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Flu Vaccination 101
August in Texas? Cruelly sweltering. Summer is at its peak……but wait a second. Have you noticed the familiar ‘back-to-school’ logos and the visibly busy moms around in your everyday grocery stores yet? Yes, school is starting soon, and believe it or not, the flu season will be here in no time.
When it comes to flu, the ‘best treatment is prevention’ rule cannot be any truer, and getting vaccinated is the single best way to protect against the flu. Everyone aged 6 months and over should get the flu vaccine.
What is flu?
Influenza or the flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe symptoms, and at times can lead to hospitalization/death. The elderly, kids, people with certain health conditions are at high risk for serious flu complications. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others.
How do flu vaccines work?
Flu vaccines (flu shot or nasal spray) cause antibodies to develop in the body. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are in the vaccine. It takes about 2 weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop and provide protection. Meanwhile, you are still at risk for getting the flu. That’s why it’s better to get vaccinated early in the fall, before the flu season really gets under way.
When is the right time to get vaccinated?
The flu season can begin as early as October and last as late as May, but usually peaks in January to February. While early immunization is most effective, it is not too late to get vaccinated in December, January, or beyond.
Who are the primary candidates for flu vaccines?
Anyone aged at least 6 months should get a flu vaccine. It’s especially important if you are:
- At high risk of developing serious complications like pneumonia once getting sick with flu. Conditions include;
- Illness such as asthma, diabetes, and chronic lung disease.
- Pregnancy
- Advanced age: 65 and older
- Family members, caregivers, or other close contacts of those described above
How long is the flu vaccination good for?
The flu vaccine will protect you for only one flu season. It is designed to protect from the strains of flu that are expected to circulate a particular season. This is why it is important to get vaccinated each year.
Are there different ways of getting vaccinated?
There are two types of vaccines, the flu shot and the nasal spray.
- The flu shot is:
- Made with inactivated (killed) flu virus
- Approved for use in healthy or chronically ill people
- Approved for use in people older than 6 months
- Available in 3 types:
- Regular; for people 6 months and older
- High-dose; for people 65 and older
- Intradermal (given with a small needle injected into the skin); for people 18 to 64
- The nasal spray is:
- Made with weakened live flu virus
- Given with a mist sprayed in your nose
- Approved for healthy people 2 to 49
- Not approved for pregnant women
Is the vaccine safe?
Seasonal flu vaccines have a very good safety track record. Although there are possible side-effects to vaccination, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration closely monitor the safety of seasonal flu vaccines.
- Possible mild side effects usually begin soon after vaccination and last 1-2 days.
Mild side effects of the flu shot include:
- Soreness, redness, and swelling at the injection site
- Fainting, mainly in adolescents
- Headaches, fever, nausea
Mild side effects of the nasal spray include:
- Runny nose
- Wheezing
- Headache, fever, nausea
- Muscle aches
- Possible serious side effects below usually begin within a few minutes to hours. Immediate medical attention is required if any of these occur after vaccination.
- Difficulty breathing
- Hoarseness
- Swelling around the eyes or lips
- Hives
- Paleness
- Weakness
- Racing heart
- Dizziness
- Behavior changes
- High fever
Who should not get the vaccine?
Talk to your health care provider about vaccination if you have:
- Allergy to chicken eggs
- A history of severe reaction to a flu vaccination
- A moderate-to-severe illness with fever (you should wait until getting better)
- A history of Guillain–Barré Syndrome (a severe paralytic illness, also called GBS)
Common myths about flu vaccination
- Vaccines are dangerous.
In recent years, there’s been a growing mistrust of vaccines, including the flu vaccine. Some believe that there could be a link between vaccines — specifically the ingredient thimerosal — and developmental disorders in children, like autism. However, there is no evidence that vaccines cause autism. If you’re still concerned, there are thimerosal-free flu vaccines available.
- I get the flu from the vaccine.
Experts agree that it’s impossible. Why? For one, injected flu vaccines only contain dead virus, and a dead virus is, well, dead: it can’t infect you. The nasal spray vaccine is made up of live virus, but in this case, the virus is specially engineered (weakened) to remove the parts that make people sick. The weakened virus only causes infection in the cooler temperatures found in the nose. They cannot infect the lungs or other areas in the body where warmer temperatures exist.
Hours of operations:
Mon-Fri 9am - 6pm l Saturday 10am - 2pm l Sunday Closed
Located @ 3224 Gus Thomasson Rd - Mesquite, TX 75150
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