Flu jabs....

hankjam said:

It might be an age thing... I don't think I am as old as I am, 61....
Annual MoT following bloods... review meeting. DN, new to me, goes through the numbers... all good, apart from TChol… move on....
Asks about Flu jab.... not really thought about. When did you have your last one?
Can't remember... records suggest 2008.... blink and jabbed.
Have to say for the next three months I felt really less than wonderful and my FBG were the worst ever...
Come the New Year felt more like the thing and FBG much better.
Should note, I'm all in favour of vacs.
Any correlation or my mind over thinking again?

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2 weeks ago!

My wife had hers done too.

It’s free if you are over 65. So we both had to pay £10 each.

No noticeable negative responses in either case.

I have a flu jab every year in the autumn, and had the pneumonia one as soon as I was entitled. No side effects whatsoever and no effect on my blood sugars. No flu, either.

Another couple of months and the 2019 fluvax will be available here in Australia.

I get the fluvax every year, and I never have had a reaction to it.

Had the flu jab for the first time this year following diagnosis. No effect on bgl for me.

Hi @hankjam.
For every 'flu shot in the past 3 years my insulin doses rise by approx. 30% from day 2 to about day 5 or 6 in order to keep BSLs in range. I think my immune system is fighting against the vaccination 'soup' of beasties to produce the antibodies which can deal with the real flu if it comes along. Just as during a real infection the process causes a temporary rise in my insulin resistance.
I generally recover and the return of my insulin dosage to normal levels is my barometer of that.
Not sure why you should be have had 3 months of trouble, though.
But each 'flu vaccination affects me slightly differently in exactly how much extra insulin I need and for how long - the above is a sort of general formula I use at the start.
Perhaps this year if the same trouble starts up perhaps see your GP.?
Maybe you might need a bit of extra treatment of the BSLs beyond diet on such an occasion?
Best Wishes, see you in the water, next to the diatoms and flagellates !!

I have an extreme phobia about injections into muscles. It's not a needle phobia as I'm ok with the needles into vein for blood samples. I think it's because of childhood memories of immunisation vaccinations. I have only had one vaccination since then.
So I always refuse the flu vaccinations. I did have one when the visiting NHS health team who came to my workplace every year used a high speed jet to administer the vaccine through skin, but it wasn't used again.
I wish science could invent a better way of administering vaccines. There is a flu vaccine pill, but it is only given to children and NHS staff.
I do know how bad flu can be. I only had real flu (not a heavy cold often referred to as 'flu') once about 20 years ago, and really thought I might die, it was that bad. I dread getting it now I'm in my late 60s and with a weaker immune system.

Hi @Prem51, 'flu vaccinations are into the tissue beneath the skin, not into muscle.
One of my daughters is needle phobic also. She asks to lie down, and not see the needle.
That way she cannot see the needle, will not come to harm if she faints and the nurse gives the injection super quick.
I have not had the high speed jet variety injection but some tell me it is just as painful !?
From my reading I gather there are vaccines being developed to be administered by inhaler into the airway passages, and others through a skin patch. Fingers crossed these advances arrive soon!!

Oh ok, I haven't had an injection into arm, leg or rear for about 30 years. I had one when I went to India for the first time. My gp insisted I had to have the cholera, typhoid and hepatitis vaccinations. I told him I had a vaccination phobia and he told the nurse to give me all three together in a syringe with a very fine needle they usually use for babies.
I still didn't like it and haven't had one since, though I do go to places like Thailand or India every winter.
Strangely I don't fear the injection I get into gum when dentist is doing a filling or extraction as much, perhaps because I shut my eyes tight and can't see it.

Prem51 said:

I have an extreme phobia about injections into muscles. It's not a needle phobia as I'm ok with the needles into vein for blood samples. I think it's because of childhood memories of immunisation vaccinations. I have only had one vaccination since then.
So I always refuse the flu vaccinations. I did have one when the visiting NHS health team who came to my workplace every year used a high speed jet to administer the vaccine through skin, but it wasn't used again.
I wish science could invent a better way of administering vaccines. There is a flu vaccine pill, but it is only given to children and NHS staff.
I do know how bad flu can be. I only had real flu (not a heavy cold often referred to as 'flu') once about 20 years ago, and really thought I might die, it was that bad. I dread getting it now I'm in my late 60s and with a weaker immune system.

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My 6 yo daughter has had the flu vaccine at school over the last two years. It is a spray up the nose apparently. No needle involved. I am not clear what the difference is (except mode of administering).

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/child-flu-vaccine/

I used to be very fearful of jabs. I have had many over the years so that fear has waned considerably.

The flu jab I had a few weeks back was almost imperceptable.

Listlad said:

My 6 yo daughter has had the flu vaccine at school over the last two years. It is a spray up the nose apparently. No needle involved. I am not clear what the difference is (except mode of administering).

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/child-flu-vaccine/

I used to be very fearful of jabs. I have had many over the years so that fear has waned considerably.

The flu jab I had a few weeks back was almost imperceptable.

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I wonder, if the child sneezes straight after the dose is administered, do they get given a second dose??

kitedoc said:

I wonder, if the child sneezes straight after the dose is administered, do they get given a second dose??

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Haha. Not sure.

I have a nasal spray for hay fever. If I sneeze at the wrong moment I normally just give the nostril another “squirt”. But not sure about the flu vaccine for kids.

My thought is if they can have it then what about us. But the vaccines may be different, like they are for the under 65s and over 65s here.

Yes flu jab is really important I have mine every autumn also I had the pneumonia and the shingles ones when I became eligible for them

Prem51 said:

Oh ok, I haven't had an injection into arm, leg or rear for about 30 years. I had one when I went to India for the first time. My gp insisted I had to have the cholera, typhoid and hepatitis vaccinations. I told him I had a vaccination phobia and he told the nurse to give me all three together in a syringe with a very fine needle they usually use for babies.
I still didn't like it and haven't had one since, though I do go to places like Thailand or India every winter.
Strangely I don't fear the injection I get into gum when dentist is doing a filling or extraction as much, perhaps because I shut my eyes tight and can't see it.

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30 years is a long time ago. There have been many improvements and advances since then. Needles are now finer, nurses are well trained. Why not bite the bullet and give it a go? You can still shut your eyes or look away.

Had my first ever flu jab last autumn and first ever pneumonia. Flu was fine, pneumonia knocked me for 6. Arm I couldn’t lift, exhausted and generally felt awful for about a week.

Usually get a cold November/xmas time so got extremely excited when that didn’t happen.

This week, got a stinking cold and had time off work.

Not sure I was iller so had time off but more that since my diagnosis I’m looking after myself better. So where I would normally throw myself outside to go to work no matter how shocking I felt, eat Hal’s soothers all day to cope and pop cold remedies. This time I stayed at home. Had to do couple lessons as someone had test and did the test but then came home.

Still are haha soothers when In car but a packet lasted me the week as opposed to couple hours.

So not impressed with getting the cold. Think I thought the flu jab would make me invincible to colds.

Sugars slightly higher than normal. But by yesterday we’re starting to go back to the 5s.
This morning was a shocker at 7.6 but just did 2 hours work now back home.

No idea what affect the diabetes if anything has on the cold.

Very unimpressed with the flu jab

Having said that I’ll
Still get flu jab next year. Maybe I got a cold rather than the flu!!

Cana said:

Having said that I’ll
Still get flu jab next year. Maybe I got a cold rather than the flu!!

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If it was flu, you would have known about it. Fever, high temperature, virtually unable to get out of bed, feeling like death.

Bluetit1802 said:

If it was flu, you would have known about it. Fever, high temperature, virtually unable to get out of bed, feeling like death.

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Lol I know.
I mean if I hadn’t have had the jab maybe it would have been flu rather than a nasty cold!!