Can I Get My Flu Shot While On Antibiotics

Those Who Should Consider Having A Flu Vaccination

All those who have any condition listed above, or who are:

• aged 65 years or over

• living in a residential or nursing home

• the main carer of an older or disabled person

• living with someone who has lowered immunity due to disease or treatment

• a frontline health or social care worker

• pregnant, see below

• children of a certain age see below

From mid-October 2022 everyone aged 50 to 64 years old will also be eligible for flu vaccination. This is so at-risk patients can be prioritised first. If youre in this age group and have a long-term health condition that puts you at risk from flu, you dont have to wait.

See NHS.UK for further information and to check when you are eligible.

I Have An Egg Allergy

Some flu vaccinations are made using eggs which can be dangerous to people who have an egg allergy as the vaccine may contain egg proteins, says Macnair.

This doesnt always mean that people who have an allergy to eggs cant have the vaccine.

“Some newer vaccines are not made with eggs and can be given to people with egg allergies. Make sure you tell the doctor or nurse giving you the flu vaccine that you are allergic to eggs. They can then give you a vaccine which does not contain egg proteins,” she explains.

“If you have a severe egg allergy you may need to have the flu vaccine in hospital where any reaction can be quickly managed.”

Is It Too Late To Get A Flu Shot

You know getting your flu shot is the best way to avoid getting the flu , a potentially life-threatening respiratory infection that can cause fever, a dry cough, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue.

But September, October, and even November have already passed and you still havent gotten your vaccine. Are you too late?

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Talking To Your Doctor

The bottom line? You need to talk to your doctor. Every patient has different symptoms, needs, and medical histories. Only your doctor can give can tell you if its a good time to get your flu shot. They can also check your overall health and give you other tips for staying healthy during cold and flu season.

Can Pregnant People Take Antiviral Drugs

Yes. Oral oseltamivir is recommended for treatment of pregnant people with flu because compared to other recommended antiviral medications, it has the most studies available to suggest that it is safe and beneficial during pregnancy. Baloxavir is not recommended for pregnant people or while breastfeeding, as there are no available efficacy or safety data.

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Concerns About Side Effects

If the side effects following immunisation are unexpected, persistent, or severe, or if you are worried about yourself or your childâs condition after a vaccination, see your doctor or immunisation nurse as soon as possible or go directly to a hospital.

Immunisation side effects may be reported to SAEFVIC, the central vaccine reporting service in Victoria on .

You can discuss how to report problems in other states or territories with your immunisation provider.

Antibiotics Vaccines And Covid

Lets say its time for your vaccine, but youre already on antibiotics for a different infection. Its reasonable to wonder whether your immune system is up to the challenge of building vaccine-related immune defenses while youre fighting an infection with antibiotics. But dont worry: Youve got this.

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Children And The Flu Vaccination

If you have a child over 6 months of age who has one of the conditions listed above, they should have a flu vaccination. Any children with these conditions are more likely to become severely ill if they catch flu, and it could make their existing condition worse. Talk to your GP about your child having the flu vaccination before the flu season starts.

Flu vaccines do not work well in babies under 6 months of age so it is not recommended. This is why it is so important that pregnant women have the vaccination they will pass on some immunity to their baby that will protect them during the early months of their life.

Some other groups of children are also being offered a flu vaccination. This is to help protect them against the disease and help reduce its spread both to other children, including their brothers or sisters, and, of course, their parents and grandparents. This will help you to avoid the need to take time off work because of flu or to look after your children with flu.

The children being offered the vaccine this year, are:

• all 2 and 3 years of age on 31 August

• all primary school-aged children

• some secondary school-aged children

Children aged 2 and 3 years will be given the vaccination at their general practice, usually by the practice nurse. School aged children will be offered a flu vaccine in school or can be vaccinated at community clinics. For most children, the vaccine will be given as a spray in each nostril. This is a very quick and painless procedure.

Vaccination Is Recommended Regardless Of Antibiotic Use

This study is early in nature, says Embry. Right now Im not sure that there is anything to definitively say that you should wait to get the influenza vaccine if youve had antibiotic treatments. At this stage, Id say that it is important to get the flu vaccine when its recommended to be administered for the upcoming season.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends that everyone age six months and older get an annual influenza vaccination. The flu vaccine reduces the risk of flu illness by between 40 and 60 percent among the overall population during seasons when most circulating flu viruses are well-matched to the flu vaccine, according to the CDC.

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Inflammation Rises As Gut Bacteria Go Down

The researchers measured immune response to the flu shot and diversity and abundance of gut microbes by analyzing stool and blood serum samples taken at various points during a one-year follow-up period.

They found that people taking the antibiotics experienced a 10,000-fold drop in their gut bacteria population a loss that lasted up to a year after they took the drugs. These participants also displayed signs of systemic inflammation that mirrored a pro-inflammatory state seen among people age 65 and older who have gotten the flu shot.

Scientists speculate that the inflammation may be connected to how the microbiome regulates bile acid.

Can You Get A Flu Shot While Taking Amoxicillin

There is no drug interaction problem between the flu vaccine and Amoxicillin. But whether you get the vaccination while still taking the antibiotic may depend on why you are taking the antibiotics. If you have a current infection, it is usually better to wait until that is cleared up before taking vaccines. But each situation can be different, and this is a question that the Doctor Who prescribed the antibiotics should be asked to know what is right in your case.

Unless there is a specific reason your doctor wants you to wait, usually the only reason not to get a flu shot would be if you have an active infection with a high fever over 101 F. Get your flu shot unless you have a high fever, or the doctor recommends delaying the immunization due to your specific condition.

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Side Effects Of Sambucol

Sambucol is a brand of standardized black elderberry extract marketed for cold and flu relief. Its available in the form of syrup and tablets. Traditionally, elderberry has been used topically to treat wounds, as well as taken orally for cold and flu symptoms. The elder plant may possess beneficial anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anti-cancer effects, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Elderberry contains antioxidants that may help protect your cells from damage also.

Who Should Get Immunised Against Influenza

Everyone who is able to be vaccinated, should be vaccinated against the flu, every year.

Yearly flu vaccination is provided free through the National Immunisation Program for most people in the community who are at an increased risk of serious complications.

In Victoria, flu vaccination is free for:

• children aged 6 months to less than 5 years
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from 6 months and over
• pregnant women â at any stage of pregnancy
• people 65 years and over.
• people aged six months and older with medical conditions putting them at increased risk of severe influenza and its complications:
• cardiac disease
• children aged six months to 10 years on long term aspirin therapy.

People not eligible for free flu vaccination under the National Immunisation Program can purchase the flu vaccine from their immunisation provider.

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The Flu Vaccination: Who Should Have It And Why

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: .

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flu-vaccination-who-should-have-it-this-winter-and-why/the-flu-vaccination-who-should-have-it-and-why

Taking Paracetamol With Other Medicines Food And Alcohol

Paracetamol can react unpredictably with certain other medications. This can affect how well either medicine works and might increase the risk of side effects.

It may not be safe to take paracetamol at the same time as:

• other products containing paracetamol including combination products where paracetamol is one of the ingredients
• carbamazepine used to treat epilepsy and some types of pain
• colestyramine used to reduce itchiness caused by primary biliary cirrhosis
• imatinib and busulfan used to treat certain types of cancer
• ketoconazole a type of antifungal medicine
• lixisenatide used to treat type 2 diabetes
• metoclopramide used to relieve nausea and vomiting
• phenobarbital, phenytoin and primidone used to control seizures
• warfarin used to prevent blood clots

Check the leaflet that comes with your medicine to see if it can be taken with paracetamol. Ask a pharmacist or doctor if youâre not sure.

There are no known problems caused by taking paracetamol with any specific foods or by drinking moderate amounts of alcohol while taking paracetamol.

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What Should I Avoid While Taking Dayquil Severe Cold & Flu

Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of liver damage while you are taking acetaminophen.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication. Acetaminophen is contained in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much acetaminophen which can lead to a fatal overdose. Check the label to see if a medicine contains acetaminophen or APAP.

This medication may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.

Socan You Get The Flu Shot While Sick

It really depends on how sick youre feeling. First, some important context: Flu season ramped up a bit early in the US this year the virus has already caused an estimated 880,000 illnesses, 6,900 hospitalizations, and 360 deaths, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Those numbers are, in fact, pretty wild: The country hasnt seen this many flu-related hospitalizations this early in the season in more than a decade, and flu activity is already high in many states.

In other words, youre going to want to get your flu shot ASAPand mild cold symptoms shouldnt necessarily stop you if you can get your appointment booked. It is generally thought to be fine to get most vaccines, including the flu shot, if you have mild symptoms of an illness and no fever, Cory Fisher, DO, a family medicine doctor at Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF. Specifically, you shouldnt let a sore throat, headache, mild cough, or a stuffy or runny nose stop you from proceeding with your vaccination, he adds.

Other symptoms, however, should give you some pausenamely a fever, intense body aches, and heavy fatigue. Basically, if youre feeling awful enough to not go to school or work, you should consider holding off on getting the flu vaccine until youre feeling a bit better, Dr. Fisher says.

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How We Protect Against Flu

Flu is unpredictable. Flu vaccination provides the best protection. There are different strains of flu virus. The strains that are most likely to cause illness are identified in advance of the flu season. Vaccines are then made to match them as closely as possible. Even if the vaccine doesnt perfectly match a strain it usually provides some protection against it.

The vaccines are given in the autumn ideally before flu starts circulating.

Possible Side Effects Of The Influenza Vaccine

The flu vaccine can cause side effects. In children under 5 years, these reactions may be more obvious.

Common side effects of the flu vaccine include:

• drowsiness or tiredness
• localised pain, redness and swelling at the injection site
• occasionally, an injection-site lump that may last many weeks but needs no treatment
• low-grade temperature .

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What Should I Do If I Think I Am Sick With Flu

If you get sick with flu, antiviral drugs are a treatment option. Check with your doctor promptly if you are at higher risk of serious flu complications and you develop flu symptoms. Flu signs and symptoms can include feeling feverish or having a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. However, not everyone with the flu has a fever. Your doctor may prescribe antiviral drugs to treat your flu illness.

Flu Vaccine For Frontline Health And Social Care Workers

If you’re a frontline health and social care worker, you should get your flu vaccine through your employer. They may give you the vaccine at your workplace through the occupational health scheme.

If you cannot get a flu vaccine through your employer, you can still get it if you’re employed:

• through direct payments or personal health budgets

If you are one of these frontline staff, you can get vaccinated at a pharmacy or the GP surgery you are registered with.

If you are employed by a registered residential care or nursing home, or a voluntary managed hospice provider, you may also be offered vaccination at your place of work when the residents or patients are vaccinated.

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The Types Of Flu Vaccine Available

There are several types of flu vaccine. You will be offered one that is most appropriate for you. Most children are offered the vaccine as a nasal spray and adults are offered an injectable vaccine. None of the vaccines can give you flu.

If your child is aged between 6 months and 2 years old and is in a high-risk group for flu, they will be offered an injected flu vaccine as the nasal spray is not licensed for children under the age of 2 years old. Some children over the age of 2 years who are in a high-risk group will also need to have an injected vaccine if the nasal spray vaccine is not suitable for them.

How Does Stelara Work

Stelara is a monoclonal antibody. Monoclonal antibodies are man-made proteins that act like human antibodies in the immune system. They are a type of targeted treatment. Targeted treatments attach only to specific proteins in the body.

Stelara binds to the p40 protein subunit that is used by two cytokines, IL-12 and IL-23. Cytokines are signaling substances that help control immunity, inflammation, and the manufacture of blood cells. By binding to this protein, Stelara disrupts the interaction of these two cytokines which have been identified as being important contributors to chronic inflammation that is a hallmark of Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis. These cytokines are also present in skin lesions associated with psoriasis and in the joints of people with psoriatic arthritis.

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Can Colds And The Flu Be Cured With Medications

No medicines can âcureâ colds and flu. However, there are many over-the-counter medicines that can ease the discomfort caused by the symptoms of colds and flu. In addition, there are prescription medicines and a vaccine that can treat and prevent the flu.

Note on antibiotics: Colds and the flu are causes by viruses and cannot be cured with antibiotics. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, such as strep throat and ear, skin and urinary tract infections. Using antibiotics for infections they are not able to treat makes the antibiotics less effective for infections they are supposed to treat . Never take antibiotics to treat colds and flu.

To ease the discomfort from specific cold and flu symptoms, consider using the following types of OTC medicines:

Understanding Cold Medicine Dosage For Kids

on September 13, 2021

Medically reviewed byCamille Freking, MS Pharmacology

Its normal for parents to feel like they have to do something when their children become sick. Its part of the protective instinct, after all!

However, many parents turn to some extra potent cold medicine when their kids cough or sneeze. They may unintentionally give their children too much cold medicine or give them medicine with unnecessary ingredients. To make matters worse, some medicine brands make understanding kids dosage amounts more complex than they have to be.

This guide can help you avoid the risks common with kids cold medicine. With these tips, youll be able to give your child cold medicine safely to help relieve some of the symptoms as their bodies fight to get better. Lets dive in!

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