Flu may hit earlier & harder this year (lotsa @)

[osulori]

I was originally going to wait until my 4th grader's well check to get his and mine like usual, but with everything coming out about the flu this year I think I'm just going to march all of us up to the pharmacy on Saturday. He's more concerned about me getting mine when he gets his so hopefully I don't have to bribe too much.

[pixy0stix]

Sept 13, 2022 14:16:37 GMT -5 dulcemariamar said:

Flu shots are not rolled out in most countries of Europe until at least the second week of October and even then I find it hard to get one where I live.

If you get your flu shot in August/September does it last through the whole flu season?

Normal years you are better to wait until October. This year, again, the season is supposed to peak in December, so be over earlier too. So getting it earlier this year is recommended.

[lilypad1126]

H and I both got our flu shot (and covid boosters) last week. The lady at the pharmacy was like, you don't have to get both together, you can wait on your flu shot. I said thanks, but we'll get them both today. Now that I'm reading/hearing more about flu season starting earlier this year, I'm glad we did. We have a big trip/event in mid-October and I wanted to be as protected as possible for it.

Other than sore arms (both of us) and some nausea (me), it wasn't too bad.

ETA: By the time we left, there were probably 15 other people there waiting for both flu and covid shots. Seems like a lot of people in my immediate area are getting them together this year.

[kath16]

Am I making a mistake by considering the mist instead of the shot for my kids? Of course I have to see if it’s actually in stock for our appointment anyway and will proceed accordingly, but should I just not bother with the mist even if they do have it?

[StrawberryBlondie]

Welp, were scheduled for next week.

CVS wouldn't let me schedule my kid because of age, which is weird since in my state they can and do vaccinate kids but 🤷‍♀️

[icedcoffee]

Oye. I need to schedule this stuff. I want to get the Pfizer bivalent first. I was supposed to go tomorrow but my H needs my car. 😡

@@
I took my kid to CVS for his last Covid shot and we waited like 45 minutes which is crazy with a toddler so I’m going to try to hold off for a pedi appointment this time. Wtf cvs?!?

[Deleted]

@@@

My 10 year old just spent four days in the hospital after catching something at school that was exacerbated by her asthma. They had several kiddos in with the same thing. She’s been out three weeks yesterday and is still struggling to get back to full strength.

[Bad Dingo]

Oh wow, @rebeccawelton, that must have been so scary!

Thanks to this thread I scheduled my flu shot for Fri. I kind of wish I could get the old people version.

[winecat]

Sept 13, 2022 14:24:01 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Sept 13, 2022 14:16:37 GMT -5 dulcemariamar said:

Flu shots are not rolled out in most countries of Europe until at least the second week of October and even then I find it hard to get one where I live.

If you get your flu shot in August/September does it last through the whole flu season?

Normal years you are better to wait until October. This year, again, the season is supposed to peak in December, so be over earlier too. So getting it earlier this year is recommended.

Thank you for posting this.

[pierogigirl]

DH and I just scheduled for Friday. The kids are scheduled with the pedi in 2 weeks. Thanks for the reminder for adults. I usually wait until work does a clinic, but it hasn't even been announced yet.

[wanderingback]

Sept 13, 2022 16:40:51 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Oye. I need to schedule this stuff. I want to get the Pfizer bivalent first. I was supposed to go tomorrow but my H needs my car. 😡

@@
I took my kid to CVS for his last Covid shot and we waited like 45 minutes which is crazy with a toddler so I’m going to try to hold off for a pedi appointment this time. Wtf cvs?!?

Pharmacists are being stretched to the limits these days. 
From what I've seen appointments are just scheduled throughout the day while they're still responsible for screening medications, counseling patients, calling doctors, etc. 
I think I waited about 35 minutes from beginning to end for my vaccine and I was pleasantly surprised.
So yeah I agree if you're in a hurry another option is likely better than a retail pharmacy where pharmacists are being asked to do the impossible. 

[expectantsteelerfan]

Oh interesting, thanks for posting this. I just got my Covid booster, and I have ds's Covid booster scheduled for Friday after school. I could have scheduled our flu shots for the same time, but I planned to wait till Oct. for those. DD has her well-child appt. the 1st week of Oct. and I usually get mine during her appt. (the office offers to do parent shots during the child appt. and it doesn't take any longer). My Covid appt (at Walgreens) was quick and there was no line, so now I'm wondering if I should try to add ds's flu shot at least to that appt. though.

[pinkpeony08]

thanks for this. Mostly a lurker, but I've been debating how to best manage given my youngest can get her 2nd COVID vaccine at the end of this week and will need 2 flu vaccines. She won't be thrilled with the pokes, but first flu tomorrow and second covid vaccine on Thursday.

Does anyone have any idea if local pharmacies stock the flu mist? My oldest has gotten hives at the injection site of the flu vaccine, but she does totally fine with the flu mist.

[Deleted]

Sept 13, 2022 20:30:21 GMT -5 pinkpeony08 said:

thanks for this. Mostly a lurker, but I've been debating how to best manage given my youngest can get her 2nd COVID vaccine at the end of this week and will need 2 flu vaccines. She won't be thrilled with the pokes, but first flu tomorrow and second covid vaccine on Thursday.

Does anyone have any idea if local pharmacies stock the flu mist? My oldest has gotten hives at the injection site of the flu vaccine, but she does totally fine with the flu mist.

Rite aid and sam’s club have it. Also you can see where else stocks it here. You don’t have to have a sams club membership to get it. www.flumistquadrivalent.com/

[konapoppy]

For those worried, I did a combo booster and flu yesterday and my only symptom is a sore arm.

[erbear]

Just scheduled mine and @@ kids for tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder!

[karinothing]

Scheduled all of ours for next thursday. DH and I need covid booster but i don't want to schedule them on the same day since I feel like such poo when I get the covid booster

[sju]

Thanks for sharing. I have lung disease and for the last few years my pulmonologist said NOT to get the flu shot. My family would have it instead. I saw him last month and asked about it he said, oh that’s a decision for your rheumatologist to make. I need a new doctor, right?

[Bad Dingo]

Sept 14, 2022 6:48:31 GMT -5 sju said:

Thanks for sharing. I have lung disease and for the last few years my pulmonologist said NOT to get the flu shot. My family would have it instead. I saw him last month and asked about it he said, oh that’s a decision for your rheumatologist to make. I need a new doctor, right?

This seems like the opposite of sound medical advice. I'd assume you'd be told to get the flu shot and the pneumonia vax.

[rubytue]

Sept 14, 2022 6:48:31 GMT -5 sju said:

Thanks for sharing. I have lung disease and for the last few years my pulmonologist said NOT to get the flu shot. My family would have it instead. I saw him last month and asked about it he said, oh that’s a decision for your rheumatologist to make. I need a new doctor, right?

Well, it would make me question him. It does seem like an odd recommendation. There are definitely some wacky doctors out there, some good in their speciality but clueless about others. My H’s allergist tells him to take off his mask for visit (like the whole time, not just a nose/throat exam). And, while vaccines haven’t come up with H, he did tell me he was waiting for his allergy shot when a lady walked in for hers ranting and raving about “not taking the jab.” 🙄 so he at least supports anti vaxxers. 

[timorousbeastie]

Sept 14, 2022 6:48:31 GMT -5 sju said:

Thanks for sharing. I have lung disease and for the last few years my pulmonologist said NOT to get the flu shot. My family would have it instead. I saw him last month and asked about it he said, oh that’s a decision for your rheumatologist to make. I need a new doctor, right?

I have lung issues, and my doctor wants me to stay up to date on every vaccine for diseases that affect the lungs (flu, COVID, pneumonia). Of course, every patient is different, so maybe there is a reason your dr didn’t want you to get the shot, but I’d at least want to get a second opinion, or possibly switch doctors entirely.

[holly116]

All five of us got our covid booster and flu shots on Sunday. The kids were 100% normal (nearly 9, 10, & 12) and so was DH. I felt a bit off starting at the 24 hour mark but overall, okay. I didn't need to take off of work or anything. DH and I got Moderna, the kids got Pfizer.

Pro-tip, the kids got theirs at Walgreens and each received a $10 reward coupon per shot. So we got $60 in rewards, which came in handy with all the candy/snacks we were buying as a bribe.

[underwaterrhymes]

Sept 14, 2022 6:48:31 GMT -5 sju said:

Thanks for sharing. I have lung disease and for the last few years my pulmonologist said NOT to get the flu shot. My family would have it instead. I saw him last month and asked about it he said, oh that’s a decision for your rheumatologist to make. I need a new doctor, right?

I would definitely get a second opinion. I think sometimes doctors may be good at what they do, but their personal opinions bleach into their practice.

For instance, my sister saw a cardiologist earlier this week who told her “sometimes you just need to trust in god.”

She will not be going back to him.

[mrshandy]

Feeling good! Everyone in our family got flu shots yesterday and 3 out of 4 of us got our bivalent boosters. (DD is 9 so not eligible)

[picksthemusic]

Got mine yesterday, DH got his the other day, and kiddos today (I tried to do walk-in with them but they didn't have time/staff). I'm not stepping foot in FL without them vaccinated (we're going to Disney in a few weeks).

[rubytue]

This thread inspired me to make appointments. Living large. We have a date on Friday. Almost as sexy as the day a few years ago where we had back to back dermatology appointments.

[pizzaandtulips]

Sept 13, 2022 14:16:37 GMT -5 dulcemariamar said:

Flu shots are not rolled out in most countries of Europe until at least the second week of October and even then I find it hard to get one where I live.

If you get your flu shot in August/September does it last through the whole flu season?

I can’t remember exactly where you live. I was in the Netherlands and it was very difficult to get flu shots. They didn’t really believe in giving them, you had to request it from a pharmacy and bring to the doctor, my doctor wrote me a page-long email about why she didn’t think I needed it, and they always seemed to be in short supply or backordered. But I had to go to the KLM travel health center at Schiphol airport for a different vaccine once, and they told me that anyone could go there to get flu shots easily - kids, adults, anyone who wanted one. We never ended up doing it there because we just got them in the US when we visited in December, but if you have a similar travel health center at your local airport, it might be worth checking there.

[pinkpeony08]

Sept 13, 2022 15:23:46 GMT -5 kath16 said:

Am I making a mistake by considering the mist instead of the shot for my kids? Of course I have to see if it’s actually in stock for our appointment anyway and will proceed accordingly, but should I just not bother with the mist even if they do have it?

We did the flu mist last year after my oldest had hives around the injection site the prior year that lasted a week! My pediatrician was good with it. The kids did great and thought it was no big deal. Planning for mist again this year!

[chickadee77]

@@ Got ours today. My 4yo, who has always been great with shots, freaked.out. Sigh. I kept thanking the techs and apologizing, explaining that she's never done this before! And they were like, "Sure, Jan." She did finally capitulate, and when it was done was all smiles, so here's hoping it's not a new trend and just a one-off.

The 8yo jumped in, ready to go first, so yay? Lol

[dulcemariamar]

Sept 14, 2022 10:01:11 GMT -5 pizzaandtulips said:

Sept 13, 2022 14:16:37 GMT -5 dulcemariamar said:

Flu shots are not rolled out in most countries of Europe until at least the second week of October and even then I find it hard to get one where I live.

If you get your flu shot in August/September does it last through the whole flu season?

I can’t remember exactly where you live. I was in the Netherlands and it was very difficult to get flu shots. They didn’t really believe in giving them, you had to request it from a pharmacy and bring to the doctor, my doctor wrote me a page-long email about why she didn’t think I needed it, and they always seemed to be in short supply or backordered. But I had to go to the KLM travel health center at Schiphol airport for a different vaccine once, and they told me that anyone could go there to get flu shots easily - kids, adults, anyone who wanted one. We never ended up doing it there because we just got them in the US when we visited in December, but if you have a similar travel health center at your local airport, it might be worth checking there.

I am in Lux so no health center at the tiny airport here. It will come out eventually here in October so I just have to be patient and get an appointment as soon as they arrive.