Groups Who Should Especially Get The Vaccine
The flu shot can protect you against the flu. Because of this, it can reduce your chances of being infected with COVID-19 and the flu at the same time. This can lead to serious complications. You should especially receive the flu vaccine this season if youre:
- at high risk of severe COVID-19 related illness
- capable of spreading the flu to those at high risk of severe illness related to COVID-19
The flu vaccine is especially important for the following groups.
What Should I Do If I Think I Am Having A Severe Reaction To A Flu Vaccine
If you think it is a severe allergic reaction or other emergency that cant wait, call 9-1-1 and get to the nearest hospital. Otherwise, call your doctor.
Afterward, the reaction should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System . Your doctor might file this report, or you can do it yourself through the VAERS websiteexternal icon, or by calling 1-800-822-7967.
Does The Covid Vaccine Shed The Virus
In order to “shed” coronavirus particles, you would have to have the live coronavirus in your body, experts say – and none of the available vaccines contain the live virus in any amount.
“None of the COVID-19 vaccines can make you sick with COVID-19, nor do they contain the live virus in any amount,” says Cook County Department of Public Health’ Senior Medical Officer and Co-Lead Dr. Kiran Joshi. “COVID-19 vaccines teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19.”
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Questions And Answers About The Flu Vaccine
In order to address flu concerns and help readers make decisions for themselves and their families, our FindCare team helped compile a list of 20 common concerns about flu vaccination from friends, family, and online forums. Six doctors and epidemiologists answered these questions based on their expertise.
Read on to learn more about how flu vaccination works and why health experts consider getting one so important.
Do I Really Need A Flu Vaccine Every Year
Yes. Everyone aged 6 months and older, without contraindications, is recommended to receive a year flu vaccine. A persons immune protection from vaccination declines over time, so an annual vaccination is needed to get the best protection from flu.
Also, flu viruses are constantly changing, so the composition of the viruses in the vaccine are reviewed each year and updated based on which viruses are circulating and making people sick.
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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.
Are Flu Vaccines Safe
Flu vaccines have a good safety record. Hundreds of millions of Americans have safely received flu vaccines over the past 50 years, and there has been extensive research supporting the safety of flu vaccines.
A flu vaccine is the first and best way to reduce your chances of getting the flu and spreading it to others. CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older receive a flu vaccine every year.
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Flu Shot Side Effects
The flu shot cant make you sick, but it might make you feel under the weather for a day. Common side effects of the flu vaccine include:
- Soreness, aches, and headache
- Fever
- Tiredness
If you get the nasal spray vaccine, you might also experience a runny nose, sore throat or cough. These side effects are caused by your body mounting an immune response. Theyre usually mild and resolve within a day.
Who Should Get Vaccinated And When
HHS, which has been overseeing vaccine rollout and distribution, recommends vaccination for those at high risk following a confirmed monkeypox exposure. In a June 28 press release the agency explained that “given the large number of contacts and difficulty in identifying all contacts during the current outbreak, vaccine will now be provided to individuals with confirmed and presumed monkeypox exposures.”
The press release went on to explain that this includes:
- Individuals who had close physical contact with someone diagnosed with monkeypox
- Individuals who know their sexual partner was diagnosed with monkeypox
- Men who have sex with men who have recently had multiple sex partners in a venue where there was known to be monkeypox or in an area where monkeypox is spreading
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also recommends that people whose jobs may expose them to monkeypox, get vaccinated. This could include lab personnel, research lab workers, and certain healthcare and public health response team members.
Although there have been no confirmed deaths related to monkeypox in the U.S., getting the vaccine can help mitigate the effects of the virus. When properly administered before or after a recent exposure, the vaccine can protect individuals against monkeypox illness and lessen the severity of the symptoms if administered in a timely manner, according to the CDC.
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Allergic Reactions To The Flu Vaccine
It’s very rare for anyone to have a serious allergic reaction to the flu vaccine. If this does happen, it usually happens within minutes.
The person who vaccinates you will be trained to deal with allergic reactions and treat them immediately.
Anyone can report a suspected side effect of a vaccine through the Yellow Card Scheme.
Flu Vaccine For People With Long
The flu vaccine is offered free on the NHS to anyone with a serious long-term health condition, including:
- a learning disability
- problems with your spleen, for example, sickle cell disease, or if you have had your spleen removed
- a weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS, or taking medicines such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy
Talk to your doctor if you have a long-term condition that is not in one of these groups. They should offer you the flu vaccine if they think you’re at risk of serious problems if you get flu.
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Can A Flu Vaccine Give Me Flu
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No, a flu vaccine cannot cause flu illness. Flu vaccines that are administered with a needle are currently made in two ways: the vaccine is made either with a) flu vaccine viruses that have been killed and are therefore not infectious, or b) with proteins from a flu vaccine virus instead of flu vaccine viruses . The nasal spray vaccine is made with attenuated live flu viruses, and also cannot cause flu illness. The weakened viruses are cold-adapted, which means they are designed to only cause infection at the cooler temperatures found within the nose. The viruses cannot infect the lungs or other areas where warmer temperatures exist.
There Can Be Negative Reactions
Like most vaccines, the flu vaccine can have side effects, some of which may, alarmingly, feel like the flu. Before you start cursing out your doctor or pharmacy nurse, listen up: The vaccine didnt give you the flu. You may feel achy or feverish, but its only going to last about two days versus two weeks. If you do get the flu, its either because you picked up the virus before the vaccine started working , or the vaccine didnt match the flu virus that ended up going around.
The vaccine does have risks, though. Some people have allergic reactions, and its possible that the flu vaccine can induce Guillaine-Barré Syndrome, a fun little condition that causes weakness or even paralysis. Anti-vaccine groups tend to bring up the issue of thimerosal, a mercury compound thats used as a preservative in vaccines, which these groups link to autism, among other adverse reactions. Theres no real evidence of this, though, and all things considered, the rewards probably outweigh the risks.
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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 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.
What Kinds Of Flu Shots Are There
Flu shots known as “quadrivalent vaccines” protect against four strains of flu virus. These include two influenza A strains H1N1 and H3N2 and two influenza B strains.
Previously, some flu shots protected against three strains, and were known as trivalent flu vaccines, but starting in the 2021-2022 season, all flu shots are quadrivalent, according to the CDC .
In addition to the standard-dose flu vaccine given through a needle, flu shots are available in several different forms. These include a high-dose version for those ages 65 and older a “cell-based” version that’s grown in animal cells rather than hen’s eggs and is approved for people ages 4 and older a “recombinant” vaccine that does not use the full influenza virus or chicken eggs in the production process and is approved for people ages 18 and older and a nasal spray, which is approved for healthy people ages 2 to 49, but not for pregnant women.
There is also a needle-free flu shot, delivered by a so-called jet injector, which uses a high-pressure stream of fluid to inject the vaccine, the CDC says. It is approved for adults ages 18 to 64.
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Does My Child Need 2 Doses Of Flu Vaccine For The 2020
Children aged 6 months through 8 years of age are recommended to receive 2 doses of flu vaccine, separated by at least 4 weeks, for the 2021-2022 flu season if they have not previously received at least 2 doses of flu vaccine prior to this flu season.
Children who need 2 doses of influenza vaccine administered at least 4 weeks apart are recommended to receive the first dose as soon as possible after vaccine becomes available.
Answering Your Covid Questions: Do Vaccines Contain A Live Virus
Johnson & Johnsons single-shot Janssen COVID-19 vaccine has been submitted for emergency use authorization from the FDA, meaning a new weapon could soon be added to the arsenal against coronavirus.
With a new vaccine possibly coming soon, WCPO 9 viewer Charles Wetzel asked on Facebook: I had heard that the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine contains a live virus. Is that true?
The short answer: no.
Dr. Steve Feagins, Hamilton County Public Health medical director and chief clinical officer at Mercy Health, explained that these vaccines dont use live viruses. Instead, they use an adenovirus vector, which is a weaker, genetically engineered virus.
It’s based on an adenovirus — almost the exact same vaccine used for Zika, shingles and meningitis — and so it’s a well-used adenovirus vector for vaccines, used in many vaccines in the past, Feagins said.
Its possible youve been infected with an adenovirus before. According to the CDC, adenovirus causes a range of illnesses, like bronchitis, pneumonia and conjunctivitis .
They can also cause cold-like symptoms, like a fever and sore throat. People with weakened immune systems or existing respiratory or cardiac diseases are more likely to get very sick from an adenovirus infection.
Similar to a flu vaccine, the most common side effects for current COVID-19 vaccines include pain at the injection site, and about one in five people may experience minor side effects like low-grade fever or nausea.
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Why Is There An Age
There is an age-specific influenza vaccine available free to those aged 65 years and older. This vaccine is formulated to provide increased protection against influenza for older people. This influenza vaccine is designed specifically to increase the immune systems response to the vaccine and provide increased protection against influenza infections for older people. There is no increase in the risk of severe adverse effects compared with other influenza vaccines however, there is an increased likelihood of redness, pain and swelling at the injection site. Fever, sore muscles, and tiredness can also occur but usually only last one to two days after vaccination. The vaccine will be available through family doctors and selected pharmacies.
Flu Fact #: A Vaccine Thats 40 Percent Effective Can Protect A Lot Of People
No vaccine is perfect. On average, the flu vaccine helps reduce the chance of infection by 40 to 60 percent.
Many people who say they never get sick dont realize they can contract the flu and shed flu virus without developing symptoms. These people may be passing on the virus to others who are immunocompromised, like young children, pregnant women, or people with cancer.
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The Live Virus Vaccine
While all vaccines help protect against harmful infections, they do so in slightly different ways. The live virus vaccine uses a weakened, or attenuated, version of a virus. Both the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and the nasal spray flu vaccine use attenuated viruses.
Naturally, some people feel nervous about getting a vaccine with a live virus in it. However, its important to understand the vaccine development process. The strength of the ideal live virus vaccine contains just enough of the pathogen to trigger antibody production, but weak enough to not cause symptoms or side effects.
Look at the history of the measles vaccine, for example. The very first measles vaccine came out in 1963. In this vaccine, the isolated measles virus went through the attenuation process 80 times. This vaccine was quite effective, but some recipients still experienced mild measles symptoms, such as fever and rash.
These mild side effects were unacceptable to the vaccine developers. Thus, the vaccine went through the attenuation process another 40 times. A new and improved vaccine came out in 1968. Thanks to this new vaccine, side effects were rare. Not only that, but measles cases plummeted in the United States. In 1963, there were nearly 500 thousand measles cases by 1970, there were under 50 thousand cases. Learn more about the history of the measles vaccine here.
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Where To Get The Monkeypox Vaccine
There are two vaccines licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for preventing monkeypox infectionJynneos and ACAM2000.
The ACAM2000 is not advised for individuals with certain health conditions such as a weakened immune system, or skin conditions like atopic dermatitis, eczema, or pregnancy, according to the CDC. It is the Jynneos vaccine that is currently being distributed by HHS, though states and jurisdictions can also request the ACAM2000.
Access to the Jynneos vaccine is limited to people with either a known exposure or those who were alerted to a known exposure by a venue or event they recently attended. The vaccine distribution approach includes a four-tier system with top priority going to jurisdictions with the highest rate of monkeypox. Within each of those tiers, individuals with pre-existing conditions, such as HIV, will be given priority.
As part of this rollout strategy, HHS has also been working to expand access to the vaccine for prophylacticor preventativeuse in areas where there is a particularly high transmission rate.
In states and jurisdictions where the vaccine is being made available, such as in New York for example, temporary clinics are being set up where individuals can get the vaccine. Washington D.C. just announced that district residents can pre-register for vaccination appointments by visiting PreventMonkeyPox.dc.gov. The full list of states and jurisdictions that have requested vaccine supplies from HHS can be found here.
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The Sixties: Split Vaccines
New inactivated compounds were tested for safety and efficacy during seasonal epidemics in the 1960s, in particular two new formulations were created: split and subunit vaccines. The 1968 pandemic led to the development of trivalent inactivated vaccines against influenza viruses moreover the development of new split or subunit vaccines led to a decrease of adverse reactions in children. These vaccines were split using ether and/or detergent, and haemagglutinin and neuraminidase were, in the case of subunit vaccines, purified and enriched .
In the same period, the first flu vaccines were licensed in Europe, while in the US annual influenza vaccination was recommended for individuals at major risk of influenza complications.
In 1968, the new virus strain H3N2 appeared, completely replacing the previous type A strain , and led to another global pandemic with high morbidity and mortality . In the same year, a new type of vaccine, the split vaccine, was authorized in the US after several clinical studies had demonstrated that it was less reactogenic than whole virus vaccines, especially in the early years of life .