Asthma cough/mucus worse past three years

[Palette]

I've noticed lots of people on the site writing that their asthma has worsened in the last few years. A lot of us were given the pneumococcal vaccine about then, could this have triggered something? Or the ever changing flu injections?

[elanaoali]

I have had the flu jab for the last 4 years. I not old enough to have the pneumonia jab. I have never had any I'll effects from the flu except for a sore arm.

[Hidden in reply to elanaoali]

In the US you can get those “jabs” at any age when you have a lung disease if you have a chronic lung disease. Can you appeal?

[elanaoali in reply to Hidden]

I live in the UK the NHS only offers flu jab to children between 2yrs and 11 yrs, pregnant women and people with COPD, asthma patients who use a preventer, cancer, Aids and over 65 yes old.

You don't have to have it if you don't want to. However we are encouraged to get our kids jabbed to protect vulnerable people like the elderly relatives. (If my dad who is 92 got flu it would probably kill him!)

There are alot of myths about the flu jab e.g. it gives you flu. It is a dead virus which can't give you flu. It just activates your immune system to produce the antibodies after 10 days.

I have only had flu once in my 20"s and I was in bed for a week. My husband had flu two years ago he was ill in bed for a week and really tired for weeks after. I didn't get it but I did get a cold after he had flu for 4 days. The cold went to my chest and triggered an asthma attack.

So in this country you have choice to get it or not and it's free. It's really up to you.

[Hidden in reply to elanaoali]

My son who is 1 has had asthma symptoms/breathing problems since he was born, he’s had around 3 weeks in hospital since birth on sedation and had assistance with his breathing each time. His dr recommended that he has the flu jab so he had it at 15 months old, unfortunately at that age they have to have 2 injections spaced several weeks apart. Just writing this to let others know that those younger than 2 can have the flu jab in certain circumstances. At this age he shouldn’t be formally diagnosed with asthma, but he has 3 separate inhalers and he is treated as though he has asthma by our gp surgery.

We are so lucky to have the nhs and many excellent Drs and nurses, he would be in so much trouble if he got flu.

[Palette in reply to Hidden]

I have always had the flu jab and thank goodness it us available, we are lucky to have the NHS. Maybe extra mucus production is just evidence of how bad flu might have been without the jab! Glad I had it, though. I really do hope your baby son improves very soon, sounds like you have good care in place.