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Influenza Vaccination: Beneficial to Everyone, Every Year


Influenza Vaccination: Beneficial to Everyone, Every Year

Fever? Headache? Body aches and pains? Constant need for a nap? Respiratory discomfort? 

 Then you probably have the flu! The flu can be no joke, with symptoms lasting for two to three weeks. Most people, typically people with good overall health, can let the flu run its course. However, very young children and the elderly may benefit from antiviral medications, since their immune systems can be weaker than healthy teens and adults. To treat and prevent influenza A and B (different, common strains) there are 3 typical medications given, Relenza, Rapivab and Tamiflu. The flu also makes people susceptible to other infections, so there is a high possibility that secondary infections can occur and will need to be treated.

BUT! Everyone over the age of 6 months old benefits from an annual flu vaccine! It is typically a shot in your arm, which contain and inactive virus. Sometimes it is available as a nasal spray though, which contain a live virus. The vaccines are made to target three or four types of the flu virus, since the flu comes in many different strains. There are groups of individuals that most benefit from getting the flu vaccine annually:
  • ·         Children, ages 6 months to 5 years old
  • ·         Pregnant women
  • ·         Adults 65 and older
  • ·         People with underlying health conditions that weaken the immune system
  • ·         Residents of nursing homes or other care facilities
  • ·         Those who work in the medical field
  • ·         Teachers, especially of young children

The best time to get the flu vaccine is as soon as it becomes available, typically October. This is so you are getting the vaccine before the flu season starts, so your immune system has time to recognize the virus and make a defense against it, typically at its peak 2-4 weeks after the initial dose of the vaccine. Twice a year the vaccine manufacturers have production campaigns to match the vaccine composition with influenza data of those affected to develop an updated vaccine to best prevent the flu.

The most common adverse effects of inactive vaccines, the shot, are soreness and redness at the injection site. The possibility of getting symptoms such as fever or a general sickness is rarely reported. Even though it is commonly believed that the vaccine gives you flu symptoms, this however is not true because the virus is inactive, it is not going to give you the flu, but will activate an immune response. The immune response is what you want though, you want your immune system to recognize the virus and start producing antibodies so that if you do come in contact with the flu your body already has a defense set up.

The flu vaccine can reduce the incidence and severity of symptoms, which is the most beneficial to young children, the elderly and the immunocompromised. While it is generally hard for the manufacturers to pinpoint exactly what the strain, it is still strongly encouraged by healthcare providers to get the vaccine so your symptoms do not get so severe that you end up in the hospital or dying from the flu. In nursing homes, generally a population of 65 and older, those who do not get vaccinated are at a higher risk of being hospitalized from the severity of their symptoms. Those residents who are unvaccinated are at a higher risk of getting pneumonia, and even dying.

With the flu vaccine being covered by most insurances, generally a low cost to patients, and often times free, there is no reason to say no to a vaccine that could potentially save your life and the lives of the people around you. It is beneficial to everyone, even if you think you are healthy those around you may not be and by getting the vaccine you can stop the spread to those around you who are more susceptible to getting severe symptoms.

Citations:

Fiore A.E., Bridges C.B., Cox N.J. (2009) Seasonal Influenza Vaccines. In: Compans R., Orenstein W. (eds) Vaccines for Pandemic Influenza. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, vol 333. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

Gerdil, Catherine. “The Annual Production Cycle for Influenza Vaccine.” Vaccine, vol. 21, no. 16, 2003, pp. 1776–1779.

Patriarca PA, Weber JA, Parker RA, et al. Efficacy of Influenza Vaccine in Nursing HomesReduction in Illness and Complications During an Influenza A (H3N2) Epidemic. JAMA. 1985;253(8):1136–1139. doi:10.1001/jama.1985.03350320060017

Vu, Trang, et al. “A Meta-Analysis of Effectiveness of Influenza Vaccine in Persons Aged 65 and over Living in the Community .” Vaccine, vol. 20, no. 13-14, 2002, pp. 1831–1836.

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