# No swine flu jab for the over 65s



## Mike63 (Nov 18, 2009)

Hi....it appears that a good many people have had the swine flu jab, however according to my doctor's I can never have the vaccination.

I can quite understand the need for priorities and accept that children / pregnant women / celebrities / politicians / VIP's etc. should come first but I thought that eventually it would be my turn, hopefully before I got the virus.

However I am told that there is no intention to give my age group...70 year old, the vaccination...ever. 
It seems that I just have to get the virus and hopefully not die from it.

The woman at the doctors couldn't care less...'cause she'll have had it.

Perhaps it's just the governments idea to kill off a few million old folk who are no longer productive to the economy.

....Mike


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## richardjames (Feb 1, 2006)

I've just had a letter from my local practice inviting me to have the swine flu jab - I'm nearly 70 and have type 2 diabetes - doesn't make sense 8O


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## CurlyBoy (Jan 13, 2008)

*swine flu*

Hi mike, my mum is 84 and she was offered it, and had it.
curlyboy


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Mike63 said:


> However I am told that there is no intention to give my age group...70 year old, the vaccination...ever.


96 year old, very healthy father-in-law has had it- via the NHS.

G


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

My mum'(87) coming with me next week-holding each other';s hand.

I think you're being conned Mike; dig your heels in.


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## whistlinggypsy (May 1, 2005)

Me 65 and wife 63 had the swine flu jab last week after phone call from doctors, we both have asthma so I suppose it put us in the "at Risk" category, but then I know of people worse off than us and they are not getting it, just don't make sense.

Bob


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## sideways (Jun 2, 2008)

I am 58 and have type two diabetes and am classed as at risk so they called me in for it. At my doctors its only offered to certain groups of people, i dont know if its available on request.


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*Swine Flu*

I have been summoned, type 2 diabetes have yet to decide wether to have it tho having just cancelled my appointment due to current common cold. I am advised the practice get £5.25 for each jab administered.

Steve


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## jocie (Dec 24, 2006)

I understand from my doctor that at present there are not the resources (I do not know what type of resources) to vacinnate everyone at the present time. As I am immuno-suppressed I expect that I shall be called for it in one of the earlier batches . However as the flu appears to be reasonably mild ( yes some poor souls get complications and die, but not in as many numbers as with normal flu the N.H.S. claims) I am not too concerned whether I get the vaccination or not.


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

I was offered it and Im 66 but declined the offer as I had so many side effects the last time I had one.
Gary


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## Zozzer (Aug 13, 2006)

The Swine Flu vaccination program has been a right cock up from the start, and we should be very thankful that this strain of flu hasn't been more viscous or many more lives would have been lost.

Being in the high risk category through type 2 diabetes and impaired lung function through COPD I wanted to be vaccinated to at least have some sort of a defence.

So in mid October when I went for my annual flu vaccination I asked about the Swine Flu. I was told by the practice nurse the surgery had the vaccine but were not authorised to issue it. Telephone the surgery on 9th November and we should be able to tell you something. I phoned and was told I would be informed by letter of my appointment date. 

That evening, on the front page of our local newspaper, I read an health warning, advising people to take up the offer of a swine flu jab.

The next day, I get a phonecall from the surgery asking me to go in for a breathing test. But I'm not due until February 2010 I say. So I go and see the practice nurse who agree's I'm not due until February 2010. While your here take one of these leaflets on the Swine flu. Two days later a letter arrives with my swine flu vaccination appointment for the 8th December. Great ! that's after we get back from the Xmas markets in Germany.

Then the week before we are due to head off to Germany, my wife comes down with........ yes you guessed, the Swine flu. I go out and get her the Tamiflu from the collection centre. I explain my condition and that we are due to leave the country in 7 days. I told to see my doctor immediately who may or may not prescribe the vaccine.

I make an appoint for the doctor and he asks "what's the swine flu situation in Germany" ? . I tell him I haven't a clue. but has my wife now has the flu, what is the inccubation period for it. As I would not like to get it whilst abroad. He said he wasn't well up on this disease and would refer my to the practice nurse who had all the information. I was seen that morning and given the vaccination on the Friday. 

On Sunday we travel down to Dover and overnight on Marine Parade. 
On the Monday I wake feeling a little rough, but decide to press on with the holiday. Driving down to Trier was awfull, torrential rain all the way, and I can feel myself getting worse. A night on the Stellplatz and an half hearted attempted to go around the market saw us leaving in the afternoon for our beloved Cologne thinking I would enjoy it more. Sadly it didn't so after two nights on the stellplatz at Marsdorf we decide to come home cutting our holiday short by a week.

Sorry for the waffle, but taking a chance and saying "I'll be allright" is sometimes not the best course of action.


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## ardgour (Mar 22, 2008)

If you have already had close contact for a number of hours with someone who is suffering from swine flu then it may be more dangerous to have the vaccine - 
logic is that the incubation period for flu viruses is only a few days and the sufferer was probably infectious before the symptoms were severe enough to be recognised so by the time you get the vaccine your body is already trying to fight off the virus. When a vaccine is given it dips the immune system for a short time while the body deals with forming antibodies so while your body is busy trying to fight off the naturally acquired virus, the vaccine clobbers your immune system therefore making it more likely that you will get the symptoms as your immune system fails to cope with a double assault - this might explain what happened to you Zozzer. The only time it is worth vaccinating contacts is when the disease has a long incubation period.
Incidentally a doctor friend was telling me that someone has finally done the research to look at how many of these so called cases of swine flu that have been given tamiflu actually were suffering from swine flu rather than some other bug (blood antibody testing is the only certain way of knowing). Apparently only 10% of alleged cases were actually caused by the swine flu virus - makes you think.

Chris


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Having checked what the OP said, the situation is that you should get the vaccination but the problem is that there is not enough at present. 

Each surgery was only given 450 doses in the last batch and all are waiting for the next batch to come through (but no-one seems willing to predict when that might be). 

Quite a few people have to have TWO doses - they are supposed to be 3 weeks apart but no-one knows when the second lot will be done. These are people who are on immuno-suppresive drugs following such things as transplants, some cancer treatment and similar. In these people the first dose does not boost the immune response system enough, the second dose raises the response to the correct level. 

If your receptionist (or as they are often called - dragon) insists on that then she is wrong. Contact your local PCT for more accurate advice. 

However at present Swine Flu is not proving as bad as feared and many people have developed natural immunity through being exposed without them being aware of it. Many schoolchildren have developed this as schools seem to be heavily involved with it's passage! 

And GP's are not the experts on this disease - they are not seeing people with swine flu due to the risk to them (remember one GP died earlier in the year having caught it). The best point of contact for specific advice is NHS Direct 0845 4647 (yes that is right - they have specific approval for those few numbers and MrsW is a Nurse Advisor for them!), the NHS Choices Swine Flu advice line is 0800 1513 513 - they will give you specific advice, arrange for Tamyflu if it is needed and retain a number for you so that if you are off work with the disease you can get a certificate instead of going to see the GP..

Hope that helps you - you should get the vaccination, but it may not be in the next couple of weeks. 

Dave


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## Autoquest (May 16, 2007)

I understand that there is some pretty nasty and not that thoroughly tested ingredients in this vaccine and I'm not sure that I am going to bother.

I was under the impression that unlike most influenza this one seems to target the young and healthy - Perhaps that's why some PCTs don't offer it to the elderly and other PCTs due to lack of take up have plenty to go round

IMHO :?


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## passionwagon (Nov 13, 2005)

richardjames said:


> I've just had a letter from my local practice inviting me to have the swine flu jab - I'm nearly 70 and have type 2 diabetes - doesn't make sense 8O


 8O Makes very good sense as you are in an at risk group by way of health.Claerly explained in the NHS information sheets. :roll:


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

The current vaccine has so far been given to more than 60 million people worldwide, so it is not untested, it is based on a generic vaccine and has been modified to allow it to stimulate the white cells to produce swine flu specific antibodies.

There are two vaccines currently in use - the UK has chosen one which normally only requires a single vaccination for logistic reasons, I believe.

Dave


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