Flu after the jab

[Hypochondria]

Is it possible to have 'flu' after an anti-flu jab?

[jenniprice]

I know you get "mild" flu symptons after had jab, but its meant to ward off the flu for future.
You have to have it done every year though.

However my nana's friend had the flu jab, then got flu a few months later, so don't think it's that good at keeping it at bay!

[Ethel]

You should not get mild flu symptoms at all from the flu jab - there is no live flu virus in it so it is impossible to get the flu from the jab.

The only side effect from the flu is possibly tenderness and swelling at the site of the injection.

It takes 12 days for the vaccine to become effective, so you can develop flu within this time span. If you caught flu just before you had the vaccine you will still get the flu.

However, the flu jab cannot guard against all the strains of the flu, and the World Health Organisation has to determine which strains to vaccine against some months before the jab is available.

So yes, you may get flu after having the jab, but you are less likely to.

The flu jab does not prevent colds and many people mistakenly refer to colds as the flu

[jenniprice]

About the flu vaccine
Flu vaccine contains components of two types of Influenza A and one type of Influenza B viruses. Because the flu virus is continually changing, and different types circulate each winter, a new flu vaccine has to be produced each year.

Can the vaccine cause 'flu?
No. The influenza vaccine contains no live virus and cannot therefore cause flu. As the viruses are inactivated and do not contain live viruses, they cannot cause flu. Some people may experience mild flu-like symptoms for up to 48 hours after immunisation as their immune system responds to the vaccine, but this is not flu.