My 71 year old mother got a flu vaccine last year but she has a very bad flu for about 2 weeks, why?

[rosemontcollectables]

My poor mother has went to the trouble of getting her annual vaccine but now many months later she has caught the flu & it's a really bad prolonged case how is this possible?. I thought that if you still picked it up that it would only be a mild cold or flu?!

[grandmoon]

It is probable a different strain of the flu.

Or the effect of the injection has worn off.

[rosemontcollectables]

How long should it last then as it has been quite a few months but not year though 😕 .

[grandmoon]

They only last for months I can't remember how many though. 

But I remember my Doctor suggesing not to get the injection too early in the autunm.

[lind9650]

Flu injections nly protect one for six month.

If your mother has flu for two weeks already, she better go and see her GP asap.

Erica

[polksaladallie]

It should last a year.  There are other viruses with "flu-like" symptoms.  The batch might have been out-of-date, but unlikely.  What does the doctor say?   As Grandmoon said, it could be a different strain, but I was under the impression that they are all included now, especially for older people.

Has she had her pneumonia shots?

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/misconceptions.htm

Hope your mum is better soon.

[rabbitearbandicoot]

there are dozens of strains of flu. The injection only covers some of them - I think 7. I had flu this year, the first time since I started getting the injections (about 8 years). 

[polksaladallie]

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@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:

there are dozens of strains of flu. The injection only covers some of them - I think 7. I had flu this year, the first time since I started getting the injections (about 8 years). 

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You are right, but it depends on where we are, and the info that the medical people put out.

[serendipityricho]

The only folk i know that get -flu are the ones that had flu injections-just saying..Richo.

[polksaladallie]

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@serendipityricho wrote:

The only folk i know that get -flu are the ones that had flu injections-just saying..Richo.

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Not true.  Do some googling.  It is a very serious disease, and kills a lot of people annually.