Flu Jabs

[Beckahboo99]

Hi,
I’ve been type 1 for 9 and a half years and have had the flu jab every year since.
What do people think about the flu jabs, are you better with it or without it or do you not have any difference with or without it?
Just dont know whether to have it this year or not.
Any help would be appreciated

 

[Deleted Account]

I have always had the flu jab since my type 1 diagnosis and cannot think of a reason not to.
Sure, it does not cover every strain of flu but it protects against the ones which are expected to be the most common.
Sure, you may have raised BG for a day or two but that is much much better than getting flu (which is very very different to cold and a lot worse) that will affect your BG for much longer.

My surgery are not the most organised with arranging "flu clinics" and have expected me to turn up and wait/queue for hours on a day that is convenient for them. A few years ago, I discovered my local pharmacist can do them with no need for appointments or a need to wait. And, as I have diabetes, I do not have to pay.

Why are you considering not having the jab this year?

 

[Beckahboo99]

I have always had the flu jab since my type 1 diagnosis and cannot think of a reason not to.
Sure, it does not cover every strain of flu but it protects against the ones which are expected to be the most common.
Sure, you may have raised BG for a day or two but that is much much better than getting flu (which is very very different to cold and a lot worse) that will affect your BG for much longer.

My surgery are not the most organised with arranging "flu clinics" and have expected me to turn up and wait/queue for hours on a day that is convenient for them. A few years ago, I discovered my local pharmacist can do them with no need for appointments or a need to wait. And, as I have diabetes, I do not have to pay.

Why are you considering not having the jab this year?

I was considering not having it as I just didn’t really know if there were benefits from having it and I have tended to get quite poorly after having it, so wasn’t sure whether to have it again

 

[Knikki]

Like @helensaramay I have always had a flu jab since they became recommended for T1D to have them.

T1D do not have the best immune systems in the world and anything that helps is worth it.

Out of interest have you ever had flu?

I have many moons ago and it something I would rather not repeat.

The reason you feel unwell after a flu jab, a common side effect, is that basically the jab is mix of flu's that are injected to stimulate the immune system so you can build up a resistance to it

 

[Deleted Account]

I was considering not having it as I just didn’t really know if there were benefits from having it and I have tended to get quite poorly after having it, so wasn’t sure whether to have it again

The flu jab changes every year as it protects against different strains each time.
Therefore, feeling poorly one year is not an indication you will feel poorly the next year unless it is the carrier of the vaccine that you react to.

Unfortunately, I know people who reacted badly one year and refused to have the jab ever again and then got a very bad case of flu ... which was far worse that the reaction they had to the jab.

 

[dawnmc]

There are also people who've never had one and never had flu.

 

[baroque541]

I have had the vaccine every year since diagnosis, and not caught flu. However, I don't seem to get it easily, last time was when I was a child, and I was diagnosed at the age of 37.
This question reminded me, however, that I also took up the offer of the pneumococcal vaccine one winter, and the following Easter I got pneumonia, so I am a bit cynical about the usefulness of any of these vaccines

 

[lessci]

If you've ever had flu (and not just a very heavy cold) you'd do almost anything to avoid getting it again. I know medication/treatments have moved on a lot in the last 100 years, but there's been stuff in the news recently about the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak, which killed more people than WW1

 

[Beckahboo99]

Thankyou all for your help and asvice, I have decided that I will have the jab and see how I go this year

 

[KK123]

My (type 1 diabetic) Mum missed a flu jab one year and caught it. She was extremely ill and her glucose levels went crazy. She ended up in hospital with suspected pneumonia. Came out two weeks later. It's one of those things where you might ask what's the point but if you catch flu you will certainly wish you'd had it. It's not like a 'normal person catching flu although that's bad enough, it's that its effects have a terrible influence on your levels and the rest of your immune system.

 

[kitedoc]

As I have written on other threads my insulin requirements go up 30% + for about 4 days after a 'flu shot.
I have had the newer pneumonia vaccine which is said to protect against 23 different bugs that cause pneumonia. ( I was told that maximum is 2 shots ? 5 years apart but recommendations vary across states, and countries.
Of course there are many more bugs that can cause pneumonia but my doctor tells me the 23 are the most usual causes.
From studying public health literature I gather that children, the elderly, those pregnant and those with chronic conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, asthma and other lung conditions are at greater of developing pneumonia from an initial 'flu infection.
Do I keep having 'flu shots? You betcha!!

 

[Dixon1995]

God **** it you guys ! This just reminded me I had a flu job slot last wednesday! Oops

 

[Mr_Pot]

There are also people who've never had one and never had flu.

You could say the same about Polio or Smallpox but it is still a good idea to protect yourself.

 

[Struma]

I am a great believer in vaccines.
Pneumovax II is given at 10 year interval; Prevenar at 1 year interval (pneumococcal vaccine mainly for youngsters.)

I had the new quadrivalent flu vaccine 2 weeks ago. No problem, no sore arm, no change in blood sugars.

 

[Dixon1995]

I get the vaccine every year without fail, except for one year I didn't receive the vacinne due to my own fault. I got a severe bout of flu, and which also coincided with a Kidney infection and throat infection, now if I had had the flu jab, I probably still would have had the kidney infection, and not felt as bad...

 

[gsf1996]

Always better with. The one year I missed my jab was awful, I got the flu and was stuck in bed for six days, wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy

 

[LizzieNI]

I'm considering not getting it myself. I do react badly for a few days every year I've had the vaccine. But last year I also got long term side effects - the arm pain never went away and throbs/gets worse on occasion. When I told my GP she said it was better I have a sore arm than the flu. But I have had the flu, even swine flu in 2009. So I know what I'm risking.
I started taking wheatgrass shots a few years ago and haven't suffered a heavy cold since, and wonder would it make the flu less severe if caught too..... I just don't know whether I'm a risk taker.

 

[stephendawn]

Always had my jab yearly whist in the armed forces and since leaving in 1990. However this year I had a minor reaction this time with itching and headaches. Which lasted for about 10 days. T1 diabetic

 

[QPR4Me]

I've been getting the jab for as long as I can remember, having started on Insulin 30 years ago. In my pre-Diabetic days, I had flu twice, the first nearly killed me as a child, the second had me unconscious for 72 hours when I was around 23.
Everyone, who is entitled to the flu jab should get it.
So what if your arm is a little sore for a day or two after, or your muscles ache a little.
Flu kills, and it kills Diabetics faster.
The only people who should avoid the vaccination are those with a proven allergy. Anyone else who avoids it is a fool!

 

[Richie 2]

I have been T1 for almost 30 years now and have never had the flu jab or the flu. I am skeptical reading all the replies; 100% those who say they 'forgot' to get their jab caught the flu. Sounds to me like medical people trying to scare diabetics into having a jab! Make your own mind up. Remember though, having the jab does not necessarily mean you won't catch flu......you still can!