Flu to hospital

I am severe asthmatic and a bout of flu real flu could literally finish me off. So I get the flu jab yearly and have had the pneumonia jab a few years ago after a dear friend nearly died contracting pneumonia after flu. Beware it can kill .

I often used to say I had flu. Then, in 2000, we all really did have flu over Christmas. That's me, my husband and three young children. We were all in bed for a week. The children didn't even want to open their Christmas presents from Santa Claus. That's when I knew I had NEVER had flu before.

I have had the flu jab ever since, and I've never had flu again. Whether that is coincidental, or as a result of the flu jab, I'll never know.

But I will take every precaution to avoid ever having it again.

My husband had what the doctor diagnosed with flu so when in desperation i called 999 as I could not lift him from the floor the ambulance driver didn't want to take him to hospital as he was so infectious. Our doctor ordered him to take him and we were met at the door by masked doctors and nurses. They were taking it very seriously. As it happened it turned out to be Legionnaires disease and if we had not gone in then he would surely have died. Flu is very serious and I advise all who can to get the flu jab.

I also read the disturbing article that this years flu vaccination wasn't the 'right one' for old people this year (!) but that the 2018 vaccine will fine. Roll on spring!

I was reading the symptoms of latest Aussie flu and it looks a bit different from the flu I had years ago. The symptoms include, nausea or severe vomiting, headache and diarrhoea. Sounds pretty awful to me!

I have had proper flu twice in my life, one time several years ago when the strain was not in the flu jab. I always have the jab. Why be ill if you don't have too? Worryingly our Health & Safety Officer has alerted us that the 'Australian' flu currently isn't in this year's jab. If that's the case we all need to be extra careful with hygiene (I am a hand sanitiser user, where gloves when shopping etc). being older I thin k we need to take special care of ourselves. We don't always bounce back as quickly as younger people

I think they take you in when your at risk and it's gone on to your lungs or when you just can't shake it off. Sometimes, so people just need that little bit of extra care to get shot of it, it's not that they are hypochondriacs or anything. Myself I never have the flu jab. I had it a couple of times and it made me very ill for several months. I then saw a documentary on TV about vaccines and a nurse said she never has it nor any of her work colleagues ... makes you wonder why?

I had the flu twice...1972 & 1993, two different s strains but both very debilitating, and was in bed about a week each time. A heavy cold is not the same, you feel rotten with it but you certainly know if you have flu.

I believe we can become immune to the flue jab. I know of three elderly people who although again having the jab have succumbed to flue and also chest infection.
One being hospitalised due to the severity of the infection.

I recently had a hospital appointment and managed to catch a viral infection a couple of days before. It wasn't flu but I did have a cough, runny nose, sore throat etc and called the hospital to re-schedule. I was stunned to be told that I could only re-schedule once as it was inconvenient to have to chop and change appointments! I had already explained that I did not want to bring my virus into the hospital where sick, vulnerable people were! Sometimes you just can't win.

Asian flu reached us in Ayrshire in 1957 when the US fleet visited the Clyde! Moral of that is: avoid American sailors! Well, at least avoid crowds and if the symptoms are really acute, do ask for a doctor to visit. On one occasion, I thought I had flu, but was so ill - high fever, violent headache, stiff neck and vomiting - that my then H sent for the doctor. It turned out to be viral meningitis.

I have the jab every year, ever since I had flu about 15 years ago. It doesn’t contain any active viruses so you can’t get flu from it, but it takes up to 21 days to get the antibodies to give you immunity, so it’s bad luck if you get infected before then. And it only has a couple of strains of flu protection. But it’s better than nothing.

It irritates me when people with a cold call it flu, there’s no comparison, with flu you can’t get out of bed except for the loo, and that’s a struggle. It takes weeks to get back to normal. Fingers crossed we stay healthy and avoid this nasty flu that’s doing the rounds.

Bags your mum is spit on! Not many have 'real' flu. If you have it you just literally cannot move. Fortunately oniy had it once when children were small. I could do nothing. Luckily my mum was there to help. Feel very sorry for people who haven't got any help

Had my flu jab at Boots the pharmacist told me that it does contain the Australian Flu anti virus. My son and family have been in bed for over a week with it. I have had flu 4 times in my life and couldn't get out of bed for at least a week. Flu knocks you out completely.

Flu you are in bed NOT out of choice 'having a rest'. You would neither know nor care if there was money on the floor or anywhere else. You'd need ambulance or taxi to get to A&E if you had the awareness to know you needed help. Takes a good month to feel any strength back. So tired of people with colds who spread them - what has happened to the idea of putting other people first.

I think that I have had flu about 4 times in my life. A couple of times as a child then again in 1986 and 1996. The last time was when my youngest son was 6 years old and it was February half term week. I was so ill that my mum had to look after him all week. I felt awful for spoiling half term. These days you often hear people say that they have flu when it is just a heavy cold or that they went to work with the flu which would not be possible.

Fly viruses are very rare in humans nezumi
OldMeg not here perhaps, but they are worldwide - eg Zika virus, dengue fever?

I was about late thirties so re covered, I could imagine what it would do to frail elderly or baby though.
whitewave the two cases I know who had complications from this Australian flu virus were young healthy adults; one was hospitalised and ill for many weeks afterwards, the other one died.
very very sad.

My gauge for illness is if I'd tell Tom Selleck, Hugh Jackman or any other gorgeous bloke inviting me out to just pass me an aspirin and shove off!

I have had Flu twice, 1st time DD was 7, I had to crawl downstairs to keep an eye on her, she made a wonderful nurse. 2nd time I was a few years older, I've had really bad colds, Christmas 2016, I was very ill but it was not Flu.

I have had Flu jab for many years although I am only 62 but I qualify being Epileptic & now Diabetic (Type 2). I also had the Pneumonia jab, the following year I was in Hospital for 5 weeks so I have little faith in the "lifetime" protection.

Hospitalisation should only be for the seriously ill, very young or elderly who have no support at home. As a Widow I do worry about being too ill to care for myself, DD lives about 10 miles away but with a Disabled Partner & DGSs she can't do much.

Yes Leggs it’s about 75% effective and it doesn’t last a lifetime - though of course a ‘lifetime’ will depend on how much time we’ve got left!

Liz46 get the flu jab? No way, the last one I had made me very ill and I know others who have been ill after the jab too.

Is it correct that the jab can make people ill? I understood that its not 'live' so therefore it shouldn't? I'm genuinely asking, by the way, not being deliberately contentious.

Yes, the pandemic (swine) flu jab did make people ill - I had not had one since then because I became very ill after it; however, the GP said that the routine flu jab would not make people ill but that there were many reported cases of quite nasty symptoms after the swine flu jab (2009?)

An old school friend of mine is in ICU right now with Aussie flu. She can barely breathe. She actually works in the hospital so that's probably where's she's got it from.