A bit bloody keen

[smokingboot]

Peculiar thing; our local surgery phoned me regarding a covid booster+flu shot.
I haven't made an appointment for either. An appointment was meant to be made for my second shingles jab. It's today.

'Oh yes,' chirped the lady on the phone, 'we can do that too.'

The shingles jab is something we discussed, a jab I actually want to get. Treating it like some adjunct to some main programme of 'NHS winter vaccines' is a bit baffling. I would rather appointments were not made for me without discussion and agreement. What is going on? I never had a flu jab in my life, so why would I have one now? Yes, I know that Spanish Flu killed millions, are we expecting something of its ilk? Is all this palaver because another pandemic is coming? Because I am ageing? Am I immunocompromised by radiotherapy? Someone give me information beyond when to turn up! These people make me feel frail, old, incapable of making decisions about my own health, and I am none of those things. I really do not like this expectation that thinking on my part is unnecessary, that I just need to blank my mind, stick my arm out, and someone who knows better will jab magical good juice into my bod.

And I know that this suspicion might echo elements of Mum's problem, also that my own phobic responses may be influencing how I feel.

What I will do is have that shingles jab today. In a couple of weeks I'll be catching up with my Best Lady, a scientist specialising in flu vaccines who got corralled into Covid research when the pandemic first hit. I'll ask her for wise info and advice and take it from there.

Doubtless it's all well meant, just a bit bloody keen if you ask me.

Comments

[mallorys_camera]

Not that you're asking, but I would strongly advise against getting any other immunizations in conjunction with the shingles jab. The shingles jab alone can be very hard on yr body. You don't want to potentiate its side effects.

[smokingboot]

Thank you so much for this!

As luck would have it, I was waiting for my appointment at the GPs yesterday when I saw your advice (never demur to give it, I am always interested) on my phone, and it informed my answer to the nurse, who was up for giving me all three at once.

I have had the shingles jab, and feel like hell this morning. But adding the other two would have been very stupid.

[bleodswean]

Your instincts are spot on. And I'm with P, the shingles vax HURTS. Enough hurt for one body for a while. Don't pile on. Personally, I wouldn't pursue the other two, but ymmv.

[smokingboot]

Thanks for this sound advice. You are right, this Shingles vax hurts like crazy, I'll leave the others until I have more info and then decide.

[conuly]

I don't know that I'd get shingles + flu and covid, but you really ought to get a flu shot. I've had the flu once in my life, in high school, and in retrospect I ought to have gone to the hospital. I was sick for weeks, and had lingering symptoms for months afterwards.

The flu is no joke, and if you're old enough that shingles is a concern then flu is a bigger one than it was.

[smokingboot]

I feel for you, that flu sounds horrible.

Flu used to be a very regular thing in the UK, I've had it many times (though never with the ongoing nastiness you faced.) It was generally rapid onset, high temperature, shakes, aches + respiratory symptoms. One lay in bed for 5 days with hot lemon and paracetamol then went back to school/work. The Beeb is warning that flu rates are climbing early, three times higher than normal for this time of year, so I am paying serious attention to what you say. Thanks for the warning.