Just wondering if anyone else has been advised NOT to have this vaccination? I have PRV, am 68, take hydroxyea and aspirin. I have no other health issues. A specialist nurse advised me not to have the vaccination and also said that I would have to stop taking the hydroxea for a few weeks if I decided to go ahead and have it.
Many thanks in anticipation of replies. Turfbeg
I was given the pneumococcal vaccine by my haematologist few months ago absolutely no issues. On HU and Aspirin. I would check with your doctor
Yes,like Dovme i've had the Pneumococcal vaccine several years ago now and was on a large concoction of meds including Hydrea. I would talk with your Gp or Haemo about it. I can''t understand why this nurse would advise against this if you have no other underlying health problems. Atb,tina.🤗
Hi
I’ve had mine 2 years ago. On hydroxy amongst other meds. No ill effects
I’ve never been advised against it , in fact I was advised strongly to have it I feel happier having some protection against it
Pippa
Hi why did your specialist advise against the pneumonia vaccine?
I was booked in for the flu jab Saturday and when I was walking out the door he said actually you are on the list for the pneumonia jab so was given that as well.
Now a bit concerned if I should have checked with my hospital first.
When I questioned the specialist nurse's advice she told me that I would need to stop taking hydroxea for a few weeks - this was a couple of years ago and I wasn't so mistrusting of medical adviceas I am now. As you can see from the replies here , it doesn't look as if anyone else has been told to refuse the pneumonia vaccination or to stop taking hydroxea!
Turfbeg
Thanks I was supposed to start hydroxy at beginning of lockdown, then that was postponed and then changed to interferon which has also been postponed.
So probably okay as only on aspirin?
Hi. I had the pneumonia vaccine last year.
I went to my gp for the flu jab and she said I should have this too.
We double checked it wasn’t a live vaccine and it was safe to have. I’m on HU and aspirin too.
I had the pneumonia and flu vaccines at the same time and was absolutely fine. I didn’t stop taking my medicine either.
As per advice above, it’s always worth checking with your gp and haematologist first.
Xx
Having high risk post ET MF I had pneumococcal vaccine 6 years ago and again last year. It is recommended every five years for anyone with a compromised immune system. I think a sore arm is a small price to pay for protection
Hi Beetle, you have done your 3 pneumococcal jabs in the last 6 years ( 1 + 1 booster 8 weeks after + 1 extra one 5 years after), so you won’t need any other pneumococcal jab. It’s now supposed to work for the rest of your life.
I wasn’t required to have a booster after 8 weeks so I have only had the two. Nobody mentioned anything different
« Younger than 2 years old: four shots (at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and then a booster between 12 and 15 months)
65 years old or older: two shots, which will last you the rest of your life
Between 2 and 64 years old: between one and three shots if you have certain immune system disorders or if you’re a smoker »
I'm 69 and on hydroxy and asprin and had the pnemoccal vaccine 2 years ago with no problem and I did check with my haem first
I have Had ET for over 10years with the same treatment as you. The consultant always advises me not to have any live vaccines which pneumonia is. My local doctor has this information on the computer on my records so they certainly would not give me one.
High Caryoptetis, many thanks for replying to my question. I understand the vaccine given in the UK isn't live. Are you a resident in the UK?
Turfbeg
I am in the U. K. However, the nurse assured me that it was a live vaccine.
I can assure you the uk Pneumococcal and Flu vaccines are not live and might at worst cause a few side effects. Both vaccines contain no 'Live' bacteria. Atb,tina.🤗
« Both the PPV and the PCV are inactivated or "killed" vaccines and do not contain any live organisms. They cannot cause the disease they protect against »
It is only live vaccines you cannot take while on HU. Perhaps the Nurse got confused about which vaccine it was.
Thanks for your information. It’s not too surprising if people get confused as life seems to get more and more complicated!
Interestingly it was a specialist nurse who advised me against having the pneumonia vaccination. I would be rather worried if she hadn't checked the nature of the vaccine when she replied to my question about her advice against having this vaccination.
I have today decided to try to contact (via email) the main consultant apparently in charge of my treatment. In the 4 plus years since diagnosis I haven’t met her but I am hoping that she reply personally to my email. Keep safe!
Turfbeg
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