Flu season in the late summer, fall and early winter is upon us. Flu, more commonly known as influenza, is a contagious disease that affects the lungs and can lead to serious complications, illness (i.e. pneumonia) and sometimes death amongst the elderly in particular. The single most important preventative measure to combat the flu and flu season is to schedule an annual flu vaccination. Seniors, older adults and the elderly (age 65+) are at a higher risk (due to aging and chronic medical conditions) to contract the flu virus and to experience flu-related complications as compared to the general population.
A Flu Vaccine Is Safe
According the Center of Disease Control (CDC) in Washington, D.C., flu vaccines have been administered to hundreds of millions of people for more than 50 years and present a very good safety track record. the CDC works in conjunction with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other related agencies to ensure “the highest safety standards for flu vaccines”.
Common Side Effects Are Mild
The flu vaccine does not cause the flu illness. The vaccine can cause mild side effects that can be mistaken for the flu or flu-like symptoms. Individuals vaccinated with the flu shot may feel achy and might experience soreness in the arm where the shot was administered. A flu vaccine administered by a nasal spray may suffer a stuffy nose and/or sore throat. These side effects are not the flu illness or flu symptoms leading to the flu. These effects, if experienced at all, are usually mild in nature and last for a brief period of 1 to 2 days.
Flu Vaccines DO NOT Give You The Flu
You will not contract the flu virus from a flu vaccination. If you do get the flu or experience a flu-like illness it is because:
- You may have been exposed to a non-flu virus before you got vaccinated. The flu vaccine cannot protect you against non-flu viruses that can cause flu-like illness.
- You may have been exposed to the flu after you got vaccinated but before the vaccine took full effect (2 weeks).
- You may have been exposed to a certain type of flu virus that was very different from the flu viruses included in that year’s vaccine.
- Flu vaccine does not provide universal protection from person to person. Vaccine effectiveness or prevention can vary from season to season; person to person.
Flu Shots Are Not Painful – Needle or Spray
A flu shot incurs extremely minor if not momentary pain. If you do not like a shot, the nasal spray flu vaccine is a viable prevention option. There is also a intradermal shot that uses a considerably smaller needle than the regular flu shot needle. In all cases described here, a little temporary discomfort, if any, goes a long way to preventing the flu.
Types of Vaccinations
Regular flu vaccines are made to protect against 3 different flu viruses- called TRIVALENT vaccines. The trivalent flu vaccine protects against 2 influenza a viruses and an influenza B virus. It comes in several types: standard dose using virus grown in eggs; standard dose using virus grown in cell culture; standard dose that is egg-free; high-dose trivalent; standard dose intradermal. Please consult your physician or health care provider for which type is best suited for your age, preference, allergy and medical conditions.
Additionally, quadrivalent vaccines are made to protect against 4 different flu viruses: 2 influenza A viruses and 2 influenza B viruses and are normally available in 2 types: standard dose shot and standard dose as administered by nasal spray. Please consult your physician or health care provider for which type is best suited for your age, preference, allergy and medical conditions.
When To Get Vaccinated Against Seasonal Flu
The most ideal time to get vaccinated is BEFORE the flu begins to spread in your local community- i.e. the flu season. It takes usually 2 weeks for the flu vaccine to provide 100% protection. The sooner you can be vaccinated, the sooner you will be fully protected once flu season begins to circulate locally.
Yearly flu vaccination is recommended to all elderly adults. This should be administered by a health care provider or physician soon after the flu vaccine is available, ideally by October. Getting vaccinated even later can be protective as long as the viruses are in circulation. Seasonal flu outbreaks can occur as early as October, while peaking in January or later. To note again, it takes 2 weeks after the vaccination is administered for antibodies to develop in the body to protect against influenza virus infection.
Schedule A Flu Vaccination Every Year – Here’s Why
Flu viruses constantly change- even from year to year; season to season. Thus, flu vaccines may be updated from season to season to protect against the viruses that may be most common during that upcoming flu season. Finally, an individual’s immune protection after a vaccination diminishes over time, particular over a period of a year. maximum protection is realized with an annual flu vaccination. Please refer to Part 1 and Part 3 in our flu prevention blog series for additional information and helpful tips.
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