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Jun 06, 2006
Flu shot or not?
by SirGan
 Flu vaccination is made to fight influenza infection and it is considered safe for anyone 6 months of age and older who wants to protect themselves and those around them from flu and its complications. How often they are been administrated? Flu shots are usually given once a year from October to mid-November. Children under the age of 9 years who have never had a flu shot will need two doses of the vaccine, given at least 4 weeks apart. People should understand that this doesn't mean that all children should get flu shots, but if child is in one of the high risk groups or if he or she has contact with someone in a high risk group, then every parent should consider getting a flu shot for kid each year. It is truth that many people really understand the importance of a yearly flu shot for people over the age of 65. But, problem is that many parents overlook the need for a flu shot for their children.What is influenza?The flu or influenza is a specific viral infection caused by influenza virus! It is very contagious because it can be spread from person to person in secretions of the nose and lungs, for example when sneezing. Main thing that we should know about this condition is that Flu represents a respiratory infection, or infection that develops primarily in the lungs. There is one mistake that most of the people do: they call every respiratory infection- a flu, although they could be caused by other viruses. This is incorrect.
Symptoms of influenzaAlthough most of the people mix these two things- the flu is different from a cold, mainly because the symptoms and complications are more severe. Influenza usually comes on suddenly and may include these symptoms:
Although other viruses may cause these symptoms, they do so less commonly. The fact is that symptoms are usually mild to moderate in most people, but can be more severe in the elderly or very young children, causing thousands of deaths each year.
Types of flu virusesScientists have classified influenza viruses into next types:
Incidence of the conditionEveryone should know that the flu is a common illness. Every year in the United States, on average: 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and; about 36,000 people die from flu.
Flu vaccineThe main way to keep from getting flu is to get a yearly flu vaccine. It can be given almost everywhere: at doctor's office, local clinic, and in many communities at workplaces, supermarkets, and drugstores. Problem is that person should get the vaccine every year because the virus is changing!
Why to have a vaccine?Many people are not sure why should they have this shot because they consider a flu for some mild and not so serious infection! They don’t know that, beside the fact that this infection really stresses the body; the biggest danger is from superinfections, which are very common! What exactly is superinfection? They are bacterial infections that occur on top of some respiratory infection. They could be very serious type of infection, and the simultaneous viral and bacterial infection can overwhelm the lungs and the body. It can even cause death.
Preparation of the vaccineScientists make a different vaccine every year because the strains of flu viruses change from year to year. Because each year the influenza virus changes- each year also different strains become dominant. That’s why, due to the very high mutability of the virus, a particular vaccine formulation usually only works for about a year, not longer. So, about 9 to 10 months before the flu season begins, experts are preparing a new vaccine made from inactivated (killed) flu viruses. Because the viruses have been killed, they cannot cause infection. The vaccine preparation is based on the strains of the flu viruses that are in circulation at the time. This should be 100% effective if all other things would be perfect, but- that’s rarely a thing! Sometimes, an unpredicted new strain may appear after the vaccine has been made and distributed and that’s why, even if someone gets the flu vaccine, it still may get infected.
Mechanism of workWhat's most important there is to know about vaccine mechanism of work? Well, the flu shot contains killed flu viruses that will not cause the infection, but will cause body to fight off infection by the live flu virus. This is because getting a shot of the killed virus causes body to become protected against that particular type of live flu virus. The proven fact is that the flu vaccine reduces the average person's chances of catching the flu by up to 80% during the season. Although there is still a possibility that person could get flu even after vaccination, good thing is that in this case symptoms will usually be fewer and milder.
Who should get the flu shot?High-risk adults who should get the flu vaccine include:
Contraindications for vaccinationThere are several conditions that are contraindicated for flu vaccination. That’s why, among people who shouldn’t get flu vaccine, most common are:
Possible flu vaccine side effectsIt is important to point out that most people do not experience any side effects from the flu shot. First, there are some side effects that could be seen at the site of the shot. Most common are soreness or swelling or mild side effects, such as headache or low-grade fever.
The fact is that side effects of the flu shot are most likely to occur in children who have not been exposed to the flu before. Another possible complication is a slight fever or aching for the first day or two after immunization, especially after the first dose of vaccine. More serious side effects can rarely include a life-threatening allergic reaction. It is important to know that, because the nasal spray flu vaccine is made from live viruses, it may cause mild flu-like symptoms, including runny nose, headache, vomiting, muscle aches, and fever.
There are harmful chemicals in the vaccine that some children might be sensitive to. The following is a partial list:
“The famous myth”The most famous myth about the flu shot is that it can actually cause the flu. Because the influenza vaccine is made from killed influenza viruses, it means that it's IMPOSSIBLE to catch the flu by getting this vaccine.
Vaccination, pros and cons
The fact is that most healthcare professionals believe that vaccinations are very effective. This is not only based on simple beliefs but on facts because it is proven that vaccinations are responsible for the vast decline in many of our infectious and childhood illnesses. Vaccines are relatively harmless and pose very little risk.
Healthcare professionals against vaccinations have presented various arguments against vaccinations. They include the following:
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