I have just contacted my GP's surgery to book a flu jab and was told that RA is not considered an 'at risk' ailment so can't have one until the end of December if there is any vaccine left.
Is that right?
I presumed that as RA is an auto-immune disease it would be best to cover yourself for flu
Looking forward to some answers!
Thanks
Erika
Hi Erika, RA it's self is not classed as an 'At Risk Group' however, if you take (immune suppressants drugs) this does put you in an 'At Risk Group'.
So it's dependant on the meds you take.
nhs.uk/Conditions/Flu-jab/P...
Hope this helps.
Beth xx
Hi Erika
Beth is right, it's not the RA that is considered a risk but the immune suppressant drugs we take. However i feel that your surgery is being a bit strickt and catching the flu when you have a desease like RA would not be good at all. If your surgery won't re-consider (try talking to a GP not a receptionist), then i wouldn't wait until the end of december, you can have a flu jab at any lloyds pharmacy or any morrisons supermarket at a cost of £20 (well worth it in my book), i am sure there are other places too.
Hope this helps?
Ella x
Hi Erika, the others are right. If you only have RA (only!), then it is the drugs you are on which make you eligible for the flu jab. If you have any other problems such as Asthma you are a priority for the flu jab.
I think your surgery is being very harsh and not considering the effects of the drugs you are taking. Flu on top of RA is no joke. I suggest you contact them again, speak to your GP, and tell them which immuno suppressant drugs you are on e.g. MTX, anti TNF. Your GP should know anyway from your records. If you haven't had a pneumonia jab at all, then now is the time to get that as well. You only need to have it once.
Otherwise do as the others have suggested and go to LLoyds Pharmacy or one of the Supermarkets who are selling the flu jabs.
You could always try jumping up and down and screaming and shouting - seems to work for a lot of others people! LOL. LavendarLady x
Sainsburys are doing it for as little as £7!, I am suprised at your surgeries view, I asked mine thinking they may say no, as gold injections dont cause immune supression, but they said they classed it the"same" as methotrexate and gave me the injection with no fuss at all x
My GP also refuses to give me the jab even though I am on MTX. Have spoken to other GP's, nurses, health workers and my Consultant all of whom think I should be eligible. I have now printed off the letter sent to the NRAS from the Chief Medical Officer (recommending that all RA sufferers get the jab) to my GP surgery asking again to be put on the priority list. No response as yet. It is really confusing when you get totally conflicting information. Why should we have to pay privately ? We have to pay for our prescriptions when others get medication free. I was even charged for a sharps bin recently which really peed me off.
Walklands, I think that's disgusting, your immune system IS compromised due to the MTX you should automatically be offered the jab. Hope the letter does the trick.
Personally I'd have been in to see the practice manager and lead doctor, giving them a piece of my mind.
Good luck.
Beth x
Sorry - that turned into a bit of rant but I am really fed up with having to beg for a flu jab. The day that I stop taking the MTX will be the day that I will gladly stop expecting a free jab !!
Hi
I got mine because I was on mtx & steroids. GP said I was in the at risk group as my immune system was being compromised by the above drugs.
Some surgeries are relunctant to giving it and I think its due to budget cost. The gp management werent keen, but when I mentioned it to the doctor, she authorised it there and then I had it the same day I went to see her. Previously I rang and asked to be put on list and uptil now I am still waiting.
Try and speak to your actual gp rather than the surgery staff, you may have more luck that way.
Good luck Sci x
Hi,
I am always offered a flu jab at my doctors because i take mtx. They call me every year even though i always refuse it.
Recently our local pharmacy, Murrays contacted me at my work place offering to come in to work (school) and give the staff a flu jab. Around 10 members of staff took up the offer and the cost was £9.95 each. If more staff had taken up the offer then the cost could have come down. We thought it was a great idea and hope it's offered again next year.
all the best
Lyn
Hello
There was a post on NRAS members forum and their facebook page from the NRAS forum from the helpline team (not sure if they posted it on here or not) saying that lots of people were experiencing this. They included a link to down lod a letter from the minister for health asking them to encourage all RA patients to get the flu vacine. If it is not here I would phone or email the helpline I am sure they would email it to you.
Becky
It's outrageous that the gps are making it hard for you to look after yourself. Save us from the effects of these so called reforms to the nhs.
It's interesting that the prices vary so much for private prescriptions. Here, I was given one at the same time as a regular blood test, the practice nurse had one out for me. I asked if my partner would be eligible for one but she referred him to the local chemist who did it straight away. £12 here in Edinburgh.
Cxx
Sorry to hear you are having problems with this. My GP suggested that I have the Flu Jab in the first round as I have RA. I think this is a cost cutting exercise with your GP and suggest you talk to a different GP
Good Luck
I think your GP is bonkers, or is it that you cannot get passed a receptionist? You need to find out who exactly is taking the decision that you cant have it and then ask the question why, ask for an explanation. Be brave. I have always received a letter to attend flu jab clinic, and get told off if I haven't, wonderful nurse when taking my bloods makes comment that i must have forgotten to attend the flu clinic and promptly wacks needle in arm before I can protest! I'm not over the age where I should have jabs, told its because I am immunosupressed! Good word that, if you can remember how to spelll it! RA is an auto immune disease. Take care hope you get covered.
I had the same problem and I wrote to the GP practice manager and included info from a website that stated it was advisable for patients with RA on immune suppressant drugs to have the flu jab and have had no problems since.
Shame we have to fight for everything!
This NHS wesite recommends it!
Thank you everyone for your advice. I am not taking any form of medication at the moment for my RA but did unfortunately get swine flu last year and was proper poorly for about three weeks - which is also one of the reasons I would like to get the jab.
I have an appointment with the Rheumatology specialist next month so will bring it up with her as well x
RA is definitely considered as an illness whereby patients need to have a flu jab as your immune system is affected. I suggest you try again and insist. If you still have problems contact your consultant.
I had no problem getting a flu jab. I talked to the hospital consultant who sent a letter to my GP. I am lucky because the last one I had I went with a friend to the docs, my friend has a thyroid problem, so automatically qualifies for a jab, so when I was asked I said put me forward for one also.
I have a thyroid problem and probable RA too and had terrible case of flu (probably Swine) and sick bug all rolled into one that led into the heavy duty joint pain last year - so I thought it was reactive arthritis. I've never been offered the flu jab but my OH comes under pressure every year to have it because he works in an old folks home. He felt quite under the weather for a week afterwards and said he doesn't want to have it again. I think it should be offered to everyone with RA as a matter of course. Hard to push as you don't want to upset your surgery I know but I think others are right and you should. TTx
I have just been contacted by my GP surgery to book a flu jab because they consider RA to be an "at risk" group and I have been offered it every year since I was diagnosed.
It seems that there are different views about this in different surgeries and that your surgery doesn't think RA is serious enough perhaps? Which is silly when you consider that RA is not only an autoimmune disease but the medication prescribed for it are mmuno suppressant drugs and I you need a flu jab for these reasons.
I had swine flu last September before the flu jab season got under way and it was a nasty experience on top of my RA and other health problems. My GP didn't seem to know what to do about it and nothing was done to help me until I went to see my RA consultant who gave me an injection of steriods to give me a boost. I'm glad to say that worked and I spent Christmas relatively pain free.
Can I suggest that you go back to your GP and insist that you have one. If you don't feel strong enough to do this on your own, is there someone who can go with you? I hope you are successful.
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