Should I get a flu jab

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RayMathers

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Type 1
Hi
I was recently diagnosed as Type 1 in March this year, I'm 57 year old male. (Doctor say it could have been due to M.O.D.Y.) I've never had the flu jab in the past and apart from the odd cold, I don't get the flu. This is my first winter with Type 1. Should I get the jab. What are the benefits and or risks.
Thanks
Ray
 
I’ve had flu four or five times in my life and the last two were awful it took me a good three months to fully recover, I dread to think how I would have been without the flu jab. So Yes I recommend having the jab
 
I don't get the flu very often, but when I do - I am very ill.
Although the virus is always changing itself, which makes the production and distribution a bit of a lottery, I think it is well worth the three or four visits to the clinic which do work even if only one of them actually staves off that year's variant.
I am pretty sure that one year the flu will get itself into a variant which will finish me off, but it will need to throw multiple sixes and climb several ladders in order to win....
 
The ONE time I thought I wouldn't bother cos not all that many people get the flu and I'm no more at risk than the average woman on the street blah blah blah, I got it. Very ill all over Christmas and New Year, even my hair hurt. I recall one day feeling so bloody wretched and hopeless I started crying, but it didn't last one minute since I instantly realised I no longer had the strength to weep. That was bloody scary.

That must have been 25 years ago and never have I ever missed since then nor will I in future, as far ahead as I can plan. I have to spend too much time in fairly close proximity with goodness knows how many potentially infectious people in places like waiting rooms and indeed committee rooms so at least I'm not with em in the same office 8 hours a day like when I worked but it doesn't take that long to breathe in and out, anyway wherever you are, does it!
 
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Yes. You should get the jab. No real reason not to IMO.
 
I would always say YES, get it.
But as a Diabetic even more so.
I see no reason why not.
 
Definitely Yes, you may get a few sniffles a few weeks after but the alternative can be horrendous.
 
KARNAK said:
you may get a few sniffles a few weeks after
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Hard to argue with, until you meet someone who had a very adverse reaction to the jab and consider that the coverage of the Flu variants, is sometimes very poor some years. Ten percent of the many flu strains covered that year. They can only cover for three mostly, possibly four, so it is a gamble. I remember what a consultant once said to me, regarding an injection for my new born son years ago: You have to weigh up the possible side effects, consider how bad they are, versus the possible positive effects, which side is outweighing the other? Until I saw the potential side effects, which were pretty similar to actual flu for my mother in law, the jab seemed like a no brainer. However after seeing how few of the actual strains the vaccinations can cover, the scales tip the other way. I did not bother last year and am undecided this year yet...

That said, I never had a bad reaction, just the odd sniffle and the adverse reaction is only a slight chance...
 
I can only speak from my own personal experience recently. I got the flu jab, didn't even have the tiniest side effect, but everyone is different.
 
Has to be your choice but I always have mine. I am not diabetic but had a pre-diabetic diagnosis, now back to normal but having it checked again next year. My belief is that I will have to keep going and watching my diet whatever happens.

I started having flu jab when I worked in a hospital so have had one for about 35 years. I think what puts some people off is that they get colds or even flu after the jab. However, that is because you have picked up the virus before the jab is given and, if the flu virus is in your system, then the jab won't stop it. Also it takes immune system a couple of weeks to kick in after jab so if you pick it up during that time the jab won't work. There is no vaccine fo the common cold so getting one after flu jab is nothing to do with jab.

In summary, I would not tell anyone what to do but, personally, I would not be without my flu jab. I was offered a pneumonia jab this year too as \I was old enough so I took that as well.
 
Mum and I had ours yesterday. We alway get flu jabs. Never have any trouble. My brother, despite having a dicky ticker, refuses to have one as he had a bad reaction the only time he did have one years ago. I'd get one as I think the Australian flu is coming. They had an epidemic I believe this past year. Plus one of these years it's gonna be a pandemic you can bet your life, aka Spanish Flu. Nature has to find a way to cull the herd imho. :D
 
I had mine today. Err on the side of caution is my advice.
 
Ditto said:
Plus one of these years it's gonna be a pandemic you can bet your life, aka Spanish Flu.
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I cannot argue with the sentiment, but having the flu jab will probably not protect you against the next flu pandemic. The flu vaccine does not protect you against all strains of the flu. Not at all. There are very many strains of flu and they have no idea which will rear its ugly head in any given year, they just guess. Very educated guesses, but guessing none the less. The flu jab protects against three or four different strains I think at the most, I would have to look it up again, but it is only a small fraction of the number of flu strains. Worst still, there are new strains developing all the time and it is very doubtful that the next pandemic such as happened in 1918+, will give any sort of warning, so there will be no vaccine for it. Please no one assume that the vaccine will make you immune to all flu for that year, it will not. The chance of side effects are small though, so I guess it is worth the risk to be protected from the usual suspects. 🙄

I could look it up again and link, but will not, because it will only cause probable argument. Everyone needs to make the judgement themselves, simples. 🙂
 
I have had flu once, pre diabetes. I would not want to manage that, at the same time time as having to juggle insulin doses to sort out the inevitable rises. Happy to have the flu jab.
 
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I always take up the offer of the flu jab ..and luckily don't get any side effects ..I wouldn't advise someone not to have the inoculation ..if you get my ✻double negative✻
 
Greymouser said:
Please no one assume that the vaccine will make you immune to all flu for that year, it will not. The chance of side effects are small though, so I guess it is worth the risk to be protected from the usual suspects. 🙄

I could look it up again and link, but will not, because it will only cause probable argument. Everyone needs to make the judgement themselves, simples. 🙂
Click to expand...

While it is true that the vaccine only offers protection to selected strains, it’s important to see that in the context of the way Flu moves around the planet globally, which gives a very good indication as to which strains will be in circulation. From memory, we base ours on the ones most seen in Oceania/Australasia over the past 6 months. They base theirs on the most significant strains from North America/Europe. So it’s not really guesswork, so much as observation and preparation based on the global patterns and movements of flu infections.
 
It’s worth remembering that you can’t get flu, or even sniffles after a flu jab. The viruses used are inactive, or ‘dead’.

And though flu viruses mutate all the time, they are still broadly similar, so partial immunity may help if you get flu. There are no guarantees in this game, though.

Scientists are at a loss, however, in the prevention of man flu.:D
 
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