Will the flu jab give me the flu?

Well, the short answer is no, it doesn’t give you a ‘mini dose’ of flu as some believe. It doesn’t contain a live virus so it CANNOT give you the flu. You might be a bit sore at the jab site, and you might even feel a little feverish for a couple of days, but let’s be honest, isn’t that better than the severe and unpredictable effects of flu? 

And let’s be clear we aren’t talking about a bad cold here (or even man flu!). Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by a virus. Like a cold, it spreads through coughs and sneezes, and in a normal healthy adult you will probably recover within a week. But for the elderly, for pregnant women, for people with respiratory problems or immune system problems and some children, it can lead to severe illness. It can come on quite quickly, and is most likely in winter and early Spring.

We offer a free flu jab to anyone in an at-risk category, and to carers in at-risk families. It can’t 100% guarantee you won’t get a flu virus, but all the evidence is that it WILL help you avoid the flu and it will limit the effects even if you do contract a flu virus.

If you’ve missed the recent flu jab clinics, then don’t worry. You can ask the nurse or GP to give you an injection when you are in for a routine visit. Give us a call if you would like more information about your own circumstances.

For information on the kids spray flu vaccine see our post called ‘What are you spraying up my kids nose?!’