Flu and Covid jabs

Hi Anna42 , my oncologist was insistent that we had all jabs possible.  Just make sure if any jabs are ‘active virus’ (ie give you mild symptoms to build resistance) you check them out with medics first.  Most jabs are inactive I understand.

As for keeping out of the way of trouble while on chemo, yes if possible do all you can to avoid picking anything up.  Your bloods will indicate when resistance is low, so try to avoid as much exposure when this happens.  I put a ban on my grandkids visiting and only met outdoors.  David

Good Morning Anna (Anna420) 

I can remember this question being asked before and I just can't find the thread - the question must be hidden away somewhere.

From memory the answer is yes you can have them but they may well not be as effective as normal as the chemotherapy compromises your immune system.

You are quite right though - ask your team before having them.

I wish you both well going through chemotherapy, you may wish to join this other forum for additional help and support and here's the link:

Chemotherapy forum 

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi Anna

my husband received notification from the NHS telling him he was eligible for free self Covid  tests and antivirals because he had had radiotherapy for PC. He still gets the free tests . The antivirals were really good except that he got what is known as ‘Covid rebound’ which is more common in patients treated with them. That said, both bouts ( just a few dates apart) were much milder than my full blown Covid episode! ( yes, I caught it and inadvertently gave it to him for which I still feel guilty!)

HTH

Straightforward recommendation from the doctors I spoke to before my current radiotherapy was to have all the jabs, unless there was a direct medical reason why I shouldn't.

Steve

Hello Anna. As others have said, it is a good idea to get vaccinated against both flu and COVID, not just your husband but the whole family. It takes about 2 weeks for immunity to build up so the sooner the better. I believe that the nasal flu vaccine which is given to children does contain a live vaccine so your husband would have to be careful around them if they have it whilst actually having chemotherapy. As for precautions then just be sensible. We adopted COVID like precautions - masks in crowded places, avoiding anyone with bugs, lots of hand washing. If you have young children then your husband will have to be careful on the loo as he will be excreting the chemotherapy drug for 2 or 3 days after each infusion out of every orifice - double flush and wipe up any splashes but if you have 2 loos then dedicate one to him. Also to protect you he should wear a condom and avoid exchanging mouth secretions. Make sure he has a dedicated towel and wash cloth. I took the precaution of washing all hubby's clothes, towels and bed linen after 3 days. Food wise I tended to only give cooked food and avoided unpasteurised dairy and anything with undercooked egg. The chemo will kill good as well as bad cells in the body and that includes bugs in the gut and hair follicles. Some men find that their taste changes so a tip is to suck on ice cubes during the infusion and for half an hour afterwards. Also if he is worried about losing his hair then he can ask for a cold cap. My husband had his hair cut very short prior to treatment and ended up like a Mohican. Also your husband shouldn't drive as the infusion is dissolved in alcohol and, depending on the dose, he could find himself over the legal limit. We found that the cycles followed a similar pattern so keep a diary and it will allow you to plan better. The main precaution we took was to take hubby's temperature twice a day as this is a good indicator of infection but it might be an idea to find out what the baseline figures are beforehand for your husband. I also had a blood pressure machine and an oximeter - think ET and the little device you put on the finger to measure Oxygen levels as both help point to how the bloods are doing - maybe a bit over the top but it helped me to keep a check on hubby. Your husband will have regular blood tests before each infusion to check that he is well enough for the next one. 

Please ask any questions and all the best for mid March.

Thanks so much all, this is all incredibly helpful. Our oncologist and NHS GP haven’t mentioned anything about this at all, we just suddenly thought it made sense to get jabs before! The kids have had flu nasal spray already but we haven’t yet. Is there anything else obvious we’re missing in preparation for chemo?! Thanks again xxx

Some men sail through it with very few side effects but others feel like they have been hit by a train. You will be given instructions before you start therapy but if you don't already know it is usually 1 day every 3 weeks for 6 cycles. The first session they take slowly and will watch your husband like a hawk but he must tell them if he feels at all strange or if the catheter site hurts. He should allow between 1 and 3 hours so take something to do as well as a snack and fluids. Each hospital has its own protocol but your husband will be given steroids to take before he gets to the hospital and then additional medication during the procedure and maybe to take afterwards. Some hospitals also prescribe an injection to boost the immune system which you self administer into the stomach - it is a very fine needle and doesn't hurt but can come as a bit of a shock if you are suddenly presented with having to do this. My husband was dreading it but at the end he said it wasn't as bad as feared. Generally food and drink tasted weird so it was a case of trial and error but avoiding anything which might upset the guts and we found that eating little and often was easier than large meals. Don't suffer in silence - there is something to help with any side effects. One fear a lot have is that they will be sick but this is rare and if he feels a little nauseous then there is effective medication. I am sure he will be fine but he might need to adjust his working schedule depending on how he feels, so if he is employed he should let his employers know as he is.now covered by the Disability discrimination act.

Hi 

I started my triple therapy last week and funny enough had more or less the same conversation with my GP this morning. She advised me to have them done.

Hi Anna 42

You can have the covid and flu before chemotherapy ask your team, also has he had both injections together as they can cause a side effect, again worth asking the doctor.

Stay Safe

Joe

Thanks so much all. You’ve all been such a support and source of knowledge since we started this journey 2 weeks ago and I’m so grateful for that