Reaction to the flu jab.

[Booge_15]

I wondered if anyone has had a reaction to the flu jab. I must have had about 16/17 in the past of which at least three or four must have been when I was on steroids with my first bout of PMR. Before that I have had them at work when I was nursing. Never a reaction and hardly a sore arm. This time I had one on Thursday which according to the nurse had 'something added' ? I don't know what but she was about to give me one for 65 yrs old and under and then realised my date of birth was 1944 so quickly changed it to the one with 'something added'. Again I had no reaction at all until Sunday when I suddenly felt awful like flu and headache a bit of sneezing and runny nose, really cold and shaky with cold hands etc. I spent the day in bed. Today i am much better but still not quite right. so have decided to do nothing but knit!! I must admit I do over do things as my husband who is 80 is not in good health. I am assuming it is the flu jab as I have had no cough etc etc. My husband has had no such reaction.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

The "something added" to the vaccine for over-65s is a substance that makes the immune system react more to the vaccine and so produce better immunity against the strains of flu virus in it. This is because as we ag our immune response becomes less - and why we are more likely to be ill with various illnesses. There are two ways of getting a better response to a vaccine: one is to use a much higher dose (typically 4x as much as for younger people) but since that is the difficult part to manufacture in vast quantities they have looked to see if other things will increase the response, they are called adjuvants.

If you want the technical info it is here:

medicines.org.uk/emc/produc...

including the recipe. The main ingredient is a substance that all animals secrete naturally. It lists other things it "may contain" - but they are part of the manufacturing process and it is a bit like saying an otherwise vegan cake "may contain milk" because it may have been used in the factory but not on the production line.

It is often said that when you have a post-injection reaction after a day or so it is a sign that the immune system is doing what you want it to: developing immunity to the virus. It isn't the flu, the virus is dead, it cannot cause an infection.

[SnazzyD]

Could have been either. The something extra is to provoke a bigger reaction in the immune system to make it more effective in those whose immune system is likely to be not as active ie, the immunosuppressed and older people. Sadly, for some, it causes the body to react quite hard and it can feel like the flu. It can be delayed and not just the same day.

However, I would also get a Covid test. Many people do not get a cough even when they have respiratory involvement, but you do need that within 5 days of onset of symptoms. I think it would be prudent to quarantine for whatever it is now, 10-14 days just in case.

In all cases TLC, knitting and keep an eye.