Misconceptions About Flu Vaccines
Can a flu vaccine give you flu?
No, flu vaccines cannot cause flu illness. Flu vaccines given with a needle are made with either inactivated viruses, or with only a single protein from the flu virus. The nasal spray vaccine contains live viruses that are attenuated so that they will not cause illness.
Are any of the available flu vaccines recommended over the others?
For the 2021-2022 flu season, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends annual influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months and older with any licensed, influenza vaccine that is appropriate for the recipients age and health status, including inactivated influenza vaccine , recombinant influenza vaccine , or live attenuated nasal spray influenza vaccine with no preference expressed for any one vaccine over another.
There are many vaccine options to choose from, but the most important thing is for all people 6 months and older to get a flu vaccine every year. If you have questions about which vaccine is best for you, talk to your doctor or other health care professional.
Is it better to get sick with flu than to get a flu vaccine?
Do I really need a flu vaccine every year?
Why do some people not feel well after getting a seasonal flu vaccine?
- Carolyn Bridges et al. . Effectiveness and cost-benefit of influenza vaccination of healthy working adults: A randomized controlled trialexternal icon.
What about serious reactions to flu vaccine?
Can vaccinating someone twice provide added immunity?
/6could There Be Risk Factors
It’s also commonly believed that getting the vaccine when one is sick may render a vaccine shot ineffective, or make one feel sicker, because of the additional side-effects. However, that’s never always the case. While some side-effects may make you feel a bit sicker, do keep in mind that the immune system is already busy fighting off the virus, and administering a vaccine shot helps the body prepare a better immune response, relatively helping with faster recovery.
Apart from the fact that an individual may need to be better prepared to deal with the side-effects of the vaccine, there are no other risk factors which may cause worry, or affect the vaccine’s efficacy.
How Do Flu Vaccines Work
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Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are used to make the vaccine.
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The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. Most flu vaccines in the United States protect against four different flu viruses an influenza A virus, an influenza A virus, and two influenza B viruses. There are also some flu vaccines that protect against three different flu viruses an influenza A virus, an influenza A virus, and one influenza B virus. Two of the trivalent vaccines are designed specifically for people 65 and older to create a stronger immune response.
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How To Protect You And Your Family From The Flu
- Get the Flu Vaccine
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and throw the tissue in the trash after using it. If you do not have a tissue, cover your coughs and sneezes with the inside of your elbow, not your bare hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you are sick with flu-like illness, it is recommended that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities.
- While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
What To Stock Up On At Home From Food To Medicine
- Pain and fever relief: COVID-19, like the flu, can cause muscle aches, fever, and chills. You can ease the discomfort of those symptoms by taking over-the-counter medication like acetaminophen , DayQuil, or NyQuil.
- Hydration: Drink plenty of water. If you like, you can also stock up on drinks like electrolyte-rich Pedialyte or Gatorade, which promote hydration.
- Fruit and vegetables: When your body is run-down, it’s important to have a good balance of nutrients and eat healthy, unprocessed food.
- Soup: Soup is a great way to combine fluids, vitamins, protein, carbs, and any other nutrients your body needs when you’re sick, registered dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix previously told Insider.
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How Effective Is The Moderna Booster Against The Omicron Variant
On Monday, Moderna’s Hoge said early lab research shows its COVID-19 vaccine booster should provide “good protection against the omicron variant,” raising antibody levels approximately 37 fold. For comparision, Pfizer said earlier this month its booster raises antibody levels 25 fold, creating “robust protection” and offering “a sufficient level of protection” against omicron, the company said.
Studies of US cases of the omicron variant appear to support the concern about weakened protection for those who are fully vaccinated with two doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines or one of Johnson & Johnson’s. Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, CDC director, said on Dec. 10 that 80% of first confirmed US cases with the mutated virus had been fully vaccinated against the disease.
Misconceptions About Flu Vaccine Effectiveness
Influenza vaccine effectiveness can vary. The protection provided by a flu vaccine varies from season to season and depends in part on the age and health status of the person getting the vaccine and the similarity or match between the viruses in the vaccine and those in circulation. During years when the flu vaccine match is good, it is possible to measure substantial benefits from flu vaccination in terms of preventing flu illness and complications. However, the benefits of flu vaccination will still vary, depending on characteristics of the person being vaccinated , what influenza viruses are circulating that season and, potentially, which type of flu vaccine was used. For more information, see Vaccine Effectiveness How well does the Flu Vaccine Work. For information specific to this season, visit About the Current Flu Season.
There are many reasons to get an influenza vaccine each year. Flu vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against flu and its potentially serious complications.
Below is a summary of the benefits of flu vaccination and selected scientific studies that support these benefits.
- Flu vaccination can keep you from getting sick with flu.
- A 2018 study showed that from 2012 to 2015, flu vaccination among adults reduced the risk of being admitted to an intensive care unit with flu by 82 percent.
Is it too late to get vaccinated after Thanksgiving ?
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First And Foremost Get A Covid Test
If you have any potential COVID-19 symptoms no matter how mild get tested. These include classic symptoms, like cough, fever and loss of taste and smell. But just a runny nose, headache or an upset stomach could be a sign that youre infected .
Many experts are predicting an increase in breakthrough cases because of the new omicron variant, which appears to be more transmissible and may be better at evading our current vaccines, so err on the side of caution and test. PCR testing remains the gold standard of COVID-19 testing, but rapid antigen tests are fast and pretty widely available at this point, and taking more than one might help boost accuracy.
If you do test positive for COVID-19, you should not get boosted until youve met the criteria to stop isolation. That is really more about others than about any concerns over what it might mean for you.
We dont have any evidence that getting the vaccine while youre incubating SARS-CoV-2 would be harmful, but we also dont have hundreds of cases to say that its fine, said Margaret Fisher, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and adviser to New Jerseys health commissioner. If someone has symptoms that might be COVID, I would test before they go to get vaccinated to protect the vaccination staff and to protect the people standing in line to also get their boosters. If you have COVID-19, we dont want you out walking around.
What Protection Does A Flu Vaccine Provide If I Do Get Sick With Flu
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Some people who get vaccinated may still get sick. However, flu vaccination has been shown in some studies to reduce severity of illness in people who get vaccinated but still get sick. A 2017 study showed that flu vaccination reduced deaths, intensive care unit admissions, ICU length of stay, and overall duration of hospitalization among hospitalized adults with flu. Another study in 2018 showed that a vaccinated adult who was hospitalized with flu was 59 percent less likely to be admitted to the ICU than someone who had not been vaccinated. Among adults in the ICU with flu, vaccinated patients on average spent 4 fewer days in the hospital than those who were not vaccinated.
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What Are The Main Side Effects Of The Flu Shot
The CDC lists the following common side effects that people may experience from getting a flu shot:
- Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
- Headache
- Nausea
- Muscle aches
If these reactions occur, they usually begin soon after vaccination and last one to two days.
You can have a sore arm, feel a little achy for a day or two, and maybe have a low-grade fever as your immune system gets turned on, says James Conway, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison.
If so, take some Tylenol or some ibuprofen and ride it out its a small inconvenience and certainly well worth the protection from what could be a potentially devastating disease, he adds.
Another occasional reaction to be aware of is fainting a handful of people may temporarily lose consciousness after getting any type of vaccination.
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What About The Nasal Spray Vaccine
In addition to the flu shot, a nasal spray vaccine is available for non-pregnant individuals who are between the ages of 2 and 49. This vaccine uses a weakened form of influenza that cant cause disease.
As with the flu shot, people who have a mild illness can receive the nasal spray vaccine. However, people with moderate to severe illnesses may need to wait until theyve recovered.
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When Should I Get Vaccinated
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You should get a flu vaccine before flu viruses begins spreading in your community, since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against flu. Make plans to get vaccinated early in fall, before flu season begins. CDC recommends that people get a flu vaccine by the end of October. However, getting vaccinated early is likely to be associated with reduced protection against flu infection later in the flu season, particularly among older adults. Vaccination should continue to be offered throughout the flu season, even into January or later. Children who need two doses of vaccine to be protected should start the vaccination process sooner, because the two doses must be given at least four weeks apart.
How Dangerous Is Influenza
When we talk about the flu, we arent talking about the common cold. The cold is considered a minor nuisance, typically treated with over-the-counter medicine. The flu, on the other hand, is not something to be ignored. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that flu-related deaths were as high as 56,000 during 2012-2013.
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Can You Get A Flu Shot If Youre Sick
It depends. The general guidance is it depends on how sick you are, says Donald Ford, MD, MBA, Chairman of the Department of Family Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. If you have a mild illness or a cold what we normally think of a routine viral infection theres absolutely no reason why you cant go ahead and get your flu shot, which is protection against a more severe viral infection.
However, if you have a fever which for adults is classified as a temperature over 100.4° F or are otherwise feeling unlike yourself, Dr. Ford recommends rescheduling for another day.
The temperature is one marker, he says. If youre sick enough that youre staying home from work, if youre having trouble keeping food down or staying hydrated, those would be all reasons to at least postpone it.
/6if You Have Fallen Sick Should You Still Get A Vaccine Shot
Flu vaccine shots are recommended to be administered every year so that individuals have maximum protection against influenza. Now, during the change of seasons, not only do we face dangers of the flu, but also a lot of other routine viruses and respiratory infections which can put you under the weather, and hence, relatively easy to fall sick, or experience mild symptoms, which can make one want to put off vaccination fearing ill-effects.
While it can be a common presumption that falling sick helps build natural immunity through exposure, it should be remembered that getting a vaccine is still a helpful choice. Remember that there’s no assurance that getting the flu once, much like COVID can protect you forever. You can still fall sick, and getting a vaccine at the right time could dole up efficient immune response, and prevent complications.
What Are The Side Effects Of Moderna’s Booster
According to the CDC, those who got the Moderna booster dose reported fewer reactions than they did after the second dose of the vaccine. In its study, the CDC found 95% of those who got Moderna for the first round of vaccine shots chose Moderna for the booster dose.
Moderna said side effects for this booster are similar to those from the two primary shots of its vaccine.
Moderna’s booster shot is free of charge for all adults.
Who Should You Get A Flu Vaccine And Which One Should You Choose
Flu typically spreads in the fall and winter. It usually starts to spread in October and peaks between December and February. That’s why this time is called the flu season.
It takes at least two weeks for your flu vaccine to start working, so try to get vaccinated by the end of October. However, getting vaccinated after October can still help protect you from the flu. Because older adults may lose immunity from a flu vaccine more quickly, try to avoid getting vaccinated too early .
Several flu vaccines are available. There are also two types of high-dose vaccinations specifically for people 65 years and older that create a stronger immune response after vaccination. Talk with your health care provider or pharmacist about which vaccine is best for you.
Dispelling Misinformation About The Flu Vaccine Sickness Treatment And Recovery
If you’ve ever had the , you know how sick you can be. Chances are good that some of the advice friends and family gave you about avoiding or dealing with the flu was wrong. There seems to be no shortage of misinformation and bad advice when it comes to dealing with the flu and the flu shot.
Here are 10 common myths about the flu.
What Do Eggs Have To Do With It
The questionnaire will also ask if you are allergic to eggs, among other things. That is because the flu vaccine may contain residual egg protein because it is grown in eggs.
In fact, all influenza vaccines available in Australia are prepared from purified inactivated influenza virus that has been cultivated in embryonated hens’ eggs.
The vaccine is grown in eggs because a virus cannot reproduce on its own, it has to infect a cell and take over that cell, and tell the generic material in that cell to make new viruses.
Emeritus Professor and Burnet Institute Visiting Fellow Greg Tannock, who sits on the Australian Influenza Vaccine Committee , said “about 90 per cent of influenza vaccines use, as starting materials, influenza viruses grown in the allantoic sac of 10 to 11-day-old fertile eggs.”
Other vaccines grown in eggs are:
- Pandemic inactivated influenza vaccine
- Yellow Fever vaccine
While it is relatively common in infants 8.9 per cent having a proven allergy to raw egg most kids outgrow it by the time they reach primary school, although it can sometimes persist into adult life.
Over the past few decades, the amount of egg protein used in the vaccine has been greatly reduced to less than just 1 microgram per dose.
Severe allergic responses are also very rare.
“They certainly do not constitute a reason for abandoning vaccination, because of the major public health consequences of influenza epidemics.