What Are The Side Effects Of Flu Vaccines
The flu vaccine is safe and cannot give you the flu. Most people have no problems after getting a flu vaccine.
When side effects occur, they are generally mild and go away on their own. The most common side effects are soreness, redness, or swelling at the site where you got the shot. Some people also get a headache, fever, nausea, or muscle aches. These side effects start shortly after getting the vaccine and can last up to two days. They typically do not get in the way of daily activities.
If you have allergies, talk with a health care provider about your options for flu vaccines. Even people with mild egg allergies can safely get most flu vaccines. Egg-free flu vaccines are also available. You should not get vaccinated if you have had a severe allergic reaction to the flu vaccine in the past.
Flu Isnt Just A Heavy Cold
Flu occurs every year, usually in the winter, which is why its sometimes called seasonal flu. Its a highly infectious disease with symptoms that come on very quickly.
Colds are much less serious and usually start gradually with a stuffy or runny nose and a sore throat. A bad bout of flu can be much worse than a heavy cold.
The most common symptoms of flu are fever, chills, headache, aches and pains in the joints and muscles, and extreme tiredness. Healthy individuals usually recover within 2 to 7 days but, for some, the disease can lead to hospitalisation, permanent disability or even death.
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.
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Why We Need New Flu Vaccines Every Year
There are several reasons a new flu vaccine must be made each year.
Flu viruses can change from year to year, so the vaccine is updated to protect against new virus strains that are expected to circulate in the U.S. The vaccine needs to include influenza virus strains that most closely match those in circulation for the influenza season. In addition, the protection provided by the flu vaccine a person received in the previous year will diminish over time and may be too low to prevent influenza disease into next years flu season.
What Type Of Flu Vaccine Should I Get
There are several types of flu vaccine available. The type of vaccine you can get depends on things like your age, health conditions, if you’re pregnant, and allergies. Your health care provider will know what type of vaccine you should get. The most important thing is to get vaccinated. Don’t wait for a specific type of flu vaccine to be available.
- Trivalent vaccine – This is the traditional flu shot that protects against three strains of flu: two A strains and one B strain.
- Quadrivalent vaccine – This vaccine protects against four strains of flu: two A strains and two B strains. This vaccine’s effectiveness will depend on whether two B strains of flu are circulating during the flu season.
- High-dose vaccine – This vaccine is approved for persons 65 and older and contains four times the amount of vaccine protein of the traditional vaccine. This vaccine produces a stronger immune response in people 65 and older.
- DNA technology and cell-based flu vaccines â These vaccines are not made using chicken eggs like traditional flu vaccines. These vaccines may not be as widely available as traditional flu vaccines.
- Flu vaccine with adjuvant â This vaccine is approved for persons 65 and older. It is a trivalent vaccine that contains an adjuvant, which is a substance added to the vaccine to help create a stronger immune response.
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Myth #: Flu Shots Dont Work
Fact: The flu vaccine can significantly reduce your risk of catching the flu.
In previous years, when the vaccine matched circulating strains, the CDC reports that getting vaccinated reduced the chance of catching the flu by up to 60%.
Flu vaccination also significantly reduces the risk of flu-related hospitalization for the elderly, working age adults, and especially among children. A 2014 study showed that the flu vaccine reduced childrens risks of flu-related pediatric intensive care unit admissions by 74%. And the vaccine could even be a life-saver a 2017 study showed that flu vaccinations reduce a childs risks of dying from the flu.
Flu shots are important for pregnant women, too. Since pregnancy affects your immune system, it can make you more susceptible to the flu. Getting a flu shot while youre pregnant is safe for both mom and baby. Plus, it can help protect the baby after theyre born until they can have their first flu shot.
When more people choose to vaccinate, doctors and CDC researchers are better equipped to pinpoint flu strains, keep rates of hospitalization down, and keep you and your family protected. Also, the science of vaccinations improves every year, and so do your odds of staying healthy with a flu shot.
How To Get Vaccinated Against Influenza
Influenza vaccines are given as an injection, usually in the upper arm. It is important to get the right vaccine for your age. Your immunisation provider can tell you which vaccine they will use for you or your child’s influenza immunisation.
Influenza vaccines available under the NIP for the 2022 season include:
- VaxiGrip Tetra
The Therapeutic Goods Administration website provides product information and consumer medicine information for each vaccine available.
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How Effective Are Vaccines
Vaccine effectiveness varies depending on the outcome being measured, the age group affected , and the match between vaccine and circulating influenza strains.
Estimates of flu vaccine effectiveness is 40-60% in the United States and 30-60% in Australia. This means 30-60% of those vaccinated are less likely to become seriously ill or die from influenza.
Myth #: You Dont Need To Get A Flu Shot Every Year
Fact: There are a lot of influenza viruses out there. And every year, the CDC and the World Health Organization perform rigorous testing to determine which strains of influenza pose the highest threats globally.
So, one of the most important things you should know about the flu vaccine is that it too changes every year, based on this research. Plus, the flu shot is effective for about six months, which is the length of flu season. This means that even if you had your shot last year, youll need on this year as well.
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Why Is The Flu More Dangerous For Older Adults
The flu is more dangerous for older adults for a few reasons. One reason is that the immune system which helps your body fight infections weakens as you age. For example, because your body is busy fighting off the flu, you might pick up a secondary infection such as pneumonia. A second reason is that older adults are also more likely to have other health conditions, like diabetes, that increase their risk for complications from the flu.
The good news is the flu vaccine reduces your risk of getting the flu and of getting seriously ill if you do get sick with the flu. Flu vaccination is especially helpful for people with chronic health conditions. For example, it has been linked to lower rates of heart problems among people with heart disease and fewer hospitalizations among people who have chronic lung disease or diabetes. Learn more about the benefits of flu vaccination.
I Still Got The Flu After The Flu Vaccine Why Should I Get The Flu Vaccine This Year
Although the flu vaccine wont prevent every case of the flu, getting an annual vaccination is the best way to reduce your risk of serious illness. Getting the flu vaccine may make illness milder. A 2017 study in Clinical Infectious Diseases showed that influenza vaccination reduced deaths, intensive care unit admissions, ICU length of stay, and overall duration of hospitalization among hospitalized influenza patients.
A flu shot cannot cause flu illness. If you get flu-like symptoms after receiving the flu vaccine, there may be a few reasons why you have a low grade fever, and headache, including that they may be mild side-effects of the vaccine. If you get diagnosed with the flu shortly after receiving the flu vaccine, you may have been exposed to the flu virus beforehand, as it takes approximately two weeks for the vaccine to work.
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Can I Have Flu And Covid
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Yes. It is possible to have flu, as well as other respiratory illnesses, and COVID-19 at the same time. Health experts are still studying how common this can be.
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Some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, making it hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. Diagnostic testing can help determine if you are sick with flu or COVID-19.
The Flu Shot Is Effective
The effectiveness of the vaccine varies from season to season. It depends on:
- how well the vaccine matches with the circulating flu viruses
- the health and age of the person getting the flu shot
The viruses circulating in the population can sometimes change during the time it takes to produce a vaccine. When this happens during the flu season, the flu shot may not work as well as expected.
It’s also important to remember that the flu shot protects against several different flu viruses each season. The seasonal flu shot can still provide protection against the remaining 2 or 3 viruses, even when theres:
- a less-than-ideal match
- lower effectiveness against one virus
If you do get the flu, the flu shot may reduce the severity of flu-related complications.
Getting your flu shot is still the most effective way to protect yourself against the flu and flu-related complications.
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Myth #: You Can Get The Flu From The Flu Shot
Fact: The flu shot does not contain an active virus. So, the answer to questions like Can you get the flu from the flu shot? Can the flu shot make you sick? or Is the flu vaccine a live virus? is a definite no.
But for some, the flu shot does come with mild side effects that can easily be mistaken for early flu-like symptoms. The most common flu shot side effects include mild soreness, tenderness or a bit of swelling at the injection site. You may also run a small fever, or experience slight headaches or muscle aches.
On the other hand, many experience no flu shot reactions at all! Plus, a day or two of mild discomfort simply doesnt compare to what you can experience with a full bout of the flu. Flu symptom onset is fast and often involves fever, chills, extreme fatigue, muscle aches and more for several days.
Yes But Heres What To Know About Timing All Your Vaccines This Fall
by Michelle Crouch, AARP, September 10, 2021
En español | September and October are big months for flu shots, but this year, it’s also when COVID-19 booster shots could start rolling out. So you may be wondering: Is it OK to get your flu shot and COVID-19 booster at the same time?
Absolutely, health experts say. In fact, many doctors plan to encourage Americans to get both at once.
“It’s two for the price of one, says Ranit Mishori, M.D., a professor of family medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Get one in each arm. It’s an efficient and effective way to make sure you’re protected.” Mishori notes that the same goes for those who are immunocompromised and might want to time their third dose to their flu shot.
It’s important for older adults to get both shots this year because COVID-19 cases are surging, fueled by the spread of the more contagious delta variant, just as the flu season is set to begin. Both diseases are especially dangerous for those over 65.
Although the flu season was nonexistent last year, experts expect a comeback this year with K-12 students back in school, more people traveling and fewer COVID-19 restrictions in place.
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Do I Need A Flu Shot If Im Vaccinated Against Covid
Some people think getting a flu or coronavirus vaccine reduces risks for both viruses, but thats not the case, since these are different viruses, Wen said. Therefore, getting a flu vaccine is the best protection against flu and its potentially serious complications, and getting a COVID-19 vaccine is the best protection against COVID-19, the CDC said.
This years flu vaccines are designed to protect against the four different flu viruses that research has indicated will be most commonly circulating, according to the CDC. Since there are many flu viruses that constantly change, the makeup of US flu vaccines is reviewed yearly and updated as needed.
People ages 6 months and older should get a licensed, age-appropriate flu vaccine or nasal spray flu vaccine before the end of October, according to the CDC. Unless your doctor advises otherwise, you shouldnt delay vaccination for a specific vaccine product if another age-appropriate vaccine is available.
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.
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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.
When Is The Best Time To Get Your Flu Shot
Elizabeth Yuko
Getting your flu shot in this month gives you your best chance of avoiding the flu
The signs in the pharmacy reminding you to get your flu shot start cropping up in late summer, but is that really the best time for a flu shot? If you get a flu shot in August, will it last until springtime? In past years, Ive been given conflicting information from pharmacists, doctors and other medical professionals, so before getting my vaccine this year, I wanted to check in with a few doctors to get their take.
To start with, the optimal time to get your flu shot depends on who you are and where you will be during flu season, Dr. Laurie Mortara, an infectious disease specialist at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, California, tells me.
Of the three doctors I spoke with, Mortara and Dr. Thomas Vovan, a specialist in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California, agree that flu season typically lasts from October through May. Dr. Marjan Karimabadi of MemorialCare Medical Group in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, put it starting on Sept. 1 and lasting through April 30, but notes that the actual flu season is not clearly defined and changes from year to year. Vovan says the flu season usually peaks in February.
Although there is not much direct data available on how long the vaccine protection lasts in body, it is sufficient to carry the immunity through the flu season, Karimabadi adds.
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Those Who Should Consider Having A Flu Vaccination
All those who have any condition listed above, or who are:
- aged 65 years or over
- living in a residential or nursing home
- the main carer of an older or disabled person
- a frontline health or social care worker
- children of a certain age
Those aged 50 to 64 years old will also be offered flu vaccination this year.
Taking Care Of Yourself: Who Is At High Risk For Severe Disease And Complications
The following are health and age factors that increase a persons risk of getting serious complications from the flu, including death:
- Asthma
- Metabolic disorders
- Morbid obesity
- People younger than 19 years of age on long-term aspirin therapy
- Weakened immune system due to disease or medication
Other people at high risk from the flu:
- Adults 65 years and older
- Children younger than five years old, but especially children younger than two years old
- Pregnant women and women up to two weeks after the end of pregnancy
- American Indians and Alaska Natives
What happens if I get the flu while pregnant?
Changes to your immune system during pregnancy can make you more sensitive to the flu. This can result in serious problems for your unborn baby, including premature labor and delivery. Additionally, fever in early pregnancy can lead to birth defects.
If you get flu-like symptoms, contact your health care provider immediately. If necessary, your health care provider will prescribe an antiviral medicine to treat you.
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