Went this morning to my pharmacy to get vaccinated against flu. I've never had a flu jab before and all my allergies were checked, taking up most of the space on the form but was stymied when it came to latex allergy. Pharmacist said he couldn't take the risk, - although NHS says it's negligible - as I'm obviously allergy prone. So I'm now shielding against flu as well as Covid!
But the lovely drive along the seafront on a sunny morning with my daughter lifted my spirits and I'm sure I can fight flu if it comes. But stocking up on tins of soup and paracetemol just in case.
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maria40
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Apparently all the ‘Flu Vaccines are sealed with a Latex Top......
I’ve done a fair bit of research as my Son is extremely allergic to eggs but even though they do now make some vaccines not cultured on egg he won’t take the chance......
I wish my G.P. and others had shown the same sense as your pharmacist. Based entirely on my late entry to our beloved health service one of things that I have picked up is just how little information we receive prior to being prescribed some of the medication that we end up taking for long periods of time. So well done your pharmacist.It may not be the response you wanted but it may be that it was the right one.
Good luck avoiding the flu' but if you don't then good luck fighting it.
I can highly recommend Marks & Sparks soups,excellent range and not too expensive,the dearest is around £2.
Thank you. I've just done a Waitrose online shop and they've got a special offer on Baxter's soups . French onion and spicy parsnip sound particularly good.
I did have a fight with flu - or something nasty - in February/March and I should be less susceptible this year as I'm not having my grandson at weekends as I was then and am practically a hermit at the moment anyway.
I could try that but my particular pharmacy is ending its flu jab services today as it is out of vaccine as I understand are all others in the area and not expected before mid November at the latest. So asking for a particular one could be a problem
I had to cancel my GP flu jab appointment last week as I was unable to get transport on that day and I'll see if I can get through to them on the phone but not holding my breath.
True, as the guy in A&E put his hands in Martin’s Mouth & then asked if he was Allergic to Latex? I think it frightened the Doctor more than it did us!.....
Absolutely! He had to have everything checked from when he was a baby, all his Meds, he had to have adult antibiotic suspensions diluted due to other allergens, we had to wary of Lecithin incase it as from egg.....
I used to carry & have at home hydrocortisone powder with ampules of sterile water to mix plus adrenaline ampules & good old piriton. I always had to know his weight for the correct dosage. That was until he was prescribed one of the first Paediatric Epipen in the U.K. & it came from the USA - he always carried the appropriate oral dose of Hydrocortisone with him at all times - l doubt they’d allow that a child to do that now but he was very responsible, he had to be......
When his Paediatrician discharged him he said he never thought he’d live much beyond 5or6years old as something would overwhelm him......
When he was little my Mum used to bake for him, pastry & cakes with recipes from the war with No Eggs.
We didn’t like ‘substitutes’ as such & prefer to avoid them & to this day l still make Chocolate Cake(s) Muffins from the same recipe. I’ll be making a Cake 🎂 on Thursday for his Birthday on Friday ~ he’s 38years young 💙🙆🏻♂️💙
If it's any comfort, in Australia we've had the quietest flu season ever this past winter. All the masking and hand washing for Covid seems to have been a flu preventer anyway. Nevertheless I still had my flu jab.
As you can catch COVID twice as easily as the flu (OK, approx), then if shield from covid you are also shielding from the flu... those states which shielded well from COVID had almost ZERO flu cases in 2020 southern hemi. health.qld.gov.au/__data/as... QLD is a good example..note the drop to zero mid-march.
Also, note the drop in mid-march for flu reported cases. In QLD (unlike NSW and VIC) they test for I think 10 different viruses, not just COVID.. so no flu means no flu, but the flu looked like it was exceptionally bad in Feb?March this year//not fitting with timing or any other year. As they were not testing for COVID then(unless you were from specific countries like China, Korea and a couple of others, I do wonder if they just said FLU and noted as a case without testing which strain.... when really it was covid. (like I'd almost be certain on that one)
That's very interesting. I suppose that one good reason for getting the flu jab - if you can - is that the symptoms are so similar initially that if you've had the flu jab you can be sure that's what you don't have.
But you're right of course that shielding from one will be shielding from the other so if I can't get a latex free flu jab that's what I' ll be doing.
I’ve had to shield each winter for past three years, on advice from an eminent Professor. New winter routine for us is...shield all November & December, go to Florida (yes, FFP3 grade mask at airport & on plane grew a lot of stares in previous years to this one!) semi shield in Feb & out in March. If I don’t want to be very sick for 3 months, it’s my only answer. Probably why I’m getting a bit short tempered with folk who moan about their lot during this covid year! It’s naff, but better than the alternative! Take up some hobbies, wrap up well & enjoy the British countryside, even a short walk takes you just outside the gate! Christmas was very hard away from our families for the first year, but we celebrated with a day together in October, instead! Good luck & thank goodness for supermarket deliveries! Tougher if you live on your own, but try & keep your spirits up!! S x
As a child, I had a horrible reaction to a tetanus jab which had been cultured in horse serum! This has left me with an allergy to horse meat (NOT that I want to eat horse meat!). Twice in my adult life, I've been given horse meat, passed off as beef and suffered an allergic reaction.
Now, whenever the NHS offers me anything, I check whether it's been anywhere near a horse! I did this when I started Tocilizumab for GCA-LVV in March.
Better safe than sorry.
I understand about your pleasure in the seafront drive. We live inland, but last week on a trip to the dentist, we enjoyed seeing all the autumn colours. Lockdown highlights these 'simple' pleasures.
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It's the stuff of nightmares ...
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