After having flu properly twice in three years which includes once over the Christmas week I’ve had enough.
Anyone had a flu shot?
Are they free?
When do you get them?
Just had flu – worth having one just afterwards?
Do they work?
Cheers
Rob

They are aimed at people at risk of serious complications if they get flu. Asthmatics, people with compromised immunity, elderly. IIRC this years has 3 vaccines in it.

It only offers partial protection and only against real flu – not man flu. Did you early get real flu? its a serious illness that will have you off work and in bed for a week or two.

When I got it over Christmas I couldn’t move out of bed for a week. Horrific headaches, sweating, shivering, sickness etc etc. It was so bad I got quite scared and was hours from calling a doctor out to my house but it started to ease off a bit.
This time hasn’t been as bad, but its been pretty nasty and felt like the same thing.

to late for this year you have them back in oct if you get them free through the nhs which you do if you are old enough(60 i think) or have asthma etc like i do but and it is a big but i havn’t had one for a few years as last time i had one i got the flu badly and the reason is that back in the summer they(the docs at the nhs)decide which strains of flu are likly this coming winter and thats what you get in the flu shot just so happens the year i got flu they picked the wrong strains so i take my chances and touch wood been lucky for the last 5 years

I’ve had one for the last few years and despite having one I still got a nasty case of flu the year before last. They only immunise against one strain and viruses mutate all the time so whilst they lower the risk they don’t eliminate it. I get mine free because I have asthma but it can’t hurt to ask your GP.

I get a voucher from work for it but there’s no way I’m volunteering to get stuck in the arm so it’s stuck on the fridge door 😀

I got one on Friday d.t. underlying respiratory disease (higher risk patient). I am getting swine flu and winter flu. You can request it IIRC. Go to you GP or phone up and request the jab.

As you have had flu I am not sure it is necc worth it if its this years winter flu stain as you shouldn’t get it again.

Ok robdob – that does sound more like real flu not man flu. Too many folk claim they have had flu when all they have had is manflu.

Ask your GP for one. Still available I think – certainly my employer offered me one a week or two ago

Its good to know on STW there is always someone who wasn’t there but knows better.

I get a voucher from work for it but there’s no way I’m volunteering to get stuck in the arm so it’s stuck on the fridge door

I have quite a bad fear of needles, always have. I nearly ran away from the doctors when I went for my tetanus jab even though my mum cam with me. I was 18 years old!

However, I’d do anything to not get flu again. Please go and get the shot, you’ll regret it if you do get flu, for the whole 1-2 weeks of pain and agony you’ll go through.

I heard a saying that if you have a bad cold you’ll struggle to pick up a £20 note you find on the floor. If you have flu you won’t give a rats ass about it!

I have one every year as I am in the ‘at risk’ group. Not sure about Fat Simon’s assertion about needing to have them in October as I only had this year’s last week. Never had any side effects. Not sure whether is does any good but having had pneumonia many years ago I’m not sure I want to gamble with my health.

Pick up the phone, speak to GP surgery, go see Practice Nurse, miss out the STW ‘experts’.

I have them every year for being in an ‘at risk’ group. This year’s apparently covers the latest mutations and swine flu – and I only got mine last week too, they start giving them in Oct but you can get it anytime from then on. Never had any side effect just the usual sore arm. Have only been ill once since having them (bad cold not full blown flu), i.e. have avoided all the horrible flu stuff that has been going around for the last 7 years or so. You can pay to have it if you want (£10ish)- Sainsbury’s pharmacy does it near us. They won’t give it to you if you are ill or have just been ill, but wait a few days and you should be fine.

Or do what teagirl said – Practice nurse told me they had spare appointments/ supplies last year. 🙂

to late for this year you have them back in oct

No it’s not hence why there’s still flyers, ads in mags and on TV.