Difference Between Regular Flu Shot And High Dose

How Much Better Are These Vaccines

Compared to the standard flu vaccine, the high-dose version has been shown to better stimulate the immune system of older users to make protective antibodies.

It has been shown to better reduce rates of flu infection in over-65s than the standard vaccine.

And, interestingly, it also seems to protect against pneumonia.

One common criticism of clinical trials is that they don’t include the types of people who are found in the “real world”.

But population-based observational studies suggest the high-dose vaccine is more protective than the standard-dose vaccine where H3N2 is the predominant circulating strain as it was last year.

What about the Fluad vaccine?

Compared to the standard vaccine, adjuvanted flu vaccine has been shown to better stimulate the immune system of older users to make protective antibodies.

Unlike the high-dose vaccine, there have not been clinical trials that show a difference in infection rates compared with the standard vaccine.

But observational data suggests the adjuvanted vaccine is more protective against hospitalisation with influenza or pneumonia to a similar degree as the high-dose vaccine.

One problem with both these vaccines is that they only contain three strains, rather than the four strains in the current vaccine.

The strain missing from the new vaccines is an influenza B type.

What Is The Dosage For Fluzone Highdose

For intramuscular use only

Dose And Schedule

• Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent should be administered as a single 0.7 mL injection by the intramuscular route in adults 65 years of age and older.

Administration

• Inspect Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent visually for particulate matter and/or discoloration prior to administration. If either of these conditions exists the vaccine should not be administered.
• Before administering a dose of vaccine, shake the prefilled syringe.
• The preferred site for intramuscular injection is the deltoid muscle. The vaccine should not be injected into the gluteal area or areas where there may be a major nerve trunk.
• Do not administer this product intravenously.
• Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent should not be combined through reconstitution or mixed with any other vaccine.

What Are Flu Vaccines For Seniors

Often referred to as High-Dose , based on the brand name of one popular flu vaccine, flu vaccines for seniors are super-charged to help keep people 65+ healthy throughout the flu season. The two approved vaccines for people 65+ either contain four times the antigens of a regular flu shot or an additive known as an adjuvant.

Both offer greater, but about the same as one another, protection from illness than standard egg-based quadrivalent vaccines, studies have shown.

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How Safe Is Fluzone High

Some side effects were reported more frequently after vaccination with trivalent Fluzone High-Dose than after standard-dose inactivated flu vaccines. The most common side effects experienced during clinical studies were mild and temporary, and included pain, redness at the injection site, headache, muscle aches, and malaise. Most people had minimal or no side effects after receiving the Fluzone High-Dose. In a study comparing Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent with trivalent Fluzone High-Dose, some of these side effects were slightly more common with the quadrivalent vaccine, but most were mild and resolved within a few days.

How Do Flu Vaccines For Seniors Work

As we age, our immune systems do not function as well as they once did. Flu immunizations for seniors are designed to help our bodies better fight infection with more antibodies. These antibodies will support the immune system in fighting off infection.

The CDC reports that 80 to 90 percent of all flu-related deaths are among those over 65. Flu vaccinations for seniors are designed and recommended to help keep those 65+ safe all year long.

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Evidence Behind The High

A study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases Journal found the high-dose vaccine to be 22 percent more effective than the standard dose vaccine for flu prevention among people 65 and older. Additionally, the study showed a significant reduction in flu-related hospital admissions among those who were administered the high-dose vaccine.

Fishbein adds, âHigh-dose vaccines are recommended for people 65 and older because their immune systems are weaker and they are more likely to die from flu. High-dose vaccines contain more flu proteins called antigens. This means that there are more of the vaccine ingredients in order for the body to create a stronger antibody response. A higher dose is necessary for people 65 and older because they comprise the majority of flu hospitalizations.â

Who Is Most At Risk

Complications from the flu can include serious conditions, like pneumonia or heart attacks and, in some cases, death. Flu causes about 12,200 hospitalizations and 3,500 deaths in Canada each year.

Some people are more vulnerable to complications and hospitalization from the flu:

• babies under 6 months old are too young to get the flu shot, but they’ll get some protection if their parent got the flu shot while they were pregnant
• children under 5 years of age, because their immune systems are developing, and their airways are small and more easily blocked
• people 65 years old and older, because their immune systems are weaker and they are more likely to have an underlying condition that increases their risk
• pregnant people, because their immune system, heart and lungs change especially later in pregnancy making them more likely to get seriously ill from the flu
• people with underlying health conditions, such as asthma, heart disease or diabetes

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What Is The Difference Between High

The high-dose flu vaccine has four times the amount of flu virus antigen and was created for people ages 65 and older. The purpose of an âenhancedâ vaccine is to help elicit a strong immune response even among people who have weaker immune systems. The standard-dose vaccines are effective for everyone under 65 years old.

This year, both the high-dose and standard-dose vaccines are quadrivalent, meaning they offer broader protection against four different flu viruses. Two of the viruses are influenza A viruses and two are influenza B viruses.

Below we outline the main differences between the standard and high dose influenza vaccines.

Standard Quadrivalent Flu Shot vs Fluzone High-Dose

What About The Adjuvanted Vaccine

Clinical trials have not been designed to show the different rates of flu infection after taking the adjuvanted vaccine compared with the standard vaccine. But studies have examined the effectiveness of this vaccine in preventing hospitalisations with influenza.

One trial found a small decrease in influenza infection in people who had been given adjuvanted vaccine, compared with standard vaccine, but this difference was not statistically significant.

Another recent trial has been performed in nursing home residents. Preliminary results suggest a very small reduction in hospitalisations compared with those who took the standard vaccine.

Despite a lack of clinical trial data, several observational studies have found getting the adjuvanated vaccine means youre less likely to be hospitalised with influenza than if you receive the standard vaccine.

As with the studies of the high-dose vaccine, the estimated degree of protection varies between studies, reflecting differences in circulating strains, study types, and populations.

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Are The New Vaccines Safe

Both vaccines are safe, but commonly cause mild side-effects, and very rarely can cause serious side-effects. However, these risks from the vaccine are less than from getting influenza infection.

The main side-effect of vaccines relates to their effect in stimulating the immune system.

In many people they cause a sore arm and, less commonly, a fever. The side-effects of these new flu vaccines are slightly more common than with standard vaccines.

Generally, these side-effects are mild and don’t last long.

None of the flu vaccines used in Australia contains live virus and therefore can’t cause flu infection. However, the vaccination season usually occurs around the same time as when another respiratory virus circulates, so this respiratory infection is commonly misattributed to vaccination.

Rare but serious side-effects, such as Guillain Barre Syndrome , have been described after flu vaccination.

Studies suggest the risk of these side-effects are less common after the flu vaccine than after flu infection.

People with allergies should discuss flu vaccines with their doctor. In the past, there has been concern the flu vaccines, which are manufactured in eggs, may elicit allergic reactions in people with egg allergy.

However, it is now thought people with egg allergies can receive flu vaccines safely under appropriate supervision.

In 2009, an adjuvanted vaccine was thought to be implicated in cases of narcolepsy in Europe.

Getting Tiv Getting The Flu

With more than a doubling of the vaccination rate since 1990, one would expect a healthy drop in flu-related hospitalizations and deaths. But those numbers havent dropped. In fact, overall hospital admission and death rates in the U.S. have actually increased over the last two decades, even after accounting for changing age demographics and ups and downs in this customized vaccines effectiveness against each seasons new flu strain.

The actual life- and health-sparing value of flu vaccine in the elderly has been a subject of some controversy. Nearly all the evidence for protective benefit in this population comes from non-randomized observational studies. Typical of these was a large 2003 medical record review of 286,000 community-dwelling Americans at least 65 years old. In this review, those who got a flu vaccine experienced nearly a 20 percent reduction in risk of hospitalization for cardiac disease, about a 30 percent lower risk of hospitalization for pneumonia or influenza, and an impressive 49 percent average reduction in risk of death from all causes over the span of two flu seasons.

This obvious bias is built into any study that simply tallies deaths or hospitalizations of people who decided on their own whether to get a flu shot. People who choose on their own to get the vaccine clearly tend to be much healthier than those who dont, and they appear to take better care of themselves when they do get sick.

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The Centers For Disease Controls 2021

Annual flu vaccination is recommended for everyone six months and older. Different flu shots are approved for people of different ages. In general, if you are pregnant or have an underlying health condition, you should still get a flu shot, but you can talk to your healthcare provider first if you are concerned.

Better Protection Against The Flu

As noted earlier, better HI antibody responses are known to correlate with protection against influenza infection and reduced clinical disease risk. Yet while it is very encouraging that Fluzone HD induces higher serum antibody titers without significant safety concerns, the jury is still out on whether this actually translates into fewer confirmed cases and serious complications from the flu.

As a condition of licensure under FDAs accelerated approval process, the agency instructed Sanofi Pasteur to conduct a head-to-head study to compare Fluzone HD and Fluzone in 27,000 to 30,000 adult subjects 65 years of age and older. That study will be conducted over three flu seasons to try to account for typical fluctuation in vaccine efficacy, which is related to differences between the flu virus that arrives and the strains picked in advance to make the vaccine. The first season is already enrolled, with the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 seasons to follow. Until that study is finished and the results are known, Fluzone HDs labeling informs providers and recipients that there have been no controlled studies demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with Fluzone High-Dose.

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How Does A High

Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent contains four times the amount of antigen as the regular dose flu vaccine. As we get older, our immune systems have a harder time fighting off infections and learning from vaccines. The higher amount of antigen in the high-dose flu vaccine helps an older adults immune system better recognize and react to the vaccine.

The influenza strains and inactive ingredients in Fluzone High-Dose are the same as Fluzone Quadrivalent one of the available regular dose flu vaccines. However, a few other regular dose flu vaccines are available which vary more from the high-dose vaccine than Fluzone Quadrivalent.

The following are other FDA-approved flu vaccines for the 2021/2022 flu season and how they differ from the high-dose flu vaccine:

How Are Flu Vaccines For Seniors Different

Flu vaccines for seniors are made one of two ways:

• High-Dose flu vaccines are manufactured with four times more antigens than standard quadrivalent vaccines.
• Adjuvanted flu vaccines contain an additive to fortify a standard, quadrivalent vaccine.

The CDC has not made a specific recommendation for which high-dose flu vaccine is best for seniors. A healthcare professional will be able to help you determine which is best for your needs.

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What Is The High

You may have seen commercials for a high-dose flu shot for seniors and wondered what it wasand how it differs from the standard shot you have been receiving for years.

The reason youre seeing the emergence of new flu shots that are specifically designed for older adults is because seniors have a poorer immune response to the flu than younger people do. While the flu might slow down a younger person and keep them in bed, in older adults the flu can be seriousand sometimes fatal.

Because seniors are considered to be so high-risk, developing vaccines that work well in the older adult population is very important. Here are answers to some of the questions you may have about these newer vaccines.

What is the high-dose flu shot? How is it different from the regular shot?

Its called Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent, and it contains four strains of influenza and four times the antigen of the standard flu shot. The antigen is the part of the vaccine that helps your body build up protection or immunity against influenza virus.

This shot is strongly recommended for adults 65 and older because it provides better protection against the flu and reduces the likelihood of severe flu-related complications such as hospitalizations.

FluadQuadrivalent is another flu vaccine product licensed for use in adults 65 and older. Like the high-dose shot, this product contains four strains of influenza however, this product contains an ingredient that helps to improve immune response.

Time For Your Flu Vaccine: Do You Need A Higher Dose

The pros and cons of the high-dose vaccine, and tips to protect yourself from infection this season.

The flu is far more than a fever and sniffles that sideline you for a few days. In older adults, it can lead to serious complications like bronchitis and pneumonia, and it can worsen existing medical conditions such as heart disease, asthma, and diabetes. In fact, most flu-related hospitalizations and nearly all deaths from the disease occur in people 65 and older.

“The strength of the immune response tends to decrease with age. So as people get older, they are more likely to become significantly ill from diseases like the flu,” explains Dr. Elisa Choi, an internal medicine and infectious disease specialist at Harvard Vanguard Medical Center. The best way to protect yourself against the flu is by getting vaccinated, but because of the natural decline in your immune system, you may produce fewer flu-fighting antibodies in response to the vaccine than you once did, and be less protected as a result.

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Adjuvanted Inactivated Flu Vaccine

Another vaccine specifically designed for seniors is the adjuvanted, inactivated flu vaccine. An adjuvant is a substance that increases your body’s reaction to virus proteins.

Medical term: Inactivated flu shots contain dead flu viruses. The antigens in the vaccine still provoke an immune response so you build up antibodies against the flu virus. Inactivated flu vaccines are typically recommended for people who are pregnant, are over the age of 65, or who have certain medical conditions.

The substance added to the adjuvanted flu vaccine is squalene oil, also called MF59, which is found naturally in plants and animals. “This gives an extra boost to the immune response to the vaccine which will then lead to greater protection from infection,” Haynes says.

Because the adjuvanted vaccine spikes your immune response, it may also have more side effects than the standard vaccine, including irritation at the injection site, muscle aches, and headache. However, the vaccine offers great protection for seniors a 2020 study found that people over 65 who got the adjuvanted vaccine were less likely to be hospitalized for the flu, compared with those who got the standard vaccine.

There Are 2 Types Of Flu Shots To Choose From: Which One Should You Get

Youve heard it repeatedly: You should get your annual flu shot. You can go to your local pharmacy, doctors office, or hospital to get the shot, but you should probably know that there are two different types of shots, each of which offers varying coverage.

One is the trivalent vaccine, and the other, the quadrivalent vaccine. The trivalent vaccine protects against three strains of the flu an influenza A, or H1N1, virus an influenza A, or H3N2, virus and an influenza B virus. The quadrivalent vaccine, meanwhile, protects against four strains: all of the strains in the trivalent vaccine, plus an additional B virus strain.

There is a type of quadrivalent flu shot that can be given to children as young as 6 months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Other quadrivalent flu shots are approved for people ages 3 and up.

So which one are you likely to get, and should you be opting for something different?

In general, youre probably getting the quadrivalent vaccine, infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Most places are going to be primarily stocking the quadrivalent, he says. You want to get this vaccine because it covers against more strains.

If you know you want to get your flu shot and arent sure which type youre getting, just ask. Your doctor or pharmacist should be able to tell you.

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