Side effects from the flu vaccine are usually mild and pass in a couple of days
Some people experience no side effects at all from the flu vaccine, but it can be normal to experience some very mild symptoms. Most common side effects are:
- Muscle soreness where you had the injection
- General body aches and pains
- Slight fever
All of these symptoms are typically mild and won’t stop you from carrying on with your day-to-day routine. Side effects don’t tend to be any better or worse based on age, so you don’t need to worry about experiencing stronger side effects if you’re in an older age bracket.
The risk of any long-term side effects from getting the flu vaccine is incredibly low. If you do still feel unwell a week after receiving the flu jab, it’s possible that this is an unrelated illness, such as a common cold, but you can speak to your GP if you’re worried.
In a lot of cases, there are no side effects from the flu jab, and when there are, they’re incredibly mild – so we’d advise not letting this worry you or put you off receiving the vaccination. Think of it this way: the symptoms and longer-term effects of flu would be much more unpleasant to endure, so it’s worth looking after yourself when you can.
Can the flu jab give you the flu?
A lot of people wonder can the flu jab make you ill. It’s a common misconception that the flu vaccine can actually give you the flu. It’s normal to experience some very mild symptoms after receiving the jab, but this shouldn’t be mistaken for the flu virus. The standard flu vaccine uses an inactive form of the virus, so it can’t make you ill. It helps build up your immune system to protect you from becoming seriously ill if you do contract the virus, but it doesn’t actually give you the flu.
For children, a nasal flu vaccine might be available. This does contain a tiny, weakened amount of the live virus, but it isn’t enough to cause illness, and it won’t give them the flu.
Is the flu jab safe?
The flu jab has been around for a long time and is very safe. Experiencing any serious side effects or allergic reactions to the vaccine is extremely uncommon. Don’t worry, should any of these things happen, the pharmacist who delivers your vaccine is trained to help.
In the very rare case that you think you’re experiencing something abnormal as a side effect from the flu vaccine, you can report this via the government’s Yellow Card Scheme to provide the MHRA (Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) with any vital information.