What’s The Name Of The Flu Vaccine

How Is The Flu Vaccine Made

In February and September each year, The World Health Organization holds a conference with leading experts and influenza centres from around the world to make recommendations about the composition of the next seasons flu vaccine.

They look at all the current information about influenza, including the recent patterns of flu epidemics across the world, to decide which strains of flu are likely to be most common in the next flu season. Vaccines are created to protect against these strains, usually containing three or four strain vaccines.

For countries in the Southern Hemisphere, like Australia, the information from the September conference helps them plan for flu vaccines for the following winter. After the conference, the Australian Influenza Vaccine Committee meet with the Therapeutic Goods Administration to confirm which strains will be included in the Australian flu vaccines. The vaccine funded for the National Immunisation Program in Australia contains the two strains of Influenza A most commonly circulating and the two Influenza B strains.

These vaccines then need to be made. Its a long and time consuming process, with large amounts of each virus strain needing to be created to make enough vaccine doses.

The Best Flu Vaccine For People Over 65

As we get older, our immune systems have a harder time responding to illnesses and vaccines. To help provide better protection, there are a few recommended options for older adults this year:

• Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent also known as the high-dose flu shot

• Fluad Quadrivalent

• Flublok Quadrivalent

If one of these three vaccines isnt available, you should still get vaccinated with another flu vaccine thats FDA-approved for your age range. All flu vaccines are effective against the flu. Its better to be vaccinated than to try to wait for a particular flu vaccine to become available.

What Should I Do If I Have Had A Serious Reaction To Seasonal Flu Vaccine

Tell your doctor what happened, the date and time it happened, and when you got the flu shot.

Ask your doctor, nurse, or health department to file a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting Systemexternal icon form, or call VAERS at 1-800-822-7967. Reports are welcome from all concerned individuals: patients, parents, health care providers, pharmacists and vaccine manufacturers.

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What Are The Symptoms For A Cold

Like COVID, the symptoms of a cold are often coughing, sneezing, a runny or stuffy nose, a sore throat, tiredness and sometimes a fever. Symptoms usually appear one to three days after exposure to a cold-causing virus.

Unlike COVID, a cold is usually harmless and cold-sufferers generally recover in three to 10 days.

Why Do Some People Not Feel Well After Getting A Flu Shot

Flu vaccine side effects are generally mild and go away on their own within a few days. Some side effects that may occur from a flu shot include soreness, redness, and/or swelling where the shot was given, headache , fever, nausea, muscle aches, and fatigue. The flu shot, like other injections, can occasionally cause fainting.

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The Jet Injector Method

Some sites that offer flu vaccination will offer a jet injection option sold under the brand name AFLURIA Quadrivalent. A jet injector uses a high-pressure, narrow stream of fluid to penetrate the skin instead of a hypodermic needle.

The injector method has typically been used to administer vaccines quickly to a large number of people, such as military recruits.

I havent seen it in use recently, says Conley, but apparently its coming back and its available in some places.

Philbrick stresses that the standard flu shot is going to be the easiest one to find and the availability of the other types may vary from location to location.

I think the important thing to note is that, currently, the CDC does not give preference to any one vaccine over the other, she says. If you look for an option, you should be able to find it eventually, but the most important thing is to settle on an option and get the vaccine.

Can Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine Give Me Flu

Flu vaccines do not cause flu illness. The nasal spray flu vaccine contains weakened viruses, so that they will not cause flu illness. The weakened viruses are cold-adapted, which means they are designed to only multiply at the cooler temperatures found within the nose, and not the lungs or other areas where warmer temperatures exist.

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Are Any Of The Available Flu Vaccines Recommended Over The Others

For the 2021-2022 flu season, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends annual influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months and older with any licensed, influenza vaccine that is appropriate for the recipients age and health status, including inactivated influenza vaccine , recombinant influenza vaccine , or live attenuated nasal spray influenza vaccine with no preference expressed for any one vaccine over another.

There are many vaccine options to choose from, but the most important thing is for all people 6 months and older to get a flu vaccine every year. If you have questions about which vaccine is best for you, talk to your doctor or other health care professional.

How Is The Flu Vaccine Given

• Kids younger than 9 years old will get two doses of flu vaccine, spaced at least 1 month apart, if they’ve had fewer than two doses before July 2019. This includes kids who are getting the flu vaccine for the first time.
• Those younger than 9 who had at least two doses of flu vaccine will only need one dose.
• Kids older than 9 need only one dose of the vaccine.

Talk to your doctor about how many doses your child needs.

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How Safe Is The Flu Vaccine

The influenza vaccine is very safe. It cannot cause the flu. Side effects are usually mild and can include:

• mild soreness where the needle went into the arm for 1 to 2 days.
• a mild fever or aches for the first day or 2 after immunization.

Do not give your child ibuprofen or acetaminophen before or around the time of vaccination as it does not prevent the pain of injection and it could have an impact on how well the vaccine works. These medications can be used to treat fever, pain, or other bothersome side effects if they develop after vaccination.

Iv2 Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine

LAIV contains standardized quantities of FFU of live attenuated influenza virus reassortants. The virus strains in LAIV are cold-adapted and temperature sensitive, so they replicate in the nasal mucosa rather than the lower respiratory tract, and they are attenuated, so they do not produce ILI. There have been no reported or documented cases, and no theoretical or scientific basis to suggest transmission of vaccine virus would occur to the individual administering LAIV. As a live replicating whole virus formulation administered intranasally, it elicits mucosal immunity, which may more closely mimic natural infection.

Vaccine currently authorized for use:

• FluMist® Quadrivalent

Efficacy and effectiveness

After careful review of the available Canadian and international LAIV VE data over many influenza seasons, NACI concluded that the current evidence is consistent with LAIV providing comparable protection against influenza to that afforded by IIV and does not support a recommendation for the preferential use of LAIV in children 2-17 years of age.

Refer to the Statement on Seasonal Influenza Vaccine for 2018-2019 for detailed information supporting this recommendation.

Immunogenicity

LAIV4 has shown non-inferiority based on immunogenicity compared to LAIV3 in both children and adults. The immune response to the B strain found only in the quadrivalent formulation was better in children who received the quadrivalent vaccine Footnote 158, Footnote 159, Footnote 160.

Safety

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Why Is There A Need For Flu Vaccines Designed Specifically For People 65 Years And Older

People 65 years and older are at increased risk of developing serious complications from flu compared with young, healthy adults. This is partly because human immune defenses become weaker with increasing age. During most seasons, people 65 years and older account for the majority of flu hospitalizations and deaths. In the United States, between about 70 percent and 85 percent of seasonal flu-related deaths and between 50 percent and 70 percent of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations have occurred among people 65 years and older. The weakened immune system can also mean that older people dont respond as well to flu vaccination. Given the higher risk of severe flu illness and lower protective immune response after vaccination among older adults, substantial research and development have led to the production of new flu vaccines intended to provide better immunity in this age group.

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How Is This Vaccine Given

Some brands of this vaccine are made for use in adults and not in children. Your child’s vaccination provider can recommend the best influenza virus vaccine for your child.

This vaccine is given as an injection into a muscle.

Children 6 months to 8 years old may need a second flu shot 4 weeks after receiving the first vaccine.

The influenza virus vaccine is usually given in October or November. Follow your doctor’s instructions or the schedule recommended by your local health department.

Since the influenza virus vaccine is redeveloped each year for specific strains of influenza, you should receive a flu vaccine every year.

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What Is The Difference Between Fluzone High

Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent contains four times the antigen, the part of the vaccine that helps your body build up protection against flu viruses, than Fluzone Quadrivalent and other standard-dose inactivated flu vaccines. The higher dose of antigen in the vaccine is intended to give people 65 years and older a better immune response to vaccination, and therefore, better protection against flu. Both Fluzone High-Dose and Fluzone Quadrivalent are produced by the same manufacturer and are quadrivalent vaccines. There are a number of other flu vaccines produced by other manufacturers.

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.

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Your Fall Vaccination Guide: Protect Yourself Against The Flu Pneumonia And Shingles

The adjuvanted flu vaccine is sold under the names FLUAD and FLUAD Quadrivalent. Approved for use in the United States in 2015, the original form of FLUAD is a trivalent, but this flu season the FLUAD comes in a quadrivalent form as well. Because FLUAD Quadrivalent is new, supplies of the trivalent may be the only type of FLUAD available at certain locations.

Either the high dose vaccine or the adjuvanted vaccine are both considered pretty equivalent at this point , says Conway. Its important that people in that older age group advocate for themselves and insist that they get one of those vaccines.

For seniors worried that a stronger flu shot may be more painful, Dr. Winslow has some personal wisdom to share: I am 67 so I had the experience of getting the high dose vaccine myself just a couple of weeks ago, and Id like to reassure your readers that my arm was not particularly sore.

What Is The Nasal Flu Vaccine

This type of flu vaccine is given as a nose spray instead of injection. Healthy children over the age of 2 can get the nasal flu vaccine. If your child has a chronic condition or illness, you should speak to your doctor to find out if the nasal flu vaccine is appropriate. The vaccine is given in 1 or 2 doses. Each dose is one squirt into each nostril.

• If your child is under 9 years of age and has received any flu vaccine before, they will only need 1 dose.
• If your child is under 9 years of age and hasnt received a flu vaccine before, they will need 2 doses, given at least 4 weeks apart.

This type of flu vaccine is not covered by all provincial or territorial health plans, which means you may have to pay for it.

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Which Flu Vaccine Is The Most Effective

When flu vaccines are being produced, the strains included are standardized by the FDA. Each 2021-2022 vaccine includes:

• Two type B viruses

This means that no matter what vaccine you choose, youre being protected against the same strains. Flu vaccines are typically between 40% and 60% effective from year to year. But when it comes to picking the right flu vaccine for you, you have to take other factors into account.

Does Fluzone High

Studies published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases conducted during the 2017-2018external iconand 2018-2019external icon flu seasons among Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older found that Fluzone High-Dose and FLUAD provided greater protection against flu-related hospitalizations than standard-dose, egg based vaccines in both seasons.

There are many vaccine options to choose from, but the most important thing is for all people 6 months and older to get a flu vaccine every year. If you have questions about which vaccine is best for you, talk to your doctor or other health care professional.

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What Is The Flu

Flu is short for influenza, a contagious respiratory illness and infectious disease caused by a virus that infects the nose, throat and lungs. The symptoms can be very painful, uncomfortable and in severe cases, can even be fatal.

In most cases, the flu will go away on its own after rest and getting plenty of fluids. However, in some cases, complications can get more severe over time, especially for the elderly, young children and others with compromised immune systems.

How Long Does The Flu Last

Most of the normal flu symptoms steadily improve over 25 days, however, its not uncommon to feel tired, fatigued or run down for a week or more. If you have a high risk of complications or begin to experience more severe symptoms, its best to contact your doctor.

Fortunately for people whove had a flu shot, those flu symptoms can last a shorter amount of time, or not be as severe.

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When Should I Get My Flu Vaccine

Flu vaccine effectiveness can have a lot to do with when you get it. Its recommended to get your flu vaccine about 2 weeks before flu season begins in your area preferably by the end of October. However, if you get the flu vaccine too early July or August, for instance you may not be protected for the entire flu season.

While September or October are the ideal times to get your flu vaccine, its still recommended to get it later than that if you were unable to do so earlier. If youre unsure when flu season begins in your area, talk to your local pharmacist or healthcare provider.

If youve recently received or will be receiving a COVID-19 vaccine including booster doses you dont have to wait a certain time to get the flu vaccine. You can even get them on the same day, if thats more convenient. These two vaccines arent known to interfere with each other.

Ii5 Choice Of Seasonal Influenza Vaccine

The decision to include specific influenza vaccines as part of publicly funded provincial and territorial programs depends on several factors, such as cost-effectiveness evaluation and other programmatic and operational factors, such as implementation strategies. Not all products will be made available in all jurisdictions and availability of some products may be limited therefore, officials in individual provinces and territories should be consulted regarding the products available in individual jurisdictions.

With the availability of influenza vaccines that are designed to enhance immunogenicity in specific age groups or given through a different route of administration, the choice of product has become more complex.

Choice of influenza vaccine by age group

Recommendations for individual-level decision making

• NACI recommends that influenza vaccine should be offered annually to anyone 6 months of age and older who does not have contraindications to the vaccine. Table 2 provides age group-specific recommendations for the age-appropriate influenza vaccine types authorized for use in Canada.

Recommendations for public health program-level decision making

• NACI recommends that any of the age-appropriate influenza vaccine types available for use may be considered for people without contraindications to the vaccine. Table 2 provides age group-specific recommendations for the age-appropriate influenza vaccine types authorized in Canada.

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Common Flu Shot Side Effects

Repeat: The flu vaccine won’t give you the flu, but you can experience mild symptoms because of how the vaccine works.

“The flu vaccine is designed to stimulate your immune system to build antibodies to the virus. That stimulation can cause a low-grade fever, a decrease in appetite, loose stool, mild fatigue or myalgia and even a scant cough,” Teague says.

According to Teague, these symptoms usually resolve after a few days and are no cause for alarm. You may also experience some redness, swelling or soreness where the shot was injected, which is also normal.

The CDC says you can experience “flulike” symptoms after getting the vaccine, such as:

• Soreness, redness, and/or swelling at the injection site
• Headache
• Nausea
• Muscle aches

The symptoms listed above should resolve in a few days. Also, keep in mind not everyone has symptoms, but those are the most common. When it comes to other symptoms, or symptoms that last longer, it’s important to keep in mind that you can still catch a cold, or other virus, right after you get the flu shot.

So if you experience other symptoms that seem like the flu, it could be another illness and it doesn’t mean the shot made you sick. The flu shot also takes about two weeks to become effective at protecting you from the flu, so you could technically catch the flu within that two-week window.