Hi All,
I just got a letter from the local surgery stating that I'm entitled to the free flu jab. I had a transplant last November and I seem to remember getting advice from the liver transplant co-ordinator about vaccines, but I've completely forgotten what that was.
Should I or shouldn't I.
Thanks
Quick phone call to your transplant co-ordinator should sort that one.
I know that pre-transplant and those with long term liver conditions, auto-immune conditions etc. are advised to have it as immune system not able to fight off the effects of full blown flu - might be the same case if you are on immune suppressants post transplant.
Run it past your co-ordinator or consultant at next check up - they are the best folks to ask. I know hubby (cirrhosis due to AIH) and me (his carer) have both always had the jab free on the NHS (Scotland) since hubby's diagnosis.
Katie
I think docs are cautious about us liver patients having "live" vaccines but the flu jab is not a live one. I've always had it and have Hep B, AIH and had liver cancer. So I'm on antivirals and immunosuppressants and still have the flu jab. However as Katie says, ask the medics who know you.
Yes you should have a flu jab and a pneumonia jab too which is a one off. They will protect you over the winter
I am nearly 3 years post transplant and I choose not to have the flu jab. There are many reasons for this decision, but I would rather you do your own research on its effectiveness at preventing flu, as well as looking at the ingredients mixed in with the vaccine... I just refuse to have them injected directly into my bloodstream.
I have autoimmune conditions and have been advised NOT to get vaccines unless for something I would be at high risk for and only if guaranteed to be preservative-free. It is the adjuvants that are a concern with autoimmune issues, and most vaccines are formulated with adjuvants. Both my hepatologist and my rheumatologist are in agreement on this - and the rheumatologist/immunologist is the top guy at one of the best medical centers in the world. That said, most docs will recommend vaccines, and most people won't have problems. Those of us with autoimmune diseases may be at higher risk for complications.
Diane, from your spelling of center I guess you arn't in the UK. I know that the US vaccine for flu is a live one (normally a spray up the nose) and for those with immune deficiency there is a real danger with that and it isn't advised. Here in the UK the vaccine is not live and is in injection form, those with auto-immune conditions here are definitely advised to get it.
At the end of the day it is a personal decision which the individual must make based on all the evidence available. Some decide to have it, some not but
full on flu is a killer if the immune system can't fight it off.
Katie
Hi, Katie - you are correct, I'm in the US. While the nasal spray vaccine is used here, it's not the most common kind in my experience - I've never been offered the nasal spray, and I know that most doctor's offices don't use it, with the possible exception of pediatricians. I'm not anti-vaccine by any means, but there are different considerations for some with autoimmune disease or risk factors. Preservative-free flu vaccines are often hard to locate, and/or they run out of them early. Most of the flu vaccines still contain thimerosol/mercury. Autoimmune conditions are typically thought to involve an overactive or poorly regulated immune response - so the body goes into overdrive to attack a foreign invader, which can actually mean that there is increased resistance to things like the flu. It can also mean that the rogue immune system may turn on self when over-stimulated. Substances contained in vaccine preservatives and adjuvants can be problematic in some individuals with autoimmune conditions, as they have been for me, and provoke a serious attack. Now - if someone with autoimmune disease is on a powerful immunosuppressant drug, they could have reduced immunity to flu, colds, etc. and it becomes complicated. The same would be true for those on immunosuppressants to prevent organ rejection after transplant.
Each case is different, and if you note, I concluded my original response by saying most will probably do fine to get the vaccine, and that most doctors will likely recommend it. I felt it was important to also call attention to special considerations that may exist for those with autoimmune challenges. Thanks for your thoughts. 
If it helps, I have AIH and Cirrhosis. The hepatologists at King's College Hospital in London recommend (to me anyway) annual flu vaccine and Pneumovax - which is a multi year vaccine against pneumococcal pneumonia. All non-live.
To the best of my admittedly limited knowledge (and because I looked it up) The CDC in the US state that seasonal annual flu vaccines don't contain adjuvants.
CDC (US)
cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/conce...
NHS page here.
cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/conce...
Hi, MisterX, thanks - they do usually contain thimerosal, which can cause serious reactions and possible autoimmune flares or triggers in a genetically predisposed minority.
Thanks for all the replies. I found the information in the pack I got from Kings. It did recommend the flu jab.
Although I'll have to get rid of this cold first.
I got offered the flu jab because I have cirrhosis. .
I got the flu jab for the last 2yrs..I have decided not to have it this year as I felt it made me feel terrible for wks..so giving it a miss this year and if I do catch it hoping my imune system fights it on it's own.
2nd transplant
British Transplant Games and running for Chelle.
I`m new here, so......Hello all :)
Post Liver Transplant 
