Flu Jab

It’s not about people who don’t bother it’s about people who can’t. I can’t be any clearer than that, sorry.

And I can’t be any clearing in asking why they can’t have it.

Bye then.

They can’t have it because it won’t work for them.

I know this is a glib answer and I apologise in advance for this, but… compassion. Even if it is people who are able to get the jab and don’t, I can help at risk people (and, let’s be honest, myself) by getting the vaccine. That’s all.

I am not a medical professional so I don’t know that which was why I was asking you about it,

We’ve got people in this thread who are getting the flu jabs for these reasons but you’re saying they can’t get the flu jab cause it won’t work. Hence why I was confused and asking you. You clearly do not want to actually engage because see when I do ask, you just shoot me down and say i’m starting arguments.

You can see why I get annoyed.

How can I have compassion on something I do not know exists?
This isn’t readily available knowledge to everyone which is the point i’ve been making the whole time.

Different groups of people. There are some who can’t get the vaccine because of an allergy or a pre-existing medical condition that means that they are at increased risk of complications from the vaccine. And then there are the people who can get the vaccine but are still at risk of complications if they still do get the flu. If everybody gets vaccinated, it’s additional protection for both of those groups of people. This is herd immunity.

I think there are a range of voices here on how well-known this information is. Nobody’s at fault for not knowing this.

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Can’t believe that my brilliant Dave Grohl / Flu Fighters post got lost in all this nonsense.

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Thanks for the info. This is really something I did not know anything about. I, like most, would have thought anyone high risk was able to get a vaccination.

I feel like most people who say this is well known knowledge are those who have been affected by flu before or live in close proximity to those who have medical conditions which would mean it would be dangerous to get the flu.
This thread has proven that this really isn’t common knowledge to a lot of people because this info isn’t just out there.

My brutally honest response is like others it should be free and mandatory for all if we’re taking that line.

I was simply trying avoid this thread descending into another pile-on-meow by reflecting on a vaguely positive point, sorry.

This has just reminded me that I missed the sign up for the flu jab in work. SHITE.

#prayforKallgeese

Just make sure you hang out exclusively with people who’ve had the jab and you’ll be reet.

I think this should be a requirement of all future DiS events.

There are also those who can get the vaccine, but for whatever reasons (largely socio-economic) do not access it. This might be lack of access, lack of awareness, lack of agency, lack of permanent GP, or address, or english language ability etc etc. Public health campaign spending has been slashed so much that the penetration of the message to many of those who should be having the vaccine are not having it, and those people tend to be the most vulnerable, whether it be through poverty or lack of support networks.

It’s another reason why trying to blame those who do not take up the option of a free vaccine is not the compassionate or most most effective route to take, compared to just getting it done yourself, if you have the means to do so.

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Basically this is why I get it, even though R can have the spray form of the vaccine to protect him this year, if I got flu I would be useless for looking after him even without him being sick.

Also, protecting others, etc.

Very good explanation of what I was about to post, but my version would have been much less eloquent.

There are more reasons than you could even speculate on as to why someone in an at risk group might miss getting the vaccine and I don’t think it would be fair as an outsider to make any judgement on a reason being valid or not.

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Well this thread has made me slightly rethink my position. I’m not at risk but work offers them for free every year and up until now I’ve just thought, I’m not at risk why would I bother, but the comparison with giving blood etc has made me think more along the lines of why would I not? (not that I can give blood as they don’t want it as I’ve had cancer)

So this year I may take my employers up on the offer.

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Did you like my helmet analogy too? (I’m starting to have doubts about it)

kind of, except the person not wearing the helmet is putting themselves at a much greater risk than getting struck down for a few days with a bout of the flu such as fractured skulls, death etc. :wink:

Did you not squeeze them first?