Influenza (flu) is an infectious disease that spreads throughout the United States, usually between October and May each year.
Flu is caused by influenza viruses and is spread mainly by coughing, sneezing and close contact.
Anyone can get the flu. The flu starts suddenly and can last for several days. Although the symptoms can vary with age, they can include:
- Fever / chills
- Throat ache
- Muscle pains
- Fatigue
- Cough
- Headache
- Runny or stuffy nose
Flu can also cause pneumonia and blood infections, and can lead to diarrhea and seizures in children. If you have a medical condition such as heart or lung disease, the flu can make these ailments worse.
Flu is more dangerous for some people. Infants and young children, those aged 65 and over, pregnant women, people with certain diseases and those with a weakened immune system are at the highest risk.
Thousands of people die of the flu each year in the United States and many more are hospitalized.
Flu vaccine:
- It can prevent you from getting the flu,
- Even if you are infected, it can make you have a milder flu and
- It can prevent you from spreading the flu to your family and other people.
Inactive and recombinant influenza vaccines
A dose of flu vaccine is recommended each flu season. Children between 6 months and 8 years old may need two doses during the same flu season.
For anyone older than this age, only one dose per flu season is sufficient.
Some inactive flu vaccines contain very small amounts of a mercury-based preservative called “thimerosal”. Studies have not shown thimerosal in vaccines to be harmful, but there are also flu vaccines that do not contain thimerosal.
There is no live flu virus in influenza vaccines administered by injection. They cannot cause flu.
There are many flu viruses and these viruses are constantly changing.
Each year, a new flu vaccine is produced in the upcoming flu season that is effective against three or four viruses that are most likely to cause illness. However, even when the vaccine does not fully match these viruses, it may still provide some protection.
Situations that the flu vaccine cannot prevent:
- Flu caused by a virus that the vaccine does not cover, or
- Illnesses that look like flu but not flu.
Protection develops approximately 2 weeks after vaccination and continues throughout the flu season.
Some people should not get this vaccine
Tell your vaccinees if you have the following:
- Severe, life-threatening allergy
- If you have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction after a dose of flu vaccine, or if you have a severe allergy to any component of this vaccine, he may advise you not to be vaccinated. Most, if not all, flu vaccine types contain small amounts of egg protein.
- Previous Guillain-Barre Syndrome (also called GBS)
- People with a history of GBS should not receive this vaccine. You should discuss this with your doctor.
- If you feel unwell
- Getting a flu shot is usually okay when you have a mild illness, but it may be recommended when you feel better.
Vaccine reaction risks
Reactions can occur with any drug, including vaccines. These are usually mild and resolve spontaneously, but serious reactions may also develop.
Most people who get the flu vaccine do not have any problems with it.
Mild problems that can occur after a flu shot include:
- pain, redness, or swelling where the surgery was done
- Hoarseness
- Pain, redness or itching in the eyes
- Cough
- Fire
- Aches
- Headache
- Itching
- Fatigue
If these problems occur, they start immediately after the injection and last for 1 or 2 days.
More serious problems that can occur after a flu shot include:
- There may be a small increase in the risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) after an inactive flu vaccine. This risk is estimated at 1 or 2 additional cases per million people vaccinated. This risk is much lower than the risk of serious flu complications that can be prevented with the flu vaccine.
- Young children who are given the flu vaccine at the same time as the pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13) and / or DTaP vaccine may have a slightly higher risk of having febrile seizures after vaccination. For more information, consult your doctor. When a child with a history of seizures is given the flu vaccine, his doctor should be informed.
Problems that can occur after any injected vaccine:
- Some people may faint after a medical procedure, including immunization. Sitting or lying down for about 15 minutes can help prevent fainting and injury from a fall. Tell your doctor if you feel dizzy, have vision changes or have ringing in your ears.
- Some people may have severe shoulder pain and difficulty moving the injected arm. This happens very rarely.
- Any medication can cause a severe allergic reaction. These reactions occur very rarely after vaccination, are estimated at about 1 in a million doses, and can occur within a few minutes to a few hours after the vaccination.
As with any drug, the vaccine has a very small chance of causing serious medical damage or death.
The safety of vaccines is always monitored.
If there is a serious reaction?
What should I pay attention to?
Watch for any unusual conditions such as high fever, severe abdominal pain or diarrhea.
Signs of an allergic reaction may include shortness of breath, hoarseness, wheezing, hives, pallor, weakness, rapid heartbeat, or dizziness that occur within minutes to hours after swallowing the tablets.
Description of Vaccine Information adapted from Immunization Action Coalition
