Dr Philippa Kaye On This Year’s Flu Vaccine
Dr Philippa Kaye tells us the importance of getting a flu vaccine each year if offered it, and what groups are eligible to receive it…
Dr Philippa Kaye
Patsy asked for a phone consultation to discuss her concerns about both herself and her husband and whether or not they should have the flu jab.
She is in her early 60s and had a flu jab for the first time last during the Covid pandemic. She had questions about whether or not she needed to keep having it or not, and why. Patsy is not the only patient with similar questions so if you have some flu vaccine queries or concerns read on.
What is flu?
Flu, or influenza is not a simple cold, but tends to be more severe with symptoms that start relatively quickly and affect the whole body, not just the nose and throat. It tends to make you unwell enough to need to stop work or other activities and rest.
What are the symptoms of flu?
Symptoms can include a fever, fatigue, aches and pains, dry cough and sore throat, as well as feeling unwell in yourself.
Thankfully, most people improve from flu within about a week. However flu has the potential to lead to serious complications, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Every year many patients are admitted to hospital and sadly thousands of people pass away from flu and its complications.
How is flu spread?
Flu is spread by droplets – someone coughs, talks or breathes out the virus which you breath in – as well as being spread by touch. Good hand hygiene, and coughing or sneezing into a tissue can help prevent spread, as can the flu vaccine.
Why do we need a flu jab every year?
The vaccine protects both you and others as it helps decrease the spread of flu. Children over two are offered the nasal flu vaccine, while adults (and children 6 months to two years) an injectable vaccine. The adult vaccine protects against four different strains of the virus, and if you are over 65 you will be offered a vaccine which also contains an adjuvant, an ingredient to help your immune system produce a stronger response to the vaccine.
Even if you have had flu in the past, or a flu vaccine last year, you need a new vaccine each year. This is because there are multiple strains of flu and also because your immunity wanes.
Who is eligible for the flu vaccine?
Currently the flu vaccine is available for free on the NHS to everyone over the age of 65, all pregnant women, if you live in residential care, receive carer’s allowance or have certain long term health conditions.
Health conditions can include things such as COPD or asthma which require a steroid inhaler or tablets; heart failure; ischaemic heart disease; chronic kidney or liver disease; diabetes; neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease; sickle cell disease; obesity with a BMI Over 40; learning disabilities or have a suppressed or weakened immune system, for example you have received a transplant or are having chemotherapy.
Front line health and social care workers are also eligible, as are people who live with others with a suppressed immune system. You will be invited by your GP surgery to have the vaccine or can have it at pharmacies. If you are not eligible for a free vaccine on the NHS you can choose to pay for one privately at various pharmacies.
Most adults can have the flu vaccine but please inform your GP or pharmacist if you have an egg allergy as some flu vaccines are made using eggs, so an alternative may be offered depending on your history if felt appropriate. If you are feeling unwell with a fever on the day you are due to have your vaccine then please rearrange and delay until you are feeling better.
Does the flu vaccine give you flu?
Pic: Shutterstock / Pormezz
The flu vaccine does NOT give you flu, it protects you from it! It simply is not possible for the vaccine to give you flu, as it contains inactivated (essentially dead) virus, or even only parts of the virus.
While the nasal flu vaccine given to children does contain live virus, it has been weakened so it can’t give you flu. It can give side effects, but these are generally mild and last only a day or two. You may have a local reaction at the injection site. You may also get fever, aches and pains, feel tired and lose your appetite for a few days, but this isn’t flu, just your body’s immune system reacting to the vaccination in order to protect you against flu if you then meet it at a later point. Taking paracetamol or ibuprofen is helpful against these side effects.
Advice given in this article and on the My Weekly website and magazines is not meant to replace personalised medical advice from your doctor. If you have any health concerns please see your doctor.
Article written on November 17, 2022; article reviewed and updated on September 20, 2024.
Each week we’ll ask Dr Philippa Kaye to talk about a prominent health issue, so look out for more articles in our health and wellbeing section in coming weeks. Read her advice on Heart Attacks in Women, Ulcerative Colitis, Pre-diabetes, Skin Cancer, Allergies, Parkinson’s Disease, Shingles, Ovarian Cancer, Endometriosis, Long Covid and Ticks and Lyme Disease.
