As the Flu continues to wreak havoc this season, it is important that everyone over the age of 6m receive an influenza vaccine. In my office, I continue to encounter patients who are hesitant about receiving the vaccine primarily because they are misinformed. Let’s clarify some of the most common concerns.
When is flu season?
Flu season typically occurs from October through May, but peaks in January & February, so now is the time to get immunized, but it’s never too late if we are still in flu season.
Is the flu really that serious?
In healthy adults and children, influenza is a moderately severe illness, but in the sick, elderly or very young it can be life-threatening. Death rates from influenza vary from season to season and are hard to measure as most people who die from the influenza actually succumb to a complication of the flu like pneumonia. Death estimates in years past have ranged from 3000 to 45,000 in a given year. What is clear is that more deaths occur in years when Influenza A of the H3N2 strain are present and 90% of influenza related deaths occur in those over the age of 65y.
How can I tell if I have the flu?
Symptoms of the flu include high fever, muscle aches, dry cough, chills, sore throat and upper respiratory symptoms like runny nose and congestion. The flu can be diagnosed by a rapid laboratory test within the first 2-3 days of the illness.
What can I do if I get flu-like symptoms?
Anti-viral medications are available by prescription but must be started within a day or 2 of symptoms starting to help decrease the length and severity of the illness. The anti-viral therapy is most important for patients with confirmed influenza and at high risk of developing complications – pregnant women, children under 2yo, adults 65years or older and those with chronic conditions like asthma or COPD.
Why do I need to get a flu shot every year?
The best way to avoid this illness is to be immunized at the start of each flu season. Each season the prominent viruses change but are typically of the Influenza A and B family. Every year scientists attempt to predict what the prominent viruses will be that season and they develop the vaccine to contain those killed (or weakened) viruses. This year the trivalent influenza vaccine will protect against 2 strains of Influenza A and 1 strain of Influenza B. Even if scientists are not 100% accurate in predicting which vaccines will be major players the antibodies your body makes to the vaccine will likely offer some degree of protection as most of the viruses are related to one another. Studies have shown, that even at times when the vaccine is not a perfect match to the circulating viruses , receiving the flu vaccine reduces your likelihood of being hospitalized for a flu related complication by close to 75%. Vaccinating pregnant women drops the chances of their infants(up to 6mo) being hospitalized for influenza by 92%. The influenza vaccine is an important tool for protecting those with chronic diseases from flu related complications.
I go the flu shot but still go the flu?
I often hear patients tell me that they got the flu from their influenza vaccine. I tell them this is scientifically impossible as the injectable flu vaccine contains inactivated virus incapable of causing disease. The nasal spray vaccine contains a weakened virus that only can grow in the tissue of the nose where it is cool. A few possible scenarios could have occurred in these patients who felt sick:
- The patient became infected with a cold virus that caused a similar illness but was not influenza.
- The patient was exposed to influenza just before the immunization or in the first 2 weeks after the vaccination when he/she had not yet developed immunity and so developed the flu
- The patient was infected with a strain of influenza not found in or related to those in this years vaccine
- The patient had limited immunity from the vaccine and did indeed develop the flu despite being immunized. This is more likely to occur in those over 65yo
What are this risks and side effects of a flu vaccine?
The most common side effects of the vaccine are injection site tenderness and swelling. Occasionally you can experience some low grade fever in the 48 after the injection,. The nasal vaccine can cause nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, cough in addition to low grade fever and body aches. Severe reactions to the vaccine are rare. The vaccination is produced in contact with egg proteins but has been shown to be safe with egg allergic patients who have had symptoms limited to the skin like hives and rash. Anyone with life threatening reaction to eggs should see an allergist and can likely be immunized with a recombinant influenza vaccine that does not contain any egg protein. If you have had a prior history of an allergic reaction to the vaccine (hives, difficulty breathing or swallowing, drop in blood pressure, etc) or developed Guillan Barre syndrome (within 6wks after an influenza vaccine) you should not be immunized again.
Should I be worried about the thimerasol in the flu vaccine?
Some families have concerns about the use of thimerasol as a preservative in vaccines. Most flu vaccines contain small amounts of thimerasol and multiple studies have shown no link between thimerasol and an increased risk of autism.
The best way to protect yourself, your family and those you work or care for is to get the influenza vaccine every year. While it may not offer you 100% protection from the flu you can be sure it will likely keep you from suffering life-threatening consequences from the flu, if you do catch it.
