Why Is Getting Your Annual Flu Shot Important
The flu, or influenza, is a seasonal upper respiratory infection that normally starts effecting people in late November and peaks around mid-February. The flu can cause a number of different symptoms including fever, headache, chills, sneezing, coughing, upset stomach, sore throat, and body aches. To help reduce the number of flu infections, medical professionals normally recommend that you get an annual flu shot, or influenza vaccine, in the fall before the peak season in winter.
What Are The Side Effects Of Influenza Vaccine
Like all medicines, the flu vaccine can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them. Often side effects improve as your body gets used to the new medicine.
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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 . 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.
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Adverse Events After Adjuvanted Influenza Vaccine
Clinical trials show a higher rate of injection site reactions in adults aged 65 years after receiving the adjuvanted influenza vaccine, compared with standard influenza vaccines.
Around 30% of people who received Fluad reported injection site reactions, compared with around 20% of people who received standard influenza vaccine. Both groups reported similar rates of systemic reactions.76 Overall, a similar proportion of people vaccinated with Fluad Quad experience injection site and systemic reactions as those vaccinated with Fluad.77
Rates of severe or serious adverse events do not increase after receiving the adjuvanted vaccine. This has been shown in clinical trials and post-licensure surveillance studies.76-79
Adjuvanted influenza vaccine is only registered for use in people aged 65 years. This vaccine is not recommended in younger people. However, clinical trials in some younger populations and post-licensure safety data after an adjuvanted vaccine was inadvertently given to younger people suggest a similar safety profile to that seen in people aged 65 years.80-82
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.
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Why Do I Need A Flu Vaccine Every Year
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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.
The Passenger Has To Go Through The Covid Test Or Get Their Vaccine Test Before Entering The Passengers
Suppose passengers require to have a covid vaccine. In that case, there are an end number of vaccine boots available at different parts of the airport through which passengers can get their test done at the airport and get the negative report of the corona. The JFK covid vaccine for passengers is available, and they make sure the passenger gets the best of their services. They should carry a proper hand sanitizer along with them to get their temperature checked from time to time, as well as their vaccinations.
The covid stations or covid centers are available at different parts of the airport, providing you the forum to quickly get your test done from them.
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Whos At High Risk For Getting The Flu
According to Rockwell, those who are most at risk for severe disease from the flu include young kids, specifically children under age five, and adults over 65.
Children under 5 are more at risk for severe disease from influenza, and especially children under age 2, said Rockwell. Kids can start getting flu vaccines at six months, so anyone six months and older is advised to get an influenza vaccine this year, but especially young kids and older adults. Anyone 65 and older is at higher risk for influenza disease.
The list of people who need the vaccine is quite long, Rockwell explains. Everyone six months and older should get the flu shot, especially anyone with chronic health conditions such as asthma, liver, kidney or heart problems, diabetes, obesity, and anyone who has a history of a stroke or lives in a long-term care facility is particularly at risk. Pregnant persons are also at risk of severe illness due to influenza, and it is important for them to get a flu shot.
It’s very important for us all to get flu shots, Rockwell said, but especially those people who are at high risk for influenza severe disease and also important for us to continue safe and effective COVID-19 prevention with social distancing, washing our hands frequently, wearing face masks when in public indoor spaces and making sure we have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
When should you get the flu vaccine?
Moderna Prepared To Reformulate Vaccine For Omicron If Needed
The delta variant, for example, remains the most contagious version of the virus, he said, but the vaccines have still proven to offer protection against it.
ACenters for Disease Control and Prevention study, published in September, found that when the delta variant became dominant in the summer, unvaccinated people were 4½ times more likely to become infected, 10 times more likely to be hospitalized, and 11 times more likely to die of Covid, compared with vaccinated individuals.
In other words, the existing vaccines worked against the delta variant.
“So it wasnt necessary to manufacture and roll out a variant vaccine” specific to delta at that time, Moore said. “Thats a huge, I mean, huge investment, when you have to go and make new products and get it checked out by the FDA, even if its under a fast track procedure,” he said, referring to the Food and Drug Administration.
The beta variant, first identified in South Africa, was another strain also once thought to necessitate an updated version of the vaccine. Indeed, the existing vaccines were significantly less protective against infection with beta, but the variant never spread widely in North America, Europe and other parts of the world like delta did, he said. It might have been necessary to develop a shot for beta but the variant didn’t take off, he added.
“Whether or not they would need to roll a new vaccine out depends on a significant number of unknowns that will emerge in the next few weeks,” he said.
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Everyone 6 Months And Older Should Get The Flu Shot
The flu shot is your best defence against the flu. The flu shot is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older.
It can save lives by:
- protecting you, if you’re exposed to the virus
- preventing you from getting very sick
- protecting people close to you:
- because you’re less likely to spread the virus
- who are at higher risk of serious flu complications if they get the flu
The flu shot wont protect you against COVID-19.
Can I Get The Flu From The Flu Shot
The short answer is NO.
Some people may experience mild symptoms after the flu shot, including body aches or fever, but this is simply a response to your immune system working to produce antibodies against the virus. There is no actual live or infectious flu virus in the flu shot so it is not possible to get an infection from it.
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Does A Flu Vaccine Increase Your Risk Of Getting Covid
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There is no evidence that getting a flu vaccine increases your risk of getting sick from a coronavirus, like the one that causes COVID-19.
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You may have heard about a study published in January 2020 that reported an association between flu vaccination and risk of four commonly circulating seasonal coronaviruses, but not the one that causes COVID-19. This report was later found to be incorrect.
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The results from that initial study led researchers in Canada to look at their data to see if they could find similar results in their population. The results from Canadas study showed that flu vaccination did not increase risk for these seasonal coronaviruses. The Canadian findings highlighted the protective benefits of flu vaccination.
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The Canadian researchers also identified a flaw in the methods of the first study, noting that it violated the part of study design that compares vaccination rates among patients with and without flu . This flaw led to the incorrect association between flu vaccination and seasonal coronavirus risk. When these researchers reexamined data from the first study using correct methods, they found that flu vaccination did not increase risk for infection with other respiratory viruses, including seasonal coronaviruses.
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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What About If You Got The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
This week, the CDC recommended people get one of the mRNA vaccines — Moderna’s or Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine — instead of Johnson & Johnson’s. The recommendation came a few days after a preliminary study out of South Africa suggested the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine may produce “virtually no antibody protection,” against omicron, Bloomberg News reported.
CNET reached out to Johnson & Johnson for a comment but didn’t immediately get a response.
Flu Vaccine And Coronavirus
Flu vaccination is important because:
- more people are likely to get flu this winter as fewer people will have built up natural immunity to it during the COVID-19 pandemic
- if you get flu and COVID-19 at the same time, research shows you’re more likely to be seriously ill
- getting vaccinated against flu and COVID-19 will provide protection for you and those around you for both these serious illnesses
If you’ve had COVID-19, it’s safe to have the flu vaccine. It will still be effective at helping to prevent flu.
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Im A Healthy Adult Why Should I Have An Annual Flu Vaccination
The flu is a serious illness and can lead to serious complications, hospitalization and even death. Every flu season is different and the flu affects everyone differently as well. Many people think that only people with health problems need an annual flu vaccination. This is NOT true. Healthy people can also get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. The flu can leave you ill for up to seven days or more. The good news is that flu vaccination effectiveness is greatest among healthy adults and older children. Everyone six months of age and older should have an annual flu vaccination.
Get your flu vaccination early in the flu season so that you are already protected when the flu starts circulating in your community. It takes about two weeks for your body to become protected from the flu vaccination. Once you have been vaccinated, you will have the benefits of protection for as long as the flu is circulating. An annual vaccination is needed because protection from the vaccination will decline over the year. In addition, the circulating flu strain changes every year and every year the flu vaccine is formulated to match the current strain to help protect against the flu more effectively. So for the best protection, an annual vaccination is recommended.
Reduce your risk and get your flu shot.
To learn more about other Health services .
Who Can Get A Free Flu Vaccine
You can get a free flu vaccine if you are:
- aged 50 to 64 years
- living in a nursing home or other long-term care facility
- in regular contact with pigs, poultry or waterfowl
People aged 50 to 64 have been added to the free flu vaccine programme until the end of April 2022.
People with these conditions can also get a free flu vaccine:
- chronic heart disease, including acute coronary syndrome
- chronic liver disease
- chronic kidney failure
- chronic respiratory disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , cystic fibrosis, moderate or severe asthma, or bronchopulmonary dysplasia
- chronic neurological disease including multiple sclerosis, hereditary and degenerative disorders of the central nervous system
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Will There Be Flu Along With Covid
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While its not possible to say with certainty what will happen in the fall and winter, CDC believes its likely that flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 will both be spreading. In this context, getting a flu vaccine will be more important than ever. CDC recommends that all people 6 months and older get a yearly flu vaccine.
Think You’re ‘fully Vaccinated’ Omicron May Change The Cdc Definition
As omicron infects many people who’ve had two shots, the CDC, colleges, states and the NFL are all discussing what it means to be “fully vaccinated.”
The contagiousness of the omicron variant may change what “fully vaccinated” means.
If you’ve had just two shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, you may want to schedule booster, health officials say. “Just being vaccinated with two doses may not be enough,” Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on CNBC on Monday. The new variant is now the dominant strain in the US, with more than 73% of the cases last week coming from omicron. Walensky said those who are vaccinated and boosted are “20 less likely to die than our unvaccinated people.” Because a booster appears to be key to guarding against omicron, Walensky said, the CDC “is examining the definition” of what it means to be fully vaccinated, shifting the meaning from two shots to three.
As the omicron variant spreads quickly, other officials and organizations are discussing what it means to be “fully vaccinated.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul remarked at a press conference, “I believe that at some point we’ll be making a determination that fully boosted constitutes fully vaccinated.” Hochul took the idea further, according to CNY Central, sharing her intent to introduce legislation to change the definition of fully vaccinated to include boosters.
How Do Flu Vaccines Work
Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with circulating influenza viruses.
Seasonal flu vaccines are designed to protect against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. All flu vaccines in the United States are quadrivalent vaccines, which means they protect against four different flu viruses: an influenza A virus, an influenza A virus, and two influenza B viruses.
Who Should Get A Flu Vaccine This Season

Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every season with rare exceptions. Vaccination is particularly important for people who are at higher risk of serious complications from influenza. A full listing of people at Higher Risk of Developing Flu-Related Complications is available.
Flu vaccination has important benefits. It can reduce flu illnesses, doctors visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations and deaths.
Different flu vaccines are approved for use in different groups of people.
- There are flu shots approved for use in children as young as 6 months old and flu shots approved for use in adults 65 years and older.
- Flu shots also are recommended for pregnant people and people with certain chronic health conditions.
- The nasal spray flu vaccine is approved for use in non-pregnant people who are 2 years through 49 years of age. People who are pregnant and people with certain medical conditions should not receive the nasal spray flu vaccine.
There are many vaccine options to choose from. CDC does not recommend any one flu vaccine over another. 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 flu vaccine to get, talk to your doctor or other health care professional. More information is available at Who Should Get Vaccinated.