My 'flu jab is booked.

dreamdaisy

It's on 01 October at 10am and I booked it last week. Oddly enough, my GPs' surgery sent a reminder which arrived yesterday - boo-yah! Been there and done that! (Old hands on here may remember that I fell through their net because they didn't prescribe my meth or humira.)

If you are immuno-suppressed in any way shape or form please ask about this, even Mr DD (who isn't) has recently muttered about paying for one so he doesn't bring home a nasty to infect me. Bless. DD

LignumVitae

I'm booked too. My surgery never sends reminders anymore. I wonder if it is because they don't prescribe my meth? That said, this year for the first time ever I was not interogated as to why I felt I may deserve one. Normally I have to explain the meth but they must just recognise my voice now

dreamdaisy

In my experience, LV, that would be the case. I wasn't interrogated as such, I just mentioned the magic words rheumatology and injected meth and lo! I was in.

Now, the less-than-small-matter of Mr LV . . . . I reckon he too should volunteer to have one of these, yes? OK, it may cost around £16 in A**a or B**ts etc. but surely it's worth it. You need to be as protected as possible for Summer and Tegan. DD

LignumVitae

I was thinking that too. He also works in a prison which is a breeding ground for ailments at the best of times :?

Slosh

I agree, I think last year they were about £12 in certain supermarkets. I don't qualify medically but the LEA I work for offers free flu jabs to school staff, an email,goes round, you sign upif you want one and then on a given date a local pharmacist comes into school.
Brilliant scheme and very sensible as the aim is to reduce staff absence.

barbara12

Thanks for the reminder DD I will check with our surgery tomorrow..

ruby2

I have only been invited for the past 2 years, but I resisted going due to fears it would have some side effects. I have never really suffered with flu or colds for that matter. However last year I was plagued, no sooner had I got rid of one cough/cold I was projected into the next. Would you recommend it?....Also DD very good point regarding partners getting 'done' due to bringing it home , I hadn't really considered that side of things.

Starburst

I usually slip through the net as all 3 of my immunosuppressant meds are prescribed elsewhere. It's now BIG letters on my electronic file since they once prescribed a medication that has serious interactions with MTX, :shock: This was recently, so we shall see how this year goes. My mum is down as my carer, so she gets usually offered it and I don't!

Thank you for the reminder, DD.

dreamdaisy

I wouldn't hesitate to have one, ruby2. The most I've been troubled with after a jab is a sore arm for a couple of days which is nothing in the grand scheme of things. As I am triple-suppressed I am very wary of germs and bugs and, overall, keep myself in reasonably good health because I don't mix with friends who are 'bugged' and have trained 'im indoors in the gentle art of thorough hand washing as soon as he comes in from work or shopping etc.

Our general health is our responsibility, let's face it most of us on here have enough on our plates without cheerfully opting for more troubles. Get thy jabs booked everyone! DD

As5567

As much as I hate having injections, this flu season I will NOT be forgetting to book myself in.

For anyone who's scared or never had it done before, the injection doesn't really hurt much, its a bit like having blood done except its over and done before you can count to 3. The injection site for me does ache for about a week after the injection but nothing most people cant cope with, its more of a tender to touch pain than a constant ache.

Another important thing to remember is that the flu jab does not mean you can't catch flu and you should still avoid anyone with flu like the plague, I think the flu jab as the most popular strains of flu from the last flu season, which does cover most of the strains circulating but as these things have a tendency to mutate into different forms from year to year there is always a risk to catching that strain of flu. I'm sure its also possible to contract the strains you have been vaccinated against also, but the effects of that strain will be minimal so it really is worth getting the shot done.

I expect many of you like me never get contacted by their GP because our meds are prescribed at the hospital so its worth it to phone up now to be first in line for the shot

hileena111

Hi
I have OA so its not as important for me to get it but I do.
They don't remind me...I have to remember and they don't have appointments......You just go and sit in the surgery and wait.
As for the bugs.....
Well our flu day is the 16th October.....I better nip in first because I have an arthritis Care Stand there all day to give out information answer questions etc.
{about Arthritis not flu LOL}
BUT previously I have 2 other flu days to do in different surgeries :roll:
One on the 10th October
The other one 11th Oct
I wonder would our surgery have the serum in early and possibly let me have mine before I start putting up a stand in 3 different surgeries with loads of people waiting for their flu injection?
Oh well ....if I get it I get it
Love
Hileena

stickywicket

Thanks for the reminder, DD.

Will sort ours as soon as Mr SW is home. The surgery always send a reminder but I like to get mine in early before any winter cold start their rounds. The only time I ever had a problem was when harbouring one before the jab.

marrianne

Not read back guys because I know what your saying BUT I definately am not going to take up the oportunity to depress my immune system even more been takeing 1000 mg of redoxen for 20 years stick your flu jab up your ........anyone else feel the same its a bit like the antibiotics one day there wont be an antidote for all that ails us ... we have to let our own bodies pick up some of the slack Marrianne xx

marrianne

my young man pushing 70 years is definately haveing his bless him x

stickywicket

Marrianne, of course you're entitled to your opinion and no need to apologise for it, but I don't see any relationship between the flu jab and antibiotics.

As I understand it, the latter are failing because they have been over-prescribed by doctors and misused by patients and the drug companies aren't much interested in researching new ones as there's not enough money in it.

I think a better comparison would be with the measles jab. This became unpopular with parents owing now now-discredited 'research' and the consequence was that, once again, measles became a very serious disease for some.

I've already experienced the dubious delights of re-sus, thanks to a cold going wrong, I'm not risking the same with flu if I can help it.

Our jabs are now booked

marrianne

Oh Sticky the voice of common sense and fun to ,I know you dont take pills for the sake of it but me being a daft girl on this occasion sticking my tutt never more than a very bad cold since the day 20 years ago stopped smokeing 5 silk cut a day and before that 10 number 6 OK had bad colds coughs phlemgh on chest BUT FLU JABS why ? you eat well fruit and veg we are already stuffed to the gills with our Arthritis noncense ..its just a bridge to far as I see it but maybe as I drink whiskey and get cold and fall in love easily I am a fool and will one day be so sorry EVERY ONE get your flu jabs Marrianne xx

dreamdaisy

The flu jab does not further depress our suppressed immune systems but it does offer more than a modicum of protection against a very nasty disease that can (and does) kill. I for one won't be taking that chance - mind you, death would cure my arthritis. DD

Slosh

I had swine flu when it was doing the rounds a few years ago very nasty. As I said I don't qualify for a free flu jab but flu is such a nasty illness I think it's well worth the jab to try and get some protection from it.

I think that there is also quite a bit of confusion about the difference between a heavy cold and flu, with a lot of people saying they have flu when in fact it's a cold and thus underestimate what a nasty and potentially serious illness flu is.
The best definition was one I heard a few years ago, though it probably doesn't work for people with Arthritis.
If you want to know if it's a bad cold or flu you have imagine you see a £20 note on the floor. If you would pick it up, you have a cold. If you leave it there you have flu.

dachshund

Hello DD
i posted to thank you when you said but it ran i think it got worried.
take care
joan xx

Starburst

A nasty case of flu, followed by a secondary infection was the trigger for my RA, so there's no way I'd turn mine down. I encourage everyone to get it if they can.

ruby2

Thanks DD for the extra advice.. will take up the flu jab for certain this year...I had been fortunate enough to dodge colds , flu and most other common infections for most of my life(except for the nasty arthritis) but things have caught up with me and the more precautions I can take the better.

dreamdaisy

You're more than welcome, ruby2, although I am not a doc I can be sensible from time to time. :shock: The one thing we must remember (without wishing to scaremonger) is this: because we have very suppressed immune systems we don't know we're ill until we start producing symptoms - this can take a while to happen so an infection can get a real grip on us before we become vaguely aware that something's not right.

I'm with you, Slosh, far too many people say 'I've had a bout of 'flu' when it's only been heavy cold; it's attention-seeking behaviour methinks, maybe they feel it adds a tinge of danger or glamour to their relatively dull lives.

Joan? Naughty post, how dare it run away! I trust that you and Sue have this done every year? I hope so, we all have enough on our various plates without adding an extra helping of nasty. DD

Slosh

I didn't know that about the effect of a depressed immune system. My daughter has one for undiagnosed reasons, a long saga, and is prone to colds etc. As she is pregnant I thonk I will suggest she gets one, I'm quite happy to pay for it. Thanks for the information DD

stickywicket

Slosh, if she's pregnant I think it would be available free from her GP. It is advised for pregnant women.

As for 'footballers flu' or 'a touch a flu' – don't get me started :roll: It's the euphemism employed by those whose carefully crafted self-image will not permit them to take a couple of days off for a mere cold so they either take the two days off and call it flu or 'heroically' carry on as normal infecting everyone else

As5567

People all too often say they have the flu but make a magic recovery within a day or 2. I always tell them trust me if you had the flu you would not be out of bed nor recover that quick. For most people they will feel like they are dying and it will be the worst illness they have ever experienced, and the effects of flu (For me at least) seem to last for weeks and weeks even after the main symptoms have gone.

People also forget that flu is a virus, if you don't think the flu jab is worth having then you are taking a big risk in my opinion. There isn't much that can be done to help us when we have the flu virus, anti viral drugs are often not effective and we just have to ride it out and hope for the best. Its totally different to infections where there are plenty of antibiotic options to try out which will help us recover quickly from a bacterial infection.

All that the flu jab does is make our bodies produce antibodies towards certain strains of flu, it does not further dampen the immune system and the vaccine is perfectly safe.

ritwren

I had my flu jab about a week ago when I was at the Dr's for another reason. She told me they had just come in that week. She was'nt letting me leave without having it so I went ahead.
My arm was a little tender for the rest of the day, kind of like a muscular pain which no doubt it was. After that, fine no ill effects whatsoever.

I feel lucky to be able to get it and do so because of the treatment I'm on. I would advise anyone and everyone to get it if you can.