long have u had copd? I was diagnosed 3yrs ago. Went 4 my 1st assessment 2day so going 2 b a tense 6 to 8 weeks wait 4 decision. xxxx

in reply tosuef

Hi Sue it just rolled on from asthma in the 1990's I was told loosely I had stage 2 COPD and in March last year I was diagnosed correctly only that it was at stage 3 then since I had the pneumonia it has advanced to the final stage which is stage 4. I know what you mean by a tense wait as during the next three months I am having some heart tests done after suffering from what is to the GP as uncontrollable angina but both she and I know COPD can and does cause heart problems in its later stages. All I can say that it is all starting to make much more sense now. Keep your fingers crossed that you have COPD in a mild form one that with pulmonary rehab can help you to help keep an active life for as long as you can, there are others on this site who are far worse than I they have portable oxygen so they unlike me are not tied to their homes or at least don't have to worry about how far I can be out for. Look after yourself and try not to worry the treatment for COPD is coming on in leaps and bounds and if you smoke try and ditch them as soon as you can but you may be like me one of the few who have COPD and have never smoked one fag in their entire life not even one behind the bike shed at school.

Ant xxx

suef profile image
suef

I have moderate copd & yes i do smoke, have stopped couple of times but im more unwell then having mouth ulcers, vomiting & bn so constipated so go back on fags. I used 2 b a carer in a nursing home but had 2 give it up due to not bn able to lift. I have read the stories on the pages here & what really grates me is that ppl like ourselves have 2 prove 2 esa thst we r genuinely ill & how callous these doctor's are, if it was their own family it would b a different story. Xx

in reply tosuef

Sad to have to give up a worthwhile job because of your back I have seen quite a few staff leave for the same reason in the 10 years I have been here. As for chucking the weeds it may come in time but only try when you do not have so much going on in your life. As for the ESA I did conquer that one but the guidelines for receiving it and the questionnaires were set by a private company who had no health training whatsoever they only had about 2-5 doctors to consult over the million plus questions they had marked. Next to come this year is my PIP re-assessment now that does make me blow my top 1 year of retirement age when it would not have mattered and I have been on DLA after a 5 year battle in the 1990's. That really gets me mad I was eventually awarded it for life now under the new PIP rulings it will only be awarded for either 5, 7, or 10 years at a time.

Ant xxx

suef profile image
suef

Hi. Hope ur well. I did'nt leave my job coz of my back but the copd, if i had 2 lift a heavy patient it would really take my breath away so was'nt safe 4 me or the patient. All i did yesterday in the assessment was answer questions & blow into the spirometer how can they assess u like that !!!!! They should have gone walking with me THEN they would have cn how bad i can b. Why on earth would they need 2 re-assess u 4 PIP they really should take a grip & get the bloody spongers.

suef profile image
suef in reply tosuef

Xxxx

in reply tosuef

Hi Sue so sad you had to leave your job as you come across as a kind caring person. And I quite agree with you about the damn scroungers it made me what makes me mad is that drug addicts and alcoholics can just get it at the drop of a hat I know for those in this classification the are bringing in plans where on benefit day they get tested and if they test for positive their benefits will be reduced accordingly the thing is we joined this common market and their parliament makes a laughing stock out our benefit system. As for the tests it is the power that you suck and blow into the spirometer that determines your lung and chest functions, I was luckier than you in that when I had my first appointment at the respiratory clinic I had my Spirometer and ECG done there and then no coming back also I just had a cat scan for another clinic the month before from that he could deduce the severity of the bronchiectasis which was second to the COPD but just as troublesome but have no worries what these doctors can and cannot assess you on they need very little machine work they are probably waiting to get your spirometer tests through and and from your answers to some of the questions they usually come up with a diagnosis. What gets me at some hospitals is not just the waiting time to get tests done but the waiting time to see the consultant who sent you for the tests in the first place.

Take care

Ant xxx

suef profile image
suef

Oh thank u. Nothing i could do about it though. Ur right druggies & alkis get benefits & never questioned. I feel like a begger even though i've paid taxes & ni 4 years. I tried 2 get help with new glasses i got the certificate but basically i might as well wipe my a..e with it as it said my hubby earns money regardless of everything in household bills he has 2 pay. Xxxx

in reply tosuef

Yes it is hard when the genuine ones come forward and get refused for what I term is quite rightfully theirs at long last they are tightening up the benefits system those from the EU who used to come over here got benefit straight away now have to be self supporting for a year before being considered for any benefit, but it is all to little too late. One way round the specs problem is to see if you can qualify for pension credits as with this you can get free optical and dental services the link is:-

gov.uk/calculate-state-pension

Ant xxx

100% with you there fibberti

suef profile image
suef

Hi Ant. Yes quite rightly about time this government stopped giving 2 the immigrants & started looking after their own. I will deffo have a look at the link u sent thank u. How r u 2day? Xxxx

in reply tosuef

Hi Sue I am fine today thanks with the sun coming in through my windows you always feel better soon I will be able to get out and about on my mobility scooter.

suef profile image
suef

Wtg Ant lol. Everybody feels better when there's a bit of sun roll on Summer. Xxxx

in reply tosuef

cannot come soon enough but heck I have to get through the hell of spring

wishes

Ant xxx

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