What Are Common Symptoms Of The Flu
They usually come more suddenly than cold symptoms. They include fever, feeling feverish, the chills, and having a cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle or body aches, headache, and fatigue. Less common are vomiting and diarrhea. Children are more likely to have vomiting and diarrhea than adults are.
Not everyone with the flu has a fever.
Flu Vaccine Was Not Very Effective This Season The Cdc Says
The vaccine was only about 16 percent effective at reducing a persons chance of getting a mild or moderate infection, the agency said. Experts said a good rate would be at least 50 percent.
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This seasons flu vaccine has offered little to no protection against getting a mild or moderate case of influenza, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week.
In a study of more than 3,600 Americans in seven states, the C.D.C. said in a report that the vaccine was only around 16 percent effective, a rate that it said was not statistically significant.
Its not ineffective, but its clearly suboptimal in its efficacy, Dr. Jesse L. Goodman, a former chief scientist at the Food and Drug Administration, said on Thursday. He reviewed the report but was not associated with it.
Still, despite the vaccines lackluster performance this season, which started in October and lasts through May, the C.D.C. suggested that people get inoculated, saying that it could prevent serious outcomes.
Still, even a mild flu season can be devastating. The C.D.C. estimated that during the 2019-20 flu season, around 22,000 people in the country had died and 400,000 had been hospitalized.
Dr. Goodman said that this seasons results showed how much flu vaccines could be improved.
Flu Season Tips And Alerts
COVERAGE UNDER MAJOR HEALTH PLANS
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FLUZONE® QUADRIVALENT INFLUENZA VACCINE
Helps protect people as young as 6 months of age against 4 different strains of the flu contained in the vaccine.
FLUZONE® HIGH-DOSE QUADRIVALENT INFLUENZAVACCINE
Superior flu protection for people age 65 years and olderversus Fluzone .
With 4-strain protection, FLUZONE® HIGH-DOSE QUADRIVALENT builds on the legacy of the trivalent formulation, which was clinically proven to be 24.2% more effective at preventing flu than standard-dose Fluzone in adults 65+.
What are Fluzone® Quadrivalent, Flublok® Quadrivalent, and Fluzone® High-Dose Quadrivalent?
Fluzone Quadrivalent, Flublok Quadrivalent, and Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent are vaccines indicated for immunization against disease caused by influenza A and B strains contained in the vaccine. Fluzone Quadrivalent is given to people 6 months of age and older. Flublok Quadrivalent is given to people 18 years of age and older. Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent is given to people 65 years of age and older.
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Recommendations Announced For Influenza Vaccine Composition For The 2022
The World Health Organization today announced the recommendations for the viral composition of influenza vaccines for the 2022-2023 influenza season in the northern hemisphere. The announcement was made at an information session at the end of a 4-day Information Meeting on the Composition of Influenza Virus Vaccines, a meeting that is held twice annually.
The WHO organizes these consultations with an advisory group of experts gathered from WHO Collaboration Centres and WHO Essential Regulatory Laboratories to analyse influenza virus surveillance data generated by the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System. The recommendations issued are used by the national vaccine regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies to develop, produce, and license influenza vaccines for the following influenza season.
The periodic update of viruses contained in influenza vaccines is necessary for the vaccines to be effective due to the constant evolving nature of influenza viruses, including those circulating and infecting humans.
The WHO recommends that quadrivalent vaccines for use in the 2022-2023 influenza season in the northern hemisphere contain the following:
Egg-based vaccines
Possible Side Effects Of Influenza Vaccination
You may experience minor side effects following vaccination. Most reactions are mild and last no more than a couple of days and you will recover without any problems.
Common side effects of influenza vaccines include:
- pain, redness, swelling or hardness where the needle went in
- fever, tiredness, body aches.
Talk to your immunisation provider about possible side effects of the influenza vaccines, or if you or your child have side effects that worry you.
The Consumer Medicine Information available on the Therapeutic Goods Administration website lists the ingredients and side effects of each vaccine.
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Evergreen Flu Vaccine Ingredients: The Preservatives And Additives
Beyond the three to four viral components, a number of additives and preservatives are required to make vaccines effective and to keep them from going bad. These ingredients, sometimes covered as trade secrets by drug companies in less public drugs, have led to many a conspiracy theory that anti-vaxxers would have you latch onto. Its really much more boring than that.
Here are some of the ingredients you will find in the 2021-2022 flu vaccine and why theyre there.
The Ingredient: Aluminum Salts
Use: Boosts bodys response to the vaccine
The Ingredient: Sugar or gelatin
In: Most vaccines
In: Few flu vaccines only multi-dose vials
Use: Preservative
The CDC says: Thimerosal has a different form of mercury than the kind that causes mercury poisoning . Its safe to use ethylmercury in vaccines because its processed differently in the body and its less likely to build up in the body and because its used in tiny amounts. Even so, most vaccines do not have any thimerosal in them.
The Ingredient: Egg proteins
In: Some vaccines
Use: Growing the vaccine
The CDC says: Because influenza and yellow fever vaccines are both made in eggs, egg proteins are present in the final products. However, there are two new flu vaccines now available for people with egg allergies.
When To Get The Influenza Vaccine
New season influenza vaccines under the NIP are expected to be available from April. Timing may be different for your local area. Check with your immunisation provider to find out when they will have the vaccine available and when you will be able to book in to have the vaccine.
Annual influenza vaccine should occur anytime from April onwards to be protected for the peak flu season, which is generally June to September. The highest level of protection occurs in the first 3 to 4 months following vaccination.
However, it is never too late to vaccinate since influenza can circulate in the community all year round.
Pregnant women should receive the vaccine at any stage during pregnancy.
Influenza vaccines can be given on the same day with a COVID-19 vaccine.
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This Years Flu Vaccine Is A Major Mismatch Researcher Says
Dec. 17, 2021 — Flu vaccines arenât providing as much as much protection as hoped for against the most widely circulating strain of influenza, a new study says, but it appears the vaccines will still prevent severe illness in people who are infected.
The vaccines were designed far in advance to fight the flu strains expected to dominate the United States during the 2021-22 flu season: H3N2, H1N1, and two strains of influenza B.
H3N2, the major strain, mutated in a way that means the flu vaccines donât match up against it very well, Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania who led the study, told CNN.
“From our lab-based studies, it looks like a major mismatch,” he said.
That mismatch may have contributed to influenza outbreaks on college campuses.
An outbreak at the University of Michigan affected more than 700 people, with about 26% of those who tested positive having been vaccinated against the flu, according to CNN.
Though vaccines may not stop H3N2, it looks like theyâll prevent serious infection from that strain, the researchers said.
âStudies have clearly shown that seasonal influenza vaccines consistently prevent hospitalizations and deaths even in years where there are large antigenic mismatch,â they wrote on medRxiv, an internet site that publishes reports that are yet to be peer-reviewed.
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CNN. âFlu vaccines don’t match the main circulating flu virus strain, researchers find.â
Can I Have The Influenza And Covid Vaccine At The Same Time
COVID-19 vaccines can be co-administered with an influenza vaccine. Studies demonstrate the safety and immunogenicity of co-administration of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines.
On this page:Registered products | Vaccines for use in children | Vaccines for use in under 65s | Vaccines for use in over 65s | What is in the influenza vaccine? | Further information | Reporting of adverse events following influenza vaccine
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Fda Committee Recommends 20222023 Influenza Vaccine Strains
Lucy Hicks
The US Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee has chosen the influenza vaccine strains for the 20222023 season in the northern hemisphere, which beginnings in the fall of 2022.
On March 3, the committee unanimously voted to endorse the World Health Organization’s recommendations as to which influenza strains to include for coverage by vaccines for the upcoming flu season. Two of the four recommended strains are different from last season.
The committee also heard updates on flu activity this season. So far, data from the US Flu Vaccine Effectiveness network, which consists of seven study sites, have not shown that the vaccine is protective against influenza A. “We can say that it is not highly effective,” said Brendan Flannery, PhD, who leads the US Flu VE network for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , in an interview with Medscape Medical News. He was not involved with the advisory committee meeting. Flu activity this season has been low, he explained, so there are fewer cases his team can use to estimate vaccine efficacy. “If there’s some benefit, it’s hard for us to show that now,” he said.
Why Do We Need The Flu Vaccine Every Year
Flu vaccines have an excellent safety record. They are the best protection we have against an unpredictable virus which can cause severe illness and deaths each year among at-risk groups. It is important to have a flu vaccine every year because the flu virus is very variable and changes over time. Each year there are different strains around, and a new vaccine has to be prepared to deal with them. Vaccination from previous years is not likely to protect people against current strains of flu.
Each years flu vaccine is made to give the best protection against the strains of flu that are expected to circulate in the coming season. The trivalent vaccine protects against three of the flu virus strains which are most likely to be around. The quadrivalent vaccine protects against four flu virus strains. However, decisions about what to put in the flu vaccine have to be made six months before the flu season starts.
Every February in the Northern Hemisphere, the World Health Organization reviews the types of flu that have been circulating in all parts of the world and chooses the ones which will go into the vaccine for the following autumn. This allows time for the vaccine to be made but it also gives the flu virus time to change before vaccination starts in the autumn. This means that sometimes the flu vaccine may not be a good match for all the strains of flu that are circulating. Read more about the WHO recommendations for the 2022-23 season.
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Where Do I Get The Flu Vaccine
It’s offered at doctor offices, clinics, health departments, college health centers, pharmacies, and some schools, among other locations.
Many insurance plans pay for the annual vaccination, and older adults covered under Medicare Part B can get the vaccine free, with no copay or deductible.
To find a source for vaccines in your area, go to the Vaccine Finder .
What Is The Flu
Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory illness thats caused by the influenza virus. There are two main types of influenza virus: type A and type B. These main types are further subdivided into multiple subtypes and strains, including the well-known H1N1 strain. The effect each of these strains may have on you depends on your age and overall health.
If you have the flu, symptoms may include:
- Chills
- Headaches
- Fatigue
In more extreme cases, you may experience vomiting and diarrhea. Although symptoms tend to emerge suddenly, you may find yourself experiencing a milder version in the early stages of the virus. Its also important to note that you may be a carrier for the virus even if you arent experiencing any symptoms yourself.
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Flu Vaccines During The Covid
Did we need to get a flu vaccine earlier during the 2020-2021 flu season ?
There was no change in CDCs recommendation on timing of vaccination last flu season. Getting vaccinated in July or August is too early, especially for older people, because of the likelihood of reduced protection against flu later in the flu season. September and October are good times to get vaccinated. However, as long as flu viruses are circulating, vaccination should continue, even in January or later.
More information for vaccination timing for the 2020-2021 flu season
Were there changes in how and where flu vaccines were given in fall and winter or 2020-2021?
Prior to the 2020-2021 flu season, CDC worked with health care providers and state and local health departments to develop contingency plans on how to vaccinate people against flu without increasing their risk of exposure to respiratory disease, like the virus that causes COVID-19. This included releasing Interim Guidance for Immunization Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Preliminary coverage data from September 2020 suggest there were some changes in where people got vaccinated early in 2020-2021. For example, the proportion of people reporting getting a flu vaccination at a store was significantly higher than the equivalent proportion for the 201920 season , and the proportion reporting vaccination at a doctors office was significantly lower than 201920 .
This recommendation has since been .
Available Vaccines And Vaccination Campaigns
Because new strains of influenza appear frequently, the seasonal flu vaccine usually changes each year. Each season vaccine is generally designed to protect against three strains of influenza: two A strains, and one B strain. From start to finishthe selection of which three strains to target with the vaccine, to the production of the final productthe development process for the seasonal flu vaccine can take up to eight months.
Influenza surveillance centers around the world monitor the circulating influenza strains for trends year-round. Genetic data is collected and new mutations are identified. The World Health Organization is then responsible for selecting three strains most likely to genetically resemble strains circulating in the coming winter flu season. For the northern hemisphere winter, this decision is made in February prior. In some cases, one of the strains used in the previous years vaccine may be chosen again, if that strain continues to circulate. From this point, the development and production of the vaccine can begin.
Four to five months after the three vaccine strains have been selected , the three vaccine strains developed are separately tested for purity and potency. Only after individual testing is completed are the three strains combined into a single seasonal vaccine.
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How Effective Is The Nhs Flu Immunisation Programme
The flu vaccine works better in some years than others . Across all age groups including children, the flu vaccine prevented 15-52% of flu cases between 2015 – 2020 . Due to low levels of circulating influenza in the 2020-21 flu season, it has not been possible to determine vaccine effectiveness for this time period.
Protection from the flu virus varies for different age groups. In children aged 2-17, the flu vaccine prevented 66% of flu cases in 2016-17, 27% of flu cases in 2017-18, and 49% of flu cases in 2018-19. However, in the over 65 age group the inactivated flu vaccine worked less well than it did in other adults and children. In 2016-17, the data suggest that the inactivated flu vaccine did not work at all in people aged over 65, whilst in 2017-2018 it resulted in slightly better results in that age group. Due to the lower effectiveness of the inactivated flu vaccine in older people, a vaccine containing an adjuvant was introduced for the 2018-19 season. This is a substance that strengthens and lengthens the immune response to the vaccine and resulted in better prevention of flu in people aged 65 or over in flu seasons since 2018-19. The adjuvanted vaccine is still recommended for this age group in the 2022-23 season.
It is not understood why flu vaccines do not work so well in older adults. However, this reinforces the importance of vaccinating children and healthcare workers, both of whom can help to stop the spread of flu to older adults.
Seasonal Influenza Strains Announced
The recommended composition of quadrivalent influenza vaccine for Australia in 2022 introduces two new strains for the A -like and B Victoria lineage viruses when compared to the composition of the trivalent and quadrivalent vaccines for Australia in 2021.
In 2022 there will be Egg & Cell based Quadrivalent and Trivalent Influenza Vaccines available in Australia.
The Egg-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine components for the Australian 2022 influenza season will contain the following: 1
- An A/Victoria/2570/2019 pdm09-like virus
- A B/Austria/1359417/2021-like virus
- A B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus
The Cell-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine components for the Australian 2022 influenza season will contain the following: 1
- An A/Wisconsin/588/2019 pdm09-like virus
- A B/Austria/1359417/2021 virus
- A B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus
The trivalent influenza vaccine components for the Australian 2022 influenza season will contain the following: 1
- An A/Victoria/2570/2019 pdm09-like virus
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