Reply With QuoteYes had leave work early on Thursday, haven't felt this bad in years.
Anyone else experiencing this H3N2 delight?
I've not been so ill since getting swine flu a few years back.
If you havent got it - maybe now's the time to seek out a flu jab?
Yes had leave work early on Thursday, haven't felt this bad in years.
I thought I’d pass on the Flu and go all out on shingles.... it’s not been a pleasant experience
Last edited by Enoch; 30th December 2017 at 15:52.
Is that it is, my wife and one of my sons have been bad.
I finished work on Friday, feeling a bit meh. Then it took hold, fair play it is a nasty one alright,
Only been worse a few times in my life, but hey I am still happy and still here.
Get well soon all you fellow suffers.
Shingles, woah, that looks next level nasty, get well soon.
Happy new year.
Nasty nasty nasty.
Does anyone know if the current flu jab includes the 'Aussie' strain? Otherwise a bit pointless I'd expect.
Oh shit that’s bad! I had it myself a good few years ago, horrible. Hope you’re on the mend soon mate.Originally Posted by Enoch
I thought I’d pass on the Flu and go all out on shingles.... it’s not been a pleasant experience
Don't know what I've got, but I've been in bed since Christmas morning - pleghm, cough and sleeping most of the time (except the other night when the cough kept me up all night). But, on the plus side, I missed the in-laws.
I had a flu jab two weeks ago at my local Sainsbury pharmacy. The pharmacist told me the vaccine is supposed to cover Australian (and other) strains. He also told me me I was a tad late in the season to get the jab but was happy to administer it for the princely sum of £10.
Thanks for that. I think I might toddle down there.
I think this years flu jab was designed with the Ozzie flu in mind. I have had the jab and it was offered free provided you confirmed you had any one of a number of conditions. Mine was/is asthma but it may be asking what else qualifies before you hand over your tenner
I’m happy to pay the tenner. The problem I find is just how difficult it usually is to actually get the jab. It usually takes me 2 or 3 attempts each year before I secure a vaccination. Offered to pay the GP but they can only give it for free to qualifying patients and a casual call into the pharmacy usually results in disappointment and at least one return visit to suit the availability of the pharmacist and/or the vaccine. It seems to me that we could significantly increase the rates of immunisation if we just made it more accessible to people who are happy to pay.
Not sure what me and the misses have had, but basically bad cold for 2 weeks before xmas and then flu after xmas. Seriously considering the jab for next year... Not flet this bad for many years...
never really get the flu. we are due a major pandemic since the spanish flu in the early 20th century. or is that just scare tactics?
Is that the Black Sabbath strain then?
Most Sainsbury’s, Tescos, Asda, Boots the Chemists............
There are also lots of other chemists/pharmacies too.
It ain’t exactly difficult.
And for those who say “I dont normally get flu”- they probably have never experienced it at all. Trust me - you remember each time you get it in your life.
For £9 or £10 a year - why wouldn’t you??
I often do as 'flu is horrible, but taking the jab or not isn't a question with an immediately obvious answer:
Dr Mark Porter, NHS doctor quoted in The Times... most respected research into the benefits of the flu vaccine over the past 60 years has failed to show much of an impact
... the vaccine doesn’t help most, but will save a week or two off work for the few who do succumb
... uptake among frontline healthcare professionals such as doctors is low (last year four out of ten didn’t have the jab despite financial incentives for the trusts employing them)
Would I bother if I wasn’t a doctor and eligible for the jab on the NHS?
Probably not.
I don't like being ill (who does?) but when, my then, wife and mother had a flu jab many years ago, they were both so ill with it that it has turned me off of having it ever since.
On the question of whether to have the jab or not, my wife and son are asthmatic so they get it for free and I have paid to have it for the last 5 or 6 years. None of us has suffered any side effects beyond a slightly sore arm so I really can’t see why people don’t get vaccinated.
Doctors in the public eye casting vague negativity towards issues like this really don’t help and tend to put people off any kind of vaccination, and that can’t be good for public health in general.
i have had the jab the last few years , and it does seem to help. except this year, i caught a cold about 6 weeks ago , and am just getting back to normal felt drained and wanted to sleep all the time
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In general, the only people (not entitled to free jabs) - who pay to get done.............
Are self-employed or have actually had proper flu in recent years........
Most others think “I’ll get paid leave in my bed”
The problem is that they select which jab to give. It’s not a coverall, and only effective against the strains it covers in that jab - so you would still be likely to get flu if you came in contact with any other strain.
They offer it free with one of my clients, but I never take up the option. I have had flu once in my life; it was dreadful and I was bed bound for at least 3 days.
It's just a matter of time...
Curently in the 2nd week of a heavy cold, which seems to be doing the rounds locally. Not nice but as others have said you really know when you get the flu and this is no where near the effect flu has on you. Knowing my luck, I'll get the Aussie flu straight after I've recovered from this.
I had the flu about 5 years ago and had to take 7 days off work. Since then I’ve had the jab each winter and have never suffered any negative side effects from it.
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I'm currently suffering my usual winter cough / cold, but not full-blown influenza...and that may be down to the NHS jab I was given a couple of months ago.
Check out what's going on in your area with Flusurvey.
A good few of the family have suffered from a winter vomiting bug or norovirus in the last week or so. Apparently it's a problem...link...in some places.
If you have a cold, you do not have the flu. If you have the flu, chances are you’re at the very least in very regular contact with your gp, if not in hospital. That thing really kills people. In some strains, more than the black death.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
I just had a two week break from work, Due back tomorrow and today got a sore throat which through the course of the day seems to have travelled to my nose/sinus, Also started aching but i'm sure it's not flu!, More like a cold starting, I had a flu jab a few weeks ago as i'm asthmatic so best to take precautions!!
John
What is 'Aussie' flu and should we be worried?:
One of the strains circulating this year - H3N2 - has been dubbed Aussie flu because it is the same strain that recently caused big problems for Australia.
Australia's 2017 flu season was the worst the country had experienced in nearly a decade.
Experts are waiting to see if similar will happen in the UK, after a recent rise in cases.
...
The UK is seeing a mix of flu types circulating including influenza B as well as the H3N2 strain.
H3N2 is not new. It was around last winter too.
We currently have a black 'X' on the door - house of the ill.....
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Pleased I had the flu jab in November, colleague of mines husband has it and he is in a right state. Sounds bloody awful!
Practically everyone at work has had it over their Christmas break, I was working all the time - they are now all back, coughing and spluttering, kids back at school sneezing all over the shop
like most haven't had the flu for years just a bad cold now and again.... also haven't had a day off sick from work since 2009 (I usually get ill on holiday or business trips)
- its just a question of time... sarting to plan things to do while in bed... an annoyingly my new Bicycle is on the way from Evans and I reckon it will arrive when I am bedridden and cannot test it out
Always have the flu jab in October every year.
Blow all that flu game!
Cheers,
Neil.
I had my annual flu jab back in September, and I had to leave work early yesterday feeling pretty rough (sore throat, feeling cold, brain turned to marshmallow). A number of other people in work have been/are off with similar.
I had shingles a number of years ago, and it was one of the most painful and uncomfortable things I've know. As soon as I'd fall asleep, I'd roll over onto my side and the pain would wake me up, so I also ended up with sleep depravation. Horrible.
You are just paranoid
Wife is suffering at the moment. She forsook the flu jab as she no longer works in an office with diseased people. Instead she visited someone who gave her the bug. It is v. unpleasant and I've had a mild bout. The usual drugs work/plenty of rest and liquids but if you do get it bad you will be off work. Wife says it's the jab next year.
First the Ashes, now this. Bloody Australians...
Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.
Flawed logic in my view. Once these bugs are in the air and in general circulation I think you either get them or you don’t , based on whether you’ve got resistance to that specific bug or not. If you live at the top of a hill in total isolation you’re in with a good chance of avoiding these things, but once you’re visting shops, pubs, spermarkets, gyms, restaurants etc you’re going to cone into contact with them.
Despite having a weakened immune system/ low white blood count following illness I never have the flu jabs, possibly because I never give it much thought till it’s too late. The medics have never advised that I should have it, but I’ve never discussed it either.
Over Christmas my wife’s been quite ill, having taken to her bed what I’d call full-blown flu, yet apart from a mild cold I’ve been fine. Clearly, my resistance to this strain is good, it’s got little to do with proximityor concentration effects.
Having the flu jab every year probably helps some people, if only psychologically, but you can never conclude that it’s been a success.
One thing I have reverted to is taking 500mg of Vitamin C every day. I used to do this back in my running days; there are various theories about it helping stave off colds etc. Fingers crossed, it’s working for me so far, wifey’s still spluttering her head off at the side of me but I’m relatively OK. Is the Vitamin C helping?......can’t be certain but I’ll keep taking it.
I remember being told as a kid that coming out of the swimming baths with wet hair gave you cold........I was never convinced!
Paul
not sure how the benefits of flu jab can be 'psychological', to be honest - a cheery outlook aint going to fend it off.
Vit C? can't do any harm, but then - neither can the flu-jab.
Al
Spanish flu killed more people than WW1! Sobering stat that is...
Got the jab yesterday.If nothing else,eases anxiety a bit.😅
Am I going insane?
Maybe it's just a symptom of the universe.
That’s what I meant to say when I claimed the benefits might be psychological
I think it’s a bit late for having the jab, but I guess it can’t do any harm.
Keeping your fingers crossed, take vitamin C, and have a couple of whiskies at the first hint if a sniffle.
Many years ago a friend of mine claimed the ultimate cold cure......’ head straight to bed with a bottle of whisky and a hot woman’...........you won’t find that advice on the NHS website!
Paul
I'm a diabetic so I get the flu jab every year. Unfortunately our local rag says that the formula for this years jab was finalised before the Aussie flu outbreak began so it wasn't included in the mix.......... oh dear:-(
I think that your local rag need to do a bit of research. The flu jab for 2017/18:
Each year, the viruses that are most likely to cause flu are identified in advance and vaccines are made to match them as closely as possible. The vaccines are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Most injected flu vaccines protect against 3 types of flu virus:
• A/H1N1 – the strain of flu that caused the swine flu pandemic in 2009
• A/H3N2 – a strain of flu that mainly affects the elderly and people with risk factors like a long-term health condition. In 2017/18 the vaccine will contain an A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 H3N2-like virus
• Influenza B – a strain of flu that particularly affects children. In 2017/18 the vaccine will contain B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus
The nasal spray flu vaccine and some injected vaccines also offer protection against a fourth B strain of virus, which in 2017/18 is the B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus.
Then there is this from Public Health England's Weekly National Influenza Report (pdf link) on their data up to week 52 of 2017. Under "Virus characterisation" it says:
The PHE Respiratory Virus Unit has characterised 124 influenza viruses detected since week 37 (Table 3).
Of the 43 A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza viruses that have been characterised, all belong in the genetic subgroup 6B.1, which was the predominant genetic subgroup in the 2016/17 season and to date during the current season.
The 25 viruses antigenically analysed are similar to the A/Michigan/45/2015 Northern Hemisphere 2017/18 (H1N1)pdm09 vaccine strain.
Genetic characterisation of 56 A(H3N2) influenza viruses detected since late summer, showed that they all belong to genetic subclade 3C.2a, with 32 belonging to a cluster within this genetic subclade designated as 3C.2a1.
The Northern Hemisphere 2017/18 influenza A(H3N2) vaccine strain A/HongKong/4801/2014 belongs in genetic subclade 3C.2a.
Now...quite how effective that component of the vaccine may be is another matter...
quite a few in my office have been affected. i suppose it is only a matter of time I get struck. supposedly it is very bad around here (bristol)
While we're on about disease...what do you think is the world’s biggest infectious killer?
See this link for the answer.
It’s now two weeks since I started with a sore throat and what I expected was just a common cold. Not sure what variant I’ve had but it’s not been pleasant.
First year in many I’ve not had the flu-jab, wont be making that mistake again.
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My eldest brother has had a really bad chest infection terrible breathing difficulties, he passed away this evening. They cannot say if it is the Australian flu at the moment, he was 68.
Bloody hell. Condolences.
Very sorry indeed to hear that.
So sorry to hear about your brother, my condolences.
Had a really bad chest infection a few years back and now get the flu jab every year. So far it seems to have worked, although retiring has probably cut down my chances of catching anything.
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