Flu jab or not?

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Todays discussion on the subject. There have been many, many more previously.

Hi Liz, I understand your concern, especially as you say you are a front line worker.

My own experience is that I've had hashi's for several years and I've also had the flu jab for several years without problems so far. I felt sure that I should have it when I was my late husband's carer.

Just read Greygoose's link (above), so you may want to check that out too.

This is a question that regularly gives no consensus! I have never had it because it's not "the" flu vaccine but only "a" flu vaccine ie it may not even come anywhere near to being the right treatment if the strains of the flu vaccine do not match the one(s) responsible for the current year’s epidemic - vaccines are developed months in advance, based on an educated best guess ... However, it has to be an individual choice based on a personal risk benefit analysis, weighing the risks of complications from the flu against the chances of complications from the vaccine.

I read this a couple of weeks ago: "Figures published in the British Medical Journal indicates the £160m winter public health campaign last year may have been a waste of money for those over 65, its principal target.

Now the government’s Joint Council on Vaccination and Immunisation is discussing plans to abandon the jab for pensioners and replace it with something it hopes will be more effective.

The present vaccine has components altered each year to bring about immunity to the three strains that are most likely to be circulating. Now experts are considering introducing a boosted jab with more active ingredients. This follows Public Health England figures, revealed in a recent BMJ paper, which show having the vaccine did not reduce the chance pensioners developing the illness at all last year.

In 2015/16 the same government data source showed the vaccine was more effective, reducing the risk of an elderly person having the virus by 29 per cent. But the year before – 2014/15 – their risk was reduced by just three per cent. Minutes of the last meeting of the joint council suggested a new vaccine would be considered for next year concluding in those aged 18-64 years, vaccine effectiveness was “modest for all strains”, and those aged 65 years and over “effectiveness was even lower.”

Professor Robert Dingwall, an expert in influenza and social sciences at Nottingham Trent University who has examined the latest figures, said: “We need to take this seriously and ask some critical questions about what is going on here."

personally i would avoid the flu jab ...

I have had the flu jab for about 10 years now as I have respiratory problems. Last year I couldn’t attend the walk in clinic and the surgery were unable to offer a convenient appointment so I had it done at the chemist. This year I got several letters and text messages to remind me of the walk ins but when I went for my asthma review prior to the clinics the nurse left the room and came back with the vaccine before I could say anything. Are they on commission or something? I always react to the jab and like to be prepared but wasn’t this year so I got a painful lump again. Not sure if I should have another one now 🤔