Flu jab - should I bother?

[Hammer]

My company has offered everyone a flu jab if they want it. I'm a healthy 29 year old bloke who has only ever had 'proper' flu once about 15 years ago, so should I bother with the jab? Are there any possible side effects? Or is it better safe than sorry?

[WendyS]

You may be very healthy but that won't necessarily stop you catching flu and a bad dose can really make you feel 100 times worse than a heavy cold. Also, I'm sure you wouldn't be very happy if your Christmas celebrations were ruined by being ill. The only side effects are possibly a sore arm for a few hours so I reckon you're much better safe than sorry. Also, your company will be very grateful if most of their workforce are not off sick with it at the same time, making running an efficient organisation very difficult.

[Cetti]

I had my jab 2 hours ago so I'll let you know the side effects later!

Seriously though Hammer, what Wendy has said is such good advice. Believe me if you had the misfortune to catch flu you would do everything you could not to have it again. What most people have is a heavy cold - not flu. It leaves you unable to leave your bed, delerious, probably bronchial which could lead to pneumonia....... ...I hope you will take up your companies offer as the alternative is really rather grim. Go on, be a brave boy!

[Scarlett]

I absolutely WOULD NOT have it. You are healthy and have a good, strong immune system. I had a flu jab a few years ago (I am asthmatic) and a few weeks later got the worst flu I had EVER had in my entire life. I seriously thought I had TB or something. The cough that I got with that was so severe that I scarred my lungs badly, apparently, and now every year I get a version of that foul burning cough.

Prior to that I had never had the flu! Don't mess with your body- it works fine, so leave it.

[scubadiver]

Normally I would advise you to have the jab. However, this year, due to the panic about avian flu and the incorrect assumption that the flu jab will give protection against it, there is a shortage of jabs. This is mainly due to the "worried well" wanting the jab. The upshot is, there is very likely going to be a shortage of vaccines for those who are genuinely "at risk", due to either their age or a pre-existing medical condition. Because of this, I would urge you to think twice about whether you actually need the vaccine or not.

PS- you CANNOT get the flu from the vaccine - due to the way the vaccine is manufactured this is impossible

[mullein3]

i wouldnt bother i only ever had the flu jab once ..as a child as i used to get bronchitus and i was really ill..i get a letter every year asking me to go for one and i put it in the bin..i havnt had flu for 6 years as i have been taking echinacea...i dont take it during the summer and restart it in september..if i get the slightest shiver i start taking it in tincture form every 2 hours and it soon passes..as you are healthy i wouldnt bother ..and if everyone else at work has had the jab then they wont get the flu to pass to you...

[qapmoc]

Hi hammer, I would advise that if you have the chance take it, influenza is not a simple thing like a cold only worse and can be very dangerous. There are one or two things to bear in mind though -

First - the flu vaccine is not a magic bullet but is usually a mixture of vaccine's for two or more influenza virus which ''your part of the world'' is likely to be exposed too, this means that you might still get flu after you had the jab if you are exposed to an unusal strain of the virus.

Second - in some people you might get a very slight feeling of coming down with flu for a day or so and then it passes with no further effect.

[Hammer]

Thanks for all the advice guys. As I said, I've had the flu once and it's not very nice (to put it mildly) but I was worried about the side effects I've heard of where you feel miserable for a bit afterwards.

I know that the jab uses a mixture of two or three different strains, and that you get the antibodies rather than a weak dose so there is no chance of you actually catching flu from it.

Bird flu douesn't worry me (yet) 'cos I can read past the headlines in certain "news"papers.

Still haven't made up my mind although I'm leaning towards getting it done I think.

[d0gsb0dy]

Hi, Hammer. I agree with Scarlett. Forget the 'flu jab. Out of interest, read this http://tinyurl.com/9emb9

[scubadiver]

d0gsb0dy -with all due respect, this article is ill informed, poorly researched and just plain wrong.

Trust me- in a professional capacity, when it comes to avian flu, flu vaccines etc etc, I know what I am talking about. The media in the UK (and no doubt the US) has to a large extent, sensationalised the story, but to dismiss it as a ploy to get people to buy vaccines & antivirals is extremely misleading & downright dangerous!

[Cetti]

Here's an update on my side effects Hammer. None, save for miniscule redness around the area - which has now gone.

I should have mentioned that I've been having this jab for many years as my last bout of bronchitis nearly 'carried me off'..... . and I was considered young and healthy at the time, so it's worth a bit of very serious thought.

[Hammer]

Cheers all - an update:

Had it a week or so ago and absolutely no side effect whatsoever. Not even a red patch on my arm.