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Thread: Flu jab

  1. #61
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    It’s ‘flu vaccination season again in the UK. Recommended vaccines contain similar strains to last year ( A/H1N1 ; A/H3N2 ; B ) for the northern hemisphere; thus including the Philippines, where the " season " is less well defined, however.


    Last year it’s estimated around 2/3 " frontline health and social care workers " had the ‘flu jab ; in recent years effectiveness has been around 50% ; it remains the best protection we have against an unpredictable virus.


    Recommendations for who should have the jab are much the same as last year. It won’t stop all ‘flu and " common cold " viruses, but at least it’s safe for most people including pregnant women, and children.


    Clearly I can’t make specific recommendations for members I don’t know, save to suggest discussion with your doctor or pharmacist as to whether the jab might be worthwhile. ‘Flu is usually self-limiting in healthy individuals; antiviral drugs at best limit the time for symptoms ; antibiotics may be needed if there is secondary infection by bacteria, such as pneumonia. I will again have the jab, as I did when working.


    The problem with the ‘flu virus is that it can change ( either in a minor way = " antigenic drift " ; or major = " antigenic shift ", resulting in severe pandemics ). This is why the seasonal ‘flu vaccine needs to be updated every year. Ideally there would be a " universal vaccine ", which would work against " conserved " / unchanging sites on the virus. This would not only avoid the need for annual jabs, but also help prevent future pandemics. Several such possible vaccines are in late-stage preclinical or clinical development. Let’s hope they become available as soon as possible .


  2. #62
    Respected Member Michael Parnham's Avatar
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    Thank you for your latest update Alan, appreciated.


  3. #63
    Respected Member bigmarco's Avatar
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    A timely reminder for us diabetics Doc


  4. #64
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    Thanks Michael and Bigmarco .


    Considering ‘flu affects about a billion people, with up to half a million deaths each year, worldwide, there is clearly need for prevention.



    Thankfully the world’s first widespread human testing of a vaccine using the core proteins of the virus is about to begin. The recruitment target is for 500 volunteers aged over 65. This group are the most vulnerable, as the immune system weakens with age.



    Of interest to health workers, perhaps less so to people just wishing protection, is that this vaccine stimulates the immune system to boost influenza-specific T cells, instead of antibodies. We all have such T cells but numbers are often too low to be protective.



    Hopefully the vaccine will offer stronger and longer ( several years ) protection against ‘flu - or at least reduce severity and duration of illness.



    The trial is to be delivered by the University of Oxford in Berkshire and Oxfordshire, starting this winter. It will compare the new vaccine with the " regular "/annual vaccine, taking 2 years to complete. Unfortunately it does take several years between starting such a trial and the vaccine - if shown to be safe, effective, and affordable - becoming available to the public.


  5. #65
    Trusted Member Rosie1958's Avatar
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    Thanks for the reminder Doc Alan I had my flu jab booked for last Monday but unfortunately had to postpone it as I've managed to catch a horrible virus which hasn't yet gone. However, I'll be back in the queue when I'm better as I certainly want to avoid catching flu this winter, or at any other time!


  6. #66
    Respected Member cheekee's Avatar
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    Had mine the other day and no issues. Just a sore arm. Last year I got a really bad cold after the jab so I was considering whether to have it this year or not.


  7. #67
    Respected Member Slip's Avatar
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    Never had one myself. My wife just had it due to her pregnancy. All she had was a sore arm. My daughter also had it, but she had a spray up her nose, not an injection. She got a high temperature a few days after that lasted a couple days.


  8. #68
    Respected Member Tawi2's Avatar
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    Going to get mine today,flying tomorrow and I normally get a sniffle after a long-haul.



    Sometimes you're flush and sometimes you're bust, and when you're up, it's never as good as it seems, and when you're down, you never think you'll be up again. But life goes on.
    The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the passion that she shows to the outside world.


  9. #69
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    Had my free flu jab today... also BP test, which came out at 115/77.

    That seemed pretty ok for an old bloke.

    When I was a smoker it was around 130/90.


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