Hello,
I was diagnosed in December 2019 so this is the first time I’ve been offered a flu jab. I have minimal symptoms, just the occasional tremor in my left side really and aside from that I’m pretty fit and healthy. I’m a it concerned that it will do more harm than good.
What do others think?
Welcome to the forum, I am sure many of our members will respond to you and share their experiences. However I would suggest that you speak to your Parkinson’s nurse about this, if you do not have access to a nurse then please do contact our helpline on 0808 800 0303 and ask them to connect you to a specialist nurse who will be able to give you some general advice.
Kind regards
Sue - moderation team
Hi @HighsocietyGal,
Welcome to the group, as @SueMartin said we are happy to share our thoughts and experiences, but medication is always a personal decision after having taken advice from Neuro, PD Nurse and or GP.
In my honest opinion, I have been having the flu jab for about 14 years long before dx with parky. The reason I decided to have it is I caught flu in 2005 and was so ill with it I could not keep my medication for spinal stenosis and osteoarthritis down for about 5 days which made everything worse I my honest opinion.
Since 2006 I have had the flu jab every year, only side effect I have had and not everytime, is a sore arm and a slight headache. I have not since 2005 had flu, a heavy cold yes (but it is not designed to prevent that).
For me personally I will be having the flu jab again this year and have my appointment booked free via Boots on 18th September as it means I get it a lot sooner than if I wait for my appointment with the GP surgery.
I hope you find this helpful 
Personal choice really, if offered a Covid vaccine I would take it. Whilst the standard jab I wouldn’t.
Reason for not taking it up is simple, there is a high probability that resparitory issues will see me out of this world. The annual vaccine is a mild form of a virus suspected to be most prevailing in that year. Do I really want to invite a virus in…?
According to the nhs website the adult flu vaccine is deactivated and cannot give you flu. The nasal spray given to children is a weakened form of the live virus.
They use cells of dead virus – a shell if you like. The body recognises it as invasive and builds antibodies to fight it. There’s no live flu in the vaccine you’ll get. We’ve had the jab for years and the worst side effect has been a bruise. If you get a virus, even a cold, when you have PD, it’ll probably make your PD symptoms temporarily worse, as we’ve experienced. This has not been pleasant and has sometimes been quite dramatic. Everyone is different, and everyone’s PD is different. But we think it is worth having the jab.
thanks all for the replies. I think I’ll contact the Parkinsons nurse for a chat.
Out of interest…I have been diagnosed for five years now. I am 62 years old…so do I pay for jab or do I qualify for it free?
PWP can get the flu vaccine free.
Thanks for response. T
Hi I have had the flu jab for the last few years, the only side affects I have had is a sore arm, but at the end of the day it’s personal choice only you can decide
