Are Flu Shots available in UK but not in US?

"Chief Medical Officer Calls For Over-65s and Children to Get Their Free Flu Jab, UK"

'If you knew about flu you'd get the jab' is the message of this year's flu campaign aimed at the over 65s and parents of children aged over six months with asthma, diabetes or weakened immunity due to disease or treatment. These groups in particular should make an appointment with their GP for their free annual flu jab advises Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson.

Flu is highly infectious. A sneeze can carry the flu virus and, travelling at 80 miles per hour, reach distances of up to 30 feet away. Touching objects such as toys that have been coughed or sneezed on can also pass on flu.

Hopefully this means that if you live in the UK you can get a flu shot. We took my 89 yr old MIL to the doctor today and the nurse told us that they aren't able to get any serum here at all. They have had their order in for months and keep calling and nothing is coming to them. She said that if we hear of any places offering shots for seniors to take her there right away.

Have any of you heard anything like this also? I was wondering if it is regional or just local. Also any UK members can you get a flu shot?

Hi justme!
I finally have an appointment on Halloween, and was actually believing that I would be able to get a flu shot then. Now, I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Good luck finding one for your MIL! Will you be looking to get one for yourself (with your fibromyalgia)? I hope so! I'm more worried about it this year because of all of the talk about the bird flu possibly becoming an epidemic!

Originally posted by justme1640
Have any of you heard anything like this also? I was wondering if it is regional or just local. Also any UK members can you get a flu shot?

Flu jabs are a minor industry for UK family doctors - they get a good income back from the Govt for giving them to the target groups (mentioned in the article). I haven't had a reminder *yet* for mine but expect to do so - as GP's are also paid for doing that.

I also haven't heard of any shortages in the flu vaccine - of course I'm talking about the traditional flu jab - not the avian flu.

I'm in the healthcare field (insurance end of it) and I haven't heard of any shortages in the US.

cheers

I will try to check with my doctor tomorrow -- different doctor than MIL goes to and different facility -- to see if it is more than the one medical center in this area that are experiencing this.

FibroKat - I haven't decided about getting the flu shot this year -- in the past I have always seemed to get sick right after getting the shot (no idea if there is a connection but the timing is always there)

jm

I talked to my father about this the other day. Those targetted groups mentioned above get it free.

My father correctly pointed out that it is no protection against H5N1 but one of the big problems that will arise if a pandemic breaks out will be that you and doctors will not be able to differentiate between the two early on. You might have normal flu but you might worry that you have H5N1. At this point you have a dilemma. Stay at home or go to the doctor or hospital. If you stay at home and you do have H5N1 then those first few days where the symptoms are almost identical could be the difference between your survival and death. On the other hand if you go to hospital to play safe you might not have H5N1 to begin with but you will substantially increase your chances of getting it and during a pandemic medical staff will have no alternative but to treat every case as though it were H5N1 and you will isolated needlessly.

So if you have the option of this free flu jab you should go. That way if you suffer from flu symptoms during a pandemic you will know it is more likely to be H5N1 and there is less of a chance of needlessly getting infected.

Correct the current flu shot will not help you with H5N1, BUT its still a good idea anyway. Flu shots will be avalible in the US and there is plenty of it. The panic from last year was nothing more than people who never got it before suddently wanted it cause of a shortfall.

DH has been sick with URI and has been to the doctor once and unless he is better on Monday will be going back-- was thinking about having him ask about getting Flu shot then. Also this is to FredT or others who might know-- he is prone to getting pneumonia -- should he also get a shot for that -- it has been quite awhile since his last shot and I don't remember how long that is good for.

I guess if DH ends up getting the flu shot I will get one too FibroKat. And since we are in charge of MIL for 2 weeks will see at the same time if we can get her in also even though it isn't her doc. (only because her doctor said to grab one if we could get it for her) Of course this is all based on them having the shots available in our area.