Hello all, Yesterday I had my annual 'flu jab :? and I was confident in this, but now my fellow MSer has just informed me that these jabs can have a serious effect on us as it can even make the MS worse. As I say I have never been negatively affected but I would be greateful to know if anyone else avoids these like the plague.
Hi, I also had a flu jab yesterday. My arm is red, sore and a bit lumpy at the injection site. I feel the same as I did yesterday and dont think Ill be dwelling on the fact that it may make ms worse. Had my first flu jab last year and was fine…didnt get a cold. So hoping for the best. As youve already had the jab, you cant do much about it...but dont let your fellow MSer`s words bother you, eh? luv Pollx
Hi, I’ve never read any scientific evidence of flu’ jabs “making MS worse”. Getting the flu’ is a bigger risk by far, as the risk of a relapse in the few weeks following is 1 in 3. I had the jab last year, and had no ill-effects at all. In fact, I think I had a slightly better Winter MS-wise than the previous couple (when I didn’t have the jab, because I didn’t know I had MS). I noticed “chronic neurological disease” was listed in the doctor’s waiting room as a reason for getting the jab. I’m convinced you’ve done the right thing. If you didn’t have it, and then got flu’, followed by a relapse, you’d be blaming yourself, wouldn’t you? Tina
I’ve had loads of flu jabs over the years. Only once have I felt uck enough to feel sorry for myself about having the jab on a Saturday and then feeling uck. I was OK again by tea time 
I’m due to have this year’s one next Saturday, so I’ll let you know if I don’t survive then 
Hi I had my flu jab last wed, no ill effects. Before I started having them I regularly ended up in Hospital with serious chest infections. every time I got a cold or flu, not since. The flu jab is best for me Sue
hettie wrote:
interesting as i have had a flu jab every year for the last 4 ( i am a teacher) however this year when i mentioned it to my neuro his advice was not to have it… so now i am totally confused. i have never had flu so no idea how it would affect me. I have been diagnosed with MS for 12 years although started with symptoms years before that. :roll:
I did a search on info the other week and the evidence strongly supports getting the jab (unless maybe you’ve had a nasty reaction to it?). Here’s one of the a links I found: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/429479_3 Karen x
I’ve had a flu jab for the last five years no side effects and no flu 
Hello All, Thank you to all for the feedback re ‘flu frenzy’. Now it is two days ‘after the event’ and I feel well, so if things continue the same, then I will always have my flu jabs. My fellow MSer friend is still very suspicious of these injections though. Yours, Moira
Had my first on Saturday and no effects yet. Was told to get it by my MS Nurse just in case
My wife who has MS was advised by the her GP at the time of diagnosis to avoid all further vaccines due to the potential adverse effect on her MS. We had met the family of a vaccine damaged child several years earlier and just dropped all vaccines for our children on the strength of what they said so really had no problem with the avoiding vaccines anyway. Clearly different medical people have different experiences and therefore different view of the risk / benefits of many procedures including vaccine. The problem is with flu vaccines is they are based on a guess of what strains of flu will be around in the flu season, so if that decision turns out to be wrong they may offer no protection at all. I have, over the years, met many who believed there MS had worsened because of flu vaccines. The problem is of course MS often gets worse anyway and as can be seen from the messages here many seem not to have any adverse reaction. Which vaccines to accept is probably one of the more difficult decisions lay people have to make. Clearly there are some vary rare crisis reaction to vaccines but also vaccines may assist with warding of something very dangerous. Sort of dammed if you do damned if you don’t decision.
I have only had flu jabs for the past 2 years, i also had my swine flu jab 2 years ago…I had no adverse effects from this…My Sister who also has MS has had a flu jab for the past 10 years, she has never gotten any bad effects either. A flu jab can have a bad effect on anyone, not just those with MS, My Dad has them on a yearly basis too, He always gets poorly from them…So I guess it just depends on the person
As others have said, I’ve never heard of any link saying the jab can make MS worse. But I’m pretty certain that getting flu will make it worse, so I reckon it’s better safe than sorry. I’ve had it a few times since being diagnosed without any ill effect. Dan
Hi, about 3 years ago I didn’t have my flu jab. I got flu. I was in bed… and I really mean IN BED… for over 3 weeks. I actually thought I was dying. I took about 2 months to recover. I got ill at beginning of November and was still really unwell at xmas (actually can’t even remember that xmas). I’m not saying everyone would get that ill, maybe I was just unlucky and had a particularly bad dose, but I would recommend anyone with MS to have a flu jab. Our immune systems do not cope well with flu. If you get a reaction to the jab it will be relatively mild. Pat x