BY PAULA MANN RN
Getting an annual flu vaccine is the first and best way to protect yourself and your family from the flu. Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations. The more people who get vaccinated, the more people will be protected from flu, including older people, very young children, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions who are more vulnerable to serious flu complications(immunocompromised).
The effectiveness of the flu shot depends on the age and health status of the person getting the vaccine, and the similarity or “match” between the viruses or virus in the vaccine and those in circulation. The CDC recommends everyone 6 months of age and older get vaccinated. It takes about 2 weeks for protection to develop after vaccination.
I hear this every flu season: I am not taking the flu shot. I know it will give me the flu. WRONG!! You cannot get the flu from a flu shot. The risk of a flu shot causing serious harm or death is extremely small. However, a vaccine, like any medicine, may rarely cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions.
Pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections and ear infections are example of flu related complications. If you have a medical condition, such as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer, the flu can make it worse. Flu can cause fever, chills, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, cough, headache and even a runny nose. Few people may also have vomiting and diarrhea but this may happen in children more so than in adults.
There are many flu viruses and they are constantly changing. The composition of U.S. flu vaccines is reviewed annually and updated to match circulating flu viruses. Flu vaccines protect against the three or four viruses that research suggests will be most common. For 2019-2020, three-component vaccines are recommended to contain: • A/Brisbane/02/2018(H1N1)pdm09-like virus, • A/Kansas/14/2017(H3N2)-like virus and a B/Colorado/6/2017-like virus (B/Victoria lineage). Four component vaccines are recommended to include the same three viruses above, plus an additional B virus called B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus (B/Yamagata lineage).
Yes I got mine,
Paula Mann RN
