Does The Flu Shot Stop You From Getting The Flu

Can My Child Still Get The Flu Even If They Have Had Flu Vaccination

Vaccination is not 100% effective for all people, so some vaccinated people may still get the flu. If they do, symptoms are usually milder than if they had not had flu vaccination. If you’d like to know more about the effectiveness of flu vaccination, see the influenza immunisation information on the IMAC website.

Considerations For Getting A Covid

Its safe for your health care provider to administer a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as other vaccines. If youre 12 years of age or older, you may get the flu shot at the same time as a COVID-19 vaccine. You may also get it any time before or after you receive the flu shot.

For children aged 5 to 11, the National Advisory Council on Immunization recommends a 14-day interval between a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines. This is to help better monitor for possible side effects from COVID-19 vaccines. Provinces and territories will decide on an interval for this age group as part of their vaccination programs.

Talk to a health care provider or consult your provincial or territorial public health authority for the latest guidance.

Learn more about:

• COVID-19: Vaccine safety and side effects

Where Can I Get Vaccinated Against The Flu

People eligible for a free flu vaccineEligible people can get a free vaccination from their family doctor/general practice. It is usually the practice nurse who gives the vaccine. Many community pharmacies provide free flu vaccinations to people aged 13 years and older and pregnant women . People who are not eligible to receive a free flu vaccineThe flu vaccination is available from:

• your family doctor/general practice

Please contact your healthcare provider about the cost of getting the flu vaccine.

Recommended Reading: Does Health Insurance Cover Flu Shots

What Protection Does A Flu Vaccine Provide If I Do Get Sick With Flu

• 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.

The Truth About The Flu Shot: It May Not Always Prevent Illness But It Will Reduce Risk Of Death

We had only been back from our family trip to Vietnam for a week when my son began running a low-grade fever. We had stuck to touristy areas and taken anti-malarial medication, but it was best to get him checked out just in case. Indeed, when his rapid flu test results came back, his physician joked that it was just an ordinary old influenza B, nothing tropical or exotic.

I had actually expected a flu diagnosis because wed returned in the midst of the worst flu season the U.S. has seen in years. A whopping 7.4 percent of the country saw their doctor for influenza-like illnesses at the viruss peak in early February, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Even now, the CDC reports, flu activity remains strong at 5 percent more than twice whats usually seen this time of year.

Plus, my sons symptoms were mild, not the high fever Id expect from malaria, dengue or typhoid or influenza in someone unvaccinated. As a science journalist who has reported on vaccines for years, I hadnt vaccinated my children expecting to prevent them from getting flu. I know the vaccine is often lousy at that. I vaccinated them to make it far less likely they would end up in the hospital or dead, like 114 other children so far this winter.

For the average person reading about the flu epidemic on the news, I understand the frustration. What is the point of a vaccination if it doesnt actually prevent the flu?

Also Check: Flu Symptoms For Over A Week

Why Is The Flu Vaccine Less Effective Some Years

Flu vaccine effectiveness can vary from season to season, Rivera said. The protection provided depends on the similarity between the viruses in the vaccine and those in circulation, as well as the health of the individual.

She explained that there are different strains or types of flu viruses, and flu vaccines usually work better against influenza A and influenza B. The vaccine may be less effective against influenza A .

During seasons when the vaccine is well-matched , vaccination can reduce the risk of flu illness by up to 60 percent, she said.

What Is The Flu Vaccine

The influenza vaccine is used to prevent infection caused by the influenza virus. The flu can cause serious illness, especially in young children, older adults and people with chronic health problems, but anyone can become seriously ill from the flu virus. Even if you are not feeling sick, you could still be infected with the flu virus and pass it on to others. Read more about the flu.Vaccination is the best way to prevent infection and reduce the seriousness of illness if you become infected. It will greatly improve your chances of not getting the flu, but it does not give 100% protection.

Being vaccinated causes your body to produce antibodies against the flu virus. This means your body can respond faster and more effectively to the flu. By first coming across a non-infectious version of the virus in the vaccine, it learns to recognise it. When it comes across it again, your body can react much faster and in a more effective way.

Even if you get the flu after being vaccinated, you usually get a mild form of it and recover faster, and are less likely to have serious complications.

Also Check: Flu Shot Safe For Pregnancy

Understanding The Flu Vaccine

Get the facts about the flu vaccine and how it can help keep your family healthy each year

The flu season seemed milder during the COVID-19 pandemic, as fewer people got infected or were hospitalized with the flu. Experts are studying why that might be. It could be tied to public health measures that protect against coronavirus, as they also protect against the flu. These include wearing masks in public, social distancing, and lack of travel. Increased flu vaccination rates also might have helped.

COVID-19 is getting lots of attention now, but many people get very sick or even die from the flu every year. So it’s still important to get a flu vaccine each year.

Can I Get Vaccinated If I Dont Like Needles

Rachel Roper, PhD, associate professor at the East Carolina University Medical School said, Yes, there is a flu mist nasal vaccine. The flu injection/shot is a killed virus, but the flu nasal spray vaccine is a live attenuated virus. It is a severely weakened virus that will cause a small brief infection in your nasal passages. Most people dont even notice it.

Because the flu nasal vaccine is a live virus, people who have conditions that affect their immune systems may not be able to take it.

Roper said the flu nasal spray has been approved for healthy people 249 years old, but theres actually a of people who shouldnt get the live flu mist vaccine.

Recommended Reading: How Long For Flu Shot Effective

Do We Know How Bad This Years Flu Season Will Be

We dont have a crystal ball, said Dr. Lisa L. Maragakis, the senior director of infection prevention at the Johns Hopkins Health System. But for hints of what to expect, scientists have been watching the Southern Hemisphere, where flu season is now wrapping up. And the good news is that the flu season has been relatively mild there, Dr. Maragakis said so ours might be, too.

Yet there are reasons to be worried as well. When you look across the years, more serious and more severe flu seasons often follow light ones, Dr. Maragakis said. Thats likely because of how the flu evolves and how susceptible people are to the strains circulating during the next season. Since weve had two light years in a row, we could be in for a bad year if the flu starts spreading, she said.

In a study published on a preprint server in August that has not yet been peer-reviewed, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh used mathematical modeling to predict how severe the upcoming flu season might be based on this increased susceptibility. They reported that if flu and flu vaccination levels are typical of prior years, 102,000 more Americans than average could be hospitalized with influenza a 20 percent increase.

How To Treat Flu Shot Side Effects

Tylenol Rapid Release Gels

$10.47

Usually, any side effects you might get from the flu vaccine go away on their own within a day or twobut you dont have to tough it out if you really feel run down. Try these self-care measures to feel better ASAP:

For muscle aches, headache, or flu-like symptoms, take a pain reliever, such as Tylenol or ibuprofen.

For arm pain after the flu shot, apply a cool compress.

The same goes for side effects of the nasal flu vaccine. Treatment is based on a persons symptoms, Dr. Kemmerly says. All in all, minor aches are a small price to pay for the vast protection the flu vaccine provides for both you and those around you.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

You May Like: Are Flu Vaccines Mandatory For Nurses

What Side Effects Can Occur After Getting A Flu Vaccine

• While a flu vaccine cannot give you flu illness, there are different side effects that may be associated with getting a flu shot or a nasal spray flu vaccine. These side effects are mild and short-lasting, especially when compared to symptoms of bad case of flu.

A flu shot: The viruses in a flu shot are killed , so you cannot get flu from a flu shot. Some minor side effects that may occur are:

• Soreness, redness, and/or swelling where the shot was given

• Headache

• Nausea

• Fatigue

The nasal spray: The viruses in the nasal spray vaccine are weakened and do not cause severe symptoms often associated with influenza illness. In children, side effects from the nasal spray may include:

• Runny nose

• In adults, side effects from the nasal spray vaccine may include:

• Runny nose

• Sore throat

• Cough

• If these problems occur, they begin soon after vaccination and usually are mild and short-lived. A flu shot, like other injections, can occasionally cause fainting. Tell your provider if you feel dizzy or have vision changes or ringing in the ears. As with any medicine, there is a very remote chance of a vaccine causing a severe allergic reaction, other serious injury, or death.

Why Is The Flu Vaccine Recommended

While the flu vaccine isn’t 100% effective, it still greatly reduces a person’s chances of catching the flu, which can be very serious. It also can make symptoms less severe if someone does still get the flu after immunization.

Even if you or your kids got the flu vaccine last year, that won’t protect you this year, because flu viruses change. That’s why the vaccine is updated each year to include the most current types of the virus.

Sometimes the same types are included in the vaccine one year after the next. Even then, it’s still important to get the yearly flu vaccine because the body’s immunity against the influenza virus declines over time.

You May Like: Can You Test For The Flu

Protection From The Flu Doesnt Last That Long

In most of Australia, the peak flu season usually runs from August to September.

But the flu vaccine produces a relatively short-lived immune response, about 6-12 months after vaccination. This is because the flu vaccine produces a weaker immune response than being infected.

How long it provides protection probably depends on the patient and the virus .

So there is some concern that if people are vaccinated too early in the year, their immune response might be starting to decline just when it is needed.

Studies that have looked at how important this is have shown conflictingresults. While one study found the effectiveness of the vaccine against the A/H1N1 and A/H3N2 strains declined after three months, the other study found a decline only against A/H3N2 and B strains.

In the meantime, we generally recommend April to June is probably the optimal time for vaccination early enough for your immune system to learn how to deal with the influenza virus for the peak flu season, but not so late you miss the peak flu season.

For doctors, there are other factors involved in deciding when to vaccinate a patient. If they dont vaccinate a patient now, will they come back again before the influenza season hits? Are they are risk of getting influenza out of season?

Although most flu cases occur in winter, we are increasingly aware of cases that occur throughout the year. This is particularly important in tropical regions where influenza tends to circulate all year round.

To Lower The Rates Of Infectious Disease

The reality is, we are facing a global pandemic that continues to cause hospitalizations and death, and we need to prepare for the onset of another infectious disease that can be life-threatening at the same time. Public health measures like choosing to get vaccinated even if you are personally not at risk of getting severely sick from COVID-19, washing your hands frequently and wearing a mask indoors can help prevent the transmission of both viruses.

Also Check: What To Take For Flu When Pregnant

Who Needs An Annual Flu Shot

Short answer: You do. The CDC says everyone 6 months of age and older needs an annual flu shot, and young children might need two doses. Typically, immunity kicks in about two weeks after your vaccination, and even if you come in contact with a different strain of the flu, your vaccine may still provide some important protection.

At Healthy Life Family Medicine, we offer the most up-to-date flu shots,a s well as other vaccines you might need to stay healthy. If youd like to learn more about this years flu shot, or if youd like to schedule a vaccine to help keep the flu at bay, call our office at 623-232-9194 and schedule a visit today.

You Might Also Enjoy…

Why Do I Need A Flu Vaccine Every Year

• A flu vaccine is needed every season for two reasons. First, a persons immune protection from vaccination declines over time, so an annual vaccine is needed for optimal protection. Second, because flu viruses are constantly changing, flu vaccines may be updated from one season to the next to protect against the viruses that research suggests may be most common during the upcoming flu season. For the best protection, everyone 6 months and older should get vaccinated annually.

Read Also: Rite Aid Flu Shot For Seniors

Why Should You Get The Flu Shot

Even though the flu shot isn’t the most effective vaccine, it still provides some protection against infection, especially for healthy people. And most importantly, even at its modest effectiveness, the flu vaccine helps to protect against the worst effects of a flu infection: hospitalization or death.

A 2021 review published in the journal Vaccine found that adults who got a flu vaccine but still got sick were 26% less likely to require intensive care, and vaccinated patients who ended up in the hospital were 31% less likely to die from the flu, compared with people who were not vaccinated.

Why do people sneeze in threes?

The CDC also recommends that people get the flu shot during pregnancy, which changes the immune system, heart and lungs in ways that increase susceptibility to influenza. Between 2010 and 2016, getting a flu shot reduced a pregnant person’s risk of being hospitalized with flu by about 40% compared with unvaccinated pregnant people, according to a 2018 study in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. Other studies cited by the CDC suggest that getting a flu shot during pregnancy can also protect the newborn from catching the flu. Flu vaccines are also important for children. Between 2010 and 2014, flu shots reduced a healthy child’s risk of dying from the flu by 65%, according to a 2017 study in the journal Pediatrics.

Originally published on Live Science.

Who Can Get The Flu Vaccine For Free

The flu vaccine is free for New Zealanders who are:

• 65 years and over
• pregnant women
• under 65 who have certain medical conditions
• children aged 4 years or under who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness or have a history of significant respiratory illness.

Check with your doctor to find out if you qualify for a free flu vaccine. Read more about eligibility.

Recommended Reading: 24 Hour Flu Like Symptoms

Who Should Get The Flu Vaccine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older.

But it’s especially important that those in higher-risk groups get vaccinated to avoid health problems from the flu. They include:

• all kids 6 months through 4 years old
• anyone 65 years and older
• all women who are pregnant, are trying to become pregnant, have recently given birth, or are breastfeeding during flu season
• anyone whose immune system is weakened from medications or illnesses
• people who live in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes
• any adult or child with chronic medical conditions, such as asthma or diabetes
• kids or teens who take aspirin regularly and are at risk for developing Reye syndrome if they get the flu
• caregivers or household members of anyone in a high-risk group
• Native Americans and Alaska Natives

Babies younger than 6 months can’t get the vaccine. But if their parents, other caregivers, and older kids in the household get it, that will help protect the baby. This is important because infants are more at risk for serious problems from the flu.