Post Flu Vaccination Medical Advice
Once you've had your flu vaccination you will have the best chance of ‘beating the bug’ this winter. Antibody levels may take 10 to 14 days to rise. Influenza activity is not usually significant before the middle of November and therefore, the ideal time for immunisation is October to early November.
We do not anticipate that you should have any adverse side effects as the influenza vaccine is very safe and can NOT cause flu. However, here are some guidelines to follow, should you experience any of the following side effects:
- Redness and/or tenderness at the site of the injection. Apply ice wrapped in a tea towel or a cold flannel for 10 minutes to the site of the injection. Taking simple analgesics such as Paracetamol, following the recommended dosage guidelines, may be of benefit.
- A general feeling of malaise/flu like symptoms such as aches and pains. Don't worry, you cannot catch influenza from the vaccine. You may however have contracted a cold before you had the injection will be experiencing a mild reaction to the vaccine. Simple analgesics such as Paracetamol, following recommended dosage guidelines, should help to ease the symptoms.
- Significant swelling and/or redness. If you have followed the advice in the first points above, and are still suffering from significant swelling or redness, please contact your GP or practice nurse for further advice.
- Generalised rash. Please contact your GP for further advice.
An extremely small percentage of individuals may have a reaction to the Influenza Vaccine. In such circumstances our medical staff are trained to deal with this.
If you are still concerned please contact staff care services on 01622-605518. Please note that this number is only for clinical queries regarding flu vaccination.
