10989 The Australian Flu In Italy

[quote=Gala Placidia;103460]A warning for everyone. It is much better to get a vaccination than getting the actual virus :yes: Check with your medical centre or family doctor.

[URL="http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2008-11-20_120290651.html"]ANSA.it - News in English - First flu cases in Italy confirmed [/URL] [/quote]

That's if you believe that the doctors or medical centres know what they are talking about when it comes to vacinations :winki:

or indeed anything!!!

The flu vaccination thing in Italy this year is getting quite a lot of publicity. We have had a really rather mild autumn (and it seems that low temperatures 'make you get flu') - so the take up has been historically low.

If you are over 65 or have certain medical conditions you can nip into your GP and get a flu jab. If you don't fall into these categories you can buy a flu jab at the pharmacy (for about €12). The press are saying that there are some nasty flu viruses around this year.

I'm one of those people who live by the rule of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it', so I'm wondering whether to go for the jab or not. Maybe, for the first time in my life, I'll punt the €12 - (but for sure I'll get a bad reaction and regret it)...so I still don't know! But I do so hate having flu, and I've been free of it for about four years, so on the balance of probabilities I think I'll buy into it this year!

The good thing is that all I have to do is nip into the pharmacy (I have a friend who is a whizz with a syringe!) - and it is my choice to make.

I missed the date to get my 'flu jab' done by my GP, so I have an appointment at the local ASL on Tuesday morning. Just need to turn up with my SSN card and they'll do it there and then. And, as I'm over 65 I get it for free..... :yes:

[quote=Charles Phillips;103481]...If you don't fall into these categories you can buy a flu jab at the pharmacy (for about €12).
...
The good thing is that all I have to do is nip into the pharmacy (I have a friend who is a whizz with a syringe!) - and it is my choice to make.[/quote]
So is that seriously how it works: you hand over the money at the pharmacy and you're given a vial of vaccine with a syringe?

Given that we're in the middle of administering to our dog a course of treatment with a drug which is so nasty that you're strongly advised to handle it only when wearing gloves and a face-shield and we got that from a [I]farmacia[/I], I would not be at all surprised if the 'flu vaccine is often a DIY thing here.

On the other hand, nor would I be surprised if the procedure was to go along to your local ASL, pay the money, get a chit, take that to a pharmacy, get another chit and the promise of the vaccine being delivered to your GP at a certain time and then finally go see your doctor and to get the jab.

Al

I have been getting vaccinated against the flu for years now here in Spain and it really works. My husband gets it for free as he is over 65, he only has to ring the medical centre and they make an appointment for him. In my case, I have to pay for the vaccine, which is produced by the Pasteur Institute according to international medical advice. The vaccine itself costed me 7.50 euros and I had to take it to the medical centre, where I had already made an appointment with the nursing department, and they injected me. You have to be very careful when handling the vaccine as it needs to be kept in the fridge all the time.
I guess that the procedure will be very similar in Italy, but I encourage everyone to have this vaccine. Warning: it may give you a very mild reaction, you simply feel as if you were coming down with a cold or something similar, but the symptoms disappear quickly with a couple of aspirins or similar.
One year I decided not to get vaccinated and I caught the flu..... I was very sick for a couple of weeks. I will never repeat the experience.

[quote=AllanMason;103491]So is that seriously how it works: you hand over the money at the pharmacy and you're given a vial of vaccine with a syringe?

Given that we're in the middle of administering to our dog a course of treatment with a drug which is so nasty that you're strongly advised to handle it only when wearing gloves and a face-shield and we got that from a [I]farmacia[/I], I would not be at all surprised if the 'flu vaccine is often a DIY thing here.

On the other hand, nor would I be surprised if the procedure was to go along to your local ASL, pay the money, get a chit, take that to a pharmacy, get another chit and the promise of the vaccine being delivered to your GP at a certain time and then finally go see your doctor and to get the jab.

Al[/quote]

It is quite normal here for GP's to prescribe a course of injections for many 'illnesses'... When I first came here I was amazed - "Never happened in England" was my cry in those days (got over[I] that [/I]argument 40 years ago though...).

If you are prescribed such a course and don't know anyone who is abke to do injections, the just ask at your local chemist - they won't do it, but they will know people locally who can. It is quite surprising how many Italians are able to do this and here people don't even think twice about it - me included.

The fact that ASL will do this one for me is because being over 65 it is provided free. But if I had purchased it at the chemists they would not have done it!

Just as an aside - once, before I was 65 and was still living in Milano, I had to buy my 'flu jab' myself. I then (innocently) took it along to my GP for him to do the injection. No problem, he did it straight away and then said "That's €15" :eeeek:.
I queried the fact that he was charging me and he explained that it 'wasn't his job' and I should have found someone who was qualified and who would have done it for a couple of €uro!

Don't you just love it?

Thank you for reminding me, I qualify for the free jab, but not Robert, so we popped into our GPS today and we both had the free jab, he said as we were both there might as well do us both.So one of the good guys, bit of a free spirit, a poet and a mountain climber and a very good doctor as well.!
A

Great Angie! A clever doctor as he realises that the cost of a jab is considerably less than the cost of treating a case of influenza. Actually, I think that the vaccine should be free to anyone and I would say that governments would end up saving money.
It looks as if the epidemic will be quite severe. They are talking about 5,000,000 people sick with influenza by Christmas.... not a nice way to spend the festivities.... Although it is called the Australian Flu, it actually started in the Solomon Islands in 2007 and with people travelling so much it is spreading very quickly.
For those who can read Italian, here is an interesting article on the subject:

[url=http://www.agoramagazine.it/agora/spip.php?article5043]Influenza, più di 5 milioni di italiani a letto entro fine anno - [Agorà Magazine][/url]

Well so far I haven't had flu for many many years, touch wood, and that's without having had vaccines One of my Italian friends when he was staying with me four years ago caught pneumonia and I didn't catch it, but then do you catch pneumonia from people???

The Italians, like the French, are very quick to prescribe DIY injections - yug I fractured my foot in Italy and was given two disposable syringes, to prevent blood clotting. I was also given a prescription for another two, but could only buy a box of six, which cost me €24 I found self injecting a truamatic experience.

I can honestly say I've never had flu in my life and would hate to have it but I do have the flu jab as I am asthmatic. Good to know it is available free in Italy for when we do eventually move there.
Lorraine

After 10 days in bed with vitamins, and every drug on offer from the chemist still no better,too ill to get to docs so the doc came round, and prescribed antibiotics, today day 13 and finally feel a slight improvement but amazed at how this has affected me as I can normally fight anything, the worst part was the headache, I thought my head was going to explode, the pain was worse than anything (including childbirth) I slept approx 18hrs per day, hardly any food, I would be happy to pay for a jab to avoid this again.

Lets hope you feel better soon herealready, I have had flu only twice, but being diabetic and slightly asthmatic the free jab I have here in Italy is a relief, if you have chronic health conditions the GP in Italy should place you on his list for free treatment, our doctor says he is surprised at the number of younger people who dont bother to turn up for treatment, no doubt fuelling the worry that it may turn into an epidemic, I can only urge people to turn up for the free jab or pay the fee for private care.
A

Glad to know that you are feeling better, Herealready. Perhaps your ordeal will make othe people to take precautions and get vaccinated. The news is that it is a very dangerous type of virus which can also cause plenty of complications. So please.... go and get the flu jab NOW!!!!

[quote=herealready;103519] and prescribed antibiotics[/quote]
Influenza is a virus so the antibiotics did nothing to help that unless you had some complications.
I never had the flu until moving here and the past two New Years I have been in bed with a fever. Bugs can be hard to avoid here when you see clerks in stores and employees in eateries with red noses and coughs. Perhaps it will be time to get the shot this year.

Hi

Gala thanks for this. Reminded me of how I usually get one bad winter bug/?flu every year.

Have just come back from the pharmacy with two shots - one for me and one for my OH - 17 euros for the two.

Administered the injections to each other, upper arm. No problem at all. This was our second time of giving injections to each other, the first were tetunus jabs, last summer. I am an ex nurse so felt ok about it, but OH practised a bit on an orange! using a spare syringe.

Another way that Italian life is so pragmatic. In the UK we would not qualify for the vaccine at all as we are both younger than 65, dont have long standing health conditions and dont work in vital services. So thank you Italy,,,,

ps. I hope it works!

I warned everyone, I got my flu jabs, I did everything that was supposed to be the right thing to avoid the flu.... and then I got it anyway. One week in bed plus complications such as bronchitis. Well, they say that immunisation does not cover all the spectrum of viruses available, so I just got one for those for which I was totally unprotected. I wonder how has it been in Italy taking into account that we have had a very harsh winter throughout Europe. Anyway, guys, if you do catch the flu, and I really hope you don't, don't try to be brave and go straight to bed with a nice glass of warm red wine with sugar and cinnamon and a couple of paracetamol tablets. It will not cure the flu, but it may make you feel slightly better. Any good advice regarding a cough mixture? What the doctor has prescribed me is absolutely disgusting.

Poor poor you. Lemon and honey Gala in some hot water. Cocoa too, which is good for coughs. I also read that thyme is good for respiratory problems. My friend in Italy has had flu twice already this winter but he always does as he doesn't have the flu injections!!!

(PS I've just burnt three fingers on the right hand due to the pot containing the pasta water pouring into the colander and then onto them them as I was trying to rescue cups suddenly falling into the sink and getting broken such is the awful kitchen I have. I keep putting my hand under the freezing mains water. Maybe calendula cream afterwards. They are mighty sore tight now.)

Gala,this looks useful - [url=http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/21/71.cfm]New Choices in Natural Healing Bronchitis[/url] They actually include thyme I see.

Hope you are feeling better by now Gala, Robert and I had the jabs in November, and have been fine all winter (famous last words), no colds either, and our neighbours and friends have also kept healthy. Friends in England though have been very poorly, must be our cold house and all the fresh air!
A

Take care Gala - this 'flu, it seems, is pretty nasty. There are a lot of people here too who have picked it up despite taking precautions.

Like you, and others here, I had my 'jab' too and have managed to avoid everything apart from a cold and a bit of a cough. But that's to be expected I suppose, living where I do. The people that I know (personally) who have caught it all live in Milano or large towns. I wonder if that has anything to do with it?

Hi Gala

I hope you are up and about soon, I remember just how debilitating this type of bug is. Like you we had our jabs last November and so far (echoing the 'famous last words), have been fine despite spending the last six weeks at 'School' here in Arezzo doing Italian. I thought we would catch something 'coming off our hill' and mixing much more, bars every morning etc. etc. A good friend here in Arezzo got it and it developed into pneumonia, so not a illness to take lightly.

As an add on Aretina, I believe when I was in the UK, I had the one off jab for pneumonia, which gives a lifetime immunity, might be worth investigating if it is available here. I was thinking of posting a sort of health check list on the forum for those people who intend to live here full time...things to get done before leaving the UK, not knocking the Italian system, but initially and perhaps without good Italian it could save some anxious moments.Will put my mind to it later.

A

Pilch & I are also suffering a type of flu. No fever, but everything aching and Pilch's knee giving way and my ankle. We were told by Pilch's physio that is a normal type of flu here, you only get the aches and pains and nothing else!!!? We have now suffered two flu's and one virus, and, they are nothing like we had whilst in the U.K! So, it appears that even the Italian illnesses are different.
Sprat

Thanks everyone for the support and yes, I'm staying indoors as per doctor's orders. I did not have the jab for pneumonia, I thought it was not necessary but I will get it as well. It looks as if this year's flu is very bad. Well, they already announced it and this was the reason why I started the thread; however, it looks as it is worse than anticipated and that the vaccination does not protect you entirely. So take care.

Hi Angie and Robert

The health check list sounds like a great idea. We've probably all had different experiences vis a vis the health service here, but for me there is a different approach to health here. People are expected to take a good deal more responsibility for their own health in general and in specific cases.. Less of the nanny state.
Can you image being able to buy syringes in Sainsburys.