When Should I Get Vaccinated
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You should get a flu vaccine before flu viruses begin 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 the 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 of vaccine to be protected should start the vaccination process sooner because the two doses must be given at least four weeks apart.
Risks Of Not Getting The Flu Shot
While there is a small risk of side effects from the flu shot, there are bigger risks associated with not getting it.
The CDC estimates that each year, up to 20 percent of all Americans will contract the influenza virus, and more than 200,000 will be hospitalized due to flu-related complications. Not getting the flu shot poses a bigger risk to overall health.
In particular, not getting the flu shot increases the risk of more severe illness, hospitalizations, and death in rare cases. This is especially true in those with compromised immune systems, such as pregnant women and the elderly.
Misconceptions About Stomach Flu
Is the stomach flu really flu?
No. Many people use the term stomach flu to describe illnesses with nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. These symptoms can be caused by many different viruses, bacteria or even parasites. While vomiting, diarrhea, and being nauseous or sick to your stomach can sometimes be related to flu more commonly in children than adults these problems are rarely the main symptoms of influenza. Flu is a respiratory disease and not a stomach or intestinal disease.
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If You Get Your Flu Vaccine When Youre Sick Will You Feel Worse
Not necessarily. If you have a stuffy nose or another mild issue, Dr. Murphy says youll probably feel just fine. But if youre not feeling so hot and you get your flu vaccine, you could feel a little yuckier than usual afterward.
In general, some people feel a bit unwell after vaccines as part of the immune responsethey may feel tired, achy, etc. for a day, Dr. Cennimo says. If they go into this sick already, they may feel worse. If you have a fever when you get your flu shotwhich, again, isnt recommendedyou could confuse that with side effects from the vaccine, he points out.
What Is A Flu Vaccine
Influenza vaccines are vaccines that protect against the four influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. Most flu vaccines are flu shots given with a needle, usually in the arm, but there also is a nasal spray flu vaccine.
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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?
Yes, for some people. For the 2022-2023 flu season, there are three flu vaccines that are preferentially recommended for people 65 years and older. These are Fluzone High-DoseQuadrivalent vaccine, Flublok Quadrivalent recombinant flu vaccine and Fluad Quadrivalent adjuvanted flu vaccine. This recommendation was based on a review of available studies which suggests that, in this age group, these vaccines are potentially more effective than standard dose unadjuvanted flu vaccines. There is no preferential recommendation for people younger than 65 years.
What if a preferentially recommended flu vaccine is not available?
If none of the three flu vaccines preferentially recommended for people 65 years and older is available at the time of administration, people in this age group should get any other age-appropriate flu vaccine instead.
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?
What about serious reactions to flu vaccine?
Can vaccinating someone twice provide added immunity?
Why Dont You Contact Trace For Flu If It Is Serious
Prevention is key in order to protect the population from influenza, and so the focus of public health interventions is to ensure all those who are vulnerable receive a flu vaccine every year, and to stop the spread of flu in the community. This is achieved through a combination of the flu vaccination programme and campaigns such as catch-it, bin-it, kill-it.
Influenza is a notifiable infection and PHE Health Protection teams support the investigation of influenza outbreaks in schools as well as high-risk settings such as care homes and hospitals. They will implement a number of infection control measures to interrupt transmission, in addition to ensuring flu vaccine uptake is as optimal as it can be.
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Why Get The Flu Shot
The flu shot is your best defence against the flu. The flu shot is recommended for almost everyone who is 6 months of age and older.
Children from 6 months to less than 9 years of age who have never had a flu shot before should receive 2 doses. It’s recommended that the interval be at least 4 weeks apart during the current flu season.
The flu shot helps to:
- protect you if you’re exposed to the virus
- prevent you from getting very sick from flu complications
- protect people close to you because you’re less likely to spread the virus to them
- reduce additional burden on the health care system as it responds to the COVID-19 pandemic
- reduce your chances of being infected with the flu and COVID-19 at the same time, which could lead to serious complications
The flu shot won’t protect you against COVID-19, so it’s also very important to be up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccinations.
When Not To Wait
The CDC recommends the annual flu vaccine for everyone over the age of 6 months with a few exceptions.
If you’re not dealing with a moderate to severe illness, you should have no problem with the vaccine and should not hold off. A cough, congestion, headache, and sore throat won’t affect your body’s response to the flu shot.
The nasal spray flu vaccine may be a different story. If you’re congested, you may need to wait until your sinuses clear up. Otherwise, you risk not getting the full benefit of the vaccine.
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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 flu viruses are circulating that season and, potentially, which type of flu vaccine was used. More information is available at Vaccine Effectiveness How well does the Flu Vaccine Work.
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.
- Flu vaccine prevents millions of illnesses and flu-related doctors visits each year. For example, during 2019-2020, the last flu season prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, flu vaccination prevented an estimated 7.5 million influenza illnesses, 3.7 million influenza-associated medical visits, 105,000 influenza-associated hospitalizations, and 6,300 influenza-associated deaths.
- During seasons when flu vaccine viruses are similar to circulating flu viruses, flu vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of having to go to the doctor with flu by 40% to 60%.
How Will I Know If I Have The Flu Or Covid
The flu virus and COVID-19 have symptoms which overlap, such a high temperature or persistent cough. It may be difficult to tell which virus you have. For this reason, its really important that you have a flu vaccination if you are eligible, and that you continue to follow the guidance on self-isolation and testing at nhs.uk/coronavirus if you have any of the symptoms of COVID-19.
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Circulating Flu Viruses Can Change From Year To Year
Flu viruses can change often. Some flu seasons are worse than others, and different viruses affect people differently.
There is no way to predict how severe a flu season will be. We have seen that COVID-19 prevention measures have lowered the flus spread. Wash your hands frequently and stay home if youre sick.
Which viruses does flu vaccine protect against?
For the 2022-2023 flu season, the recommended influenza A and influenza B/Victoria lineage vaccine components are updated from last season.
- Egg-based vaccine recommended components:
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Does A Flu Vaccine Increase Your Risk Of Getting Covid
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There is no evidence that getting a flu vaccine increases your risk of getting sick from a coronavirus, like the one that causes COVID-19.
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You may have heard about a study published in January 2020 that reported an association between flu vaccination and the risk of four commonly circulating seasonal coronaviruses, but not the one that causes COVID-19. This report was later found to be incorrect.
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The results from that initial study led researchers in Canada to look at their data to see if they could find similar results in their population. The results from Canadas study showed that flu vaccination did not increase the risk for these seasonal coronaviruses. The Canadian findings highlighted the protective benefits of flu vaccination.
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The Canadian researchers also identified a flaw in the methods of the first study, noting that it violated the part of the study design that compares vaccination rates among patients with and without flu . This flaw led to the incorrect association between flu vaccination and seasonal coronavirus risk. When these researchers reexamined data from the first study using the correct methods, they found that flu vaccination did not increase the risk for infection with other respiratory viruses, including seasonal coronaviruses.
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Can You Get The Flu From The Flu Shot This Year Or Ever From Any Flu Vaccines
The flu shot is made from an inactivated virus, explains Katugaha. This inactivated virus cannot transmit infection. You cannot catch the flu from the flu vaccine. You are NOT contagious after a flu shot. The flu shot does not give you the flu it cannot, because the virus is not active. Therefore, you cannot be contagious, because youre not infected with a virus.
What Protection Does A Flu Vaccine Provide If I Do Get Sick With The 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 the 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 the 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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Moh Encouraging Jamaicans To Take The Flu Vaccine
The Ministry of Health and Wellness is advising members of the public to get the flu vaccine.
It notes that the influenza virus circulates worldwide and can affect anyone in any age group.
Children, healthcare workers, the elderly with chronic illnesses, pregnant women, individuals who are institutionalised or in state care, and non-health frontline workers are at particularly high risk, a media release from the ministry says.
The flu season in Jamaica is from October to May.
The vaccine is recommended annually every flu season and is available to members of the public free of cost.
How Can You Prevent The Flu
The most effective way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine every year. Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine. It makes it less likely that you will get the flu. It also reduces your chances of being hospitalized or dying if you do get sick with the flu.
In addition to getting your flu vaccine, you can help stop the spread of flu by:
- Washing your hands
- Covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze
- Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
- Staying home when you are sick
- Avoiding close contact with people who are sick
- Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces at home, work, or school
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Myth #: You Can Get The Flu From The Flu Shot And Other Flu Vaccines
Fact: Many people have questions about the flu shot. Can you get the flu from the flu shot? Can the flu shot make you sick? Is the flu shot a live virus? Can live virus vaccines give you the flu? The answer for all of these is a definite no.
Flu vaccines are made with either inactive virus or weakened virus . Neither can give you the flu, rather theyre designed to help your body know how to fight flu germs.
Both types of vaccines trigger your bodys immune response. Whether the vaccine contains inactive or weakened virus, your immune system recognizes it as an intruder and creates antibodies. This antibody creation is what can spur side effects, as well as get your body ready for a possible exposure to an active virus. And those side effects can easily be mistaken for early flu-like symptoms but its really just a sign that the vaccine is working.
Flu Isnt Just A Heavy Cold
Flu occurs every year, usually in the winter, which is why its sometimes called seasonal flu. Its a highly infectious disease with symptoms that come on very quickly. Colds are much less serious and usually start gradually with a stuffy or runny nose and a sore throat. A bad bout of flu can be much worse than a heavy cold.
The most common symptoms of flu are fever, chills, headache, aches and pains in the joints and muscles, and extreme tiredness. Healthy individuals usually recover within 2 to 7 days, but for some the disease can lead to hospitalisation, permanent disability or even death.
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Does The Flu Shot Contain Live Virus
In the United States, you can get vaccinated against influenza via a flu shot or a nasal spray. While there are several different types of shots, none contain live viruses.
The form of the vaccine that is available as a nasal spray, sold under the brand name FluMist, is the only kind that contains live virus, said Dr. Bruce Farber, the chief of infectious diseases at Northwell Health in New York City. But that has been attenuated, or weakened, so it cannot cause illness. It is approved for people 2 to 49 years old who are not pregnant and who do not have any underlying health conditions.
Most people dont need to worry about which brand or type of flu vaccine theyre getting, Dr. Farber said. Those who might benefit from one particular type over another include people who are 65 or older, those who are immunocompromised, pregnant women and very young children .
What Are The Side Effects Of Flu Vaccines
The flu vaccine is safe and cannot give you the flu. Most people have no problems after getting a flu vaccine.
When side effects occur, they are generally mild and go away on their own. The most common side effects are soreness, redness, or swelling at the site where you got the shot. Some people also get a headache, fever, nausea, or muscle aches. These side effects start shortly after getting the vaccine and can last up to two days. They typically do not get in the way of daily activities.
If you have allergies, talk with a health care provider about your options for flu vaccines. Even people with mild egg allergies can safely get most flu vaccines. Egg-free flu vaccines are also available. You should not get vaccinated if you have had a severe allergic reaction to the flu vaccine in the past.
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If You Had The Flu Vaccination Last Year You Need Another One This Year
The flu viruses can change from one winter to the next. Flu vaccines are updated for each winter to give protection against the strains of flu that are most likely to be going around. For this reason, we strongly recommend that even if you were vaccinated last year, you should be vaccinated again this year.
Also, protection from flu vaccination goes down with time so even if some of the strains are the same you should have a flu vaccine again each flu season.