It's Flu Shot Time, Are You Going To Get One?

Most of us are familiar with the flu — officially called influenza — as an irritating contagious disease that causes fever, cough, a sore throat, and a runny or stuffed nose. Muscle aches and pains, headaches, and fatigue are also common flu symptoms. Some people will experience nausea and vomiting as well, while others will have diarrhea. 

Though many people confuse common colds and real influenza, there is no doubt that the flu is much more invasive than a common cold. Colds and the flu are both viral infections, but most people who come down with a cold feel well enough to work, with symptoms that are limited to their nose and throat. 

The flu is a real pain. It will disrupt your normal routine and force you to stay in bed or at least at home for around five days to a week. For most people, the problem ends there and the flu is not a serious disease. 

Flu Complications

The flu isn't always benign. Some people develop serious complications as a result of the flu. Pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinus and ear infections are some of the possible complications of influenza. People with asthma may experience severe asthma attacks, and those with congestive heart failure can develop worse symptoms when they catch the flu. 

Anyone can come down with influenza and anyone who develops a flu can suffer from consequences, but there are certain risk factors that make complications much more likely. Young children, people aged over 65, people with compromised immune systems, pregnant women, and people with chronic medical conditions including asthma, diabetes, and heart disease are at risk. 

Make no mistake — people die from seasonal flu every year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not have exact numbers of seasonal-flu deaths in the United States, but they do make estimations. The CDC says that, "from the 1976-1977 season to the 2006-2007 flu season, flu-associated deaths ranged from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people". These estimates obviously only cover the United States. 

The fall is starting, and the United States flu season is considered to last from October to May, usually peaking in February. You have every chance of coming down with a flu this season, and the consequences can range from a week of illness and the loss of income that may come with that, to a life-threatening complication. You may also infect more vulnerable people, who may in turn develop complications. 

What are you going to do? Are you going to see if you develop a flu this year, or are you going to opt to receive a flu shot instead?

Flu Vaccine Pros And Cons

The flu shot is an inactivated vaccine, meaning that it contained the killed virus. It is administered through a needle, usually into the arm. The seasonal flu shot contains the three influenza viruses that are most common. These are grown on an egg-culture in a lab, and are therefore not suitable for people who have an egg allergy.

Four different flu shots are available. The "regular" flu vaccine has been available for decades already and is safe for almost everyone — babies older than six months, pregnant women, healthy people and those with chronic medical conditions may all receive this shot. 

The high-dose flu vaccine is available for people over 65, who are most vulnerable to flu, while the intradermal flu shot is a vaccine injected into the lower layers of the skin. This is suitable for people aged between 18 and 64. The other flu vaccines are intramuscular, which means they are injected into muscles. The final option is a flu vaccine that is egg-free, for people who are allergic to eggs. This is approved for people between 18 and 49 as well.

The nasal spray flu vaccine is another, increasingly popular option. You can obtain this vaccine from most pharmacies, so you don't even need to visit a doctor. The nasal spray flu vaccine is approved for healthy people between the ages of two and 49 only, and is not suitable for pregnant women. 

Getting a flu vaccine does not give an absolute guarantee that you will not catch the flu. Some people still get the flu, and everyone should keep in mind that a flu shot does not protect against strains that it does not contain. A vaccine will, however, cut your risk of coming down with influenza by at least 70 percent according to the CDC.

The Advantages Of A Flu Shot

Let's start with the obvious: your risk of getting the flu goes down dramatically if you are vaccinated. This may protect you from a week or so of misery, but it also protects you from the possible complications of the flu. Now is the time to get your flu shot, so that you are protected before the flu season hits. 

Let's say that you are healthy and think getting the flu wouldn't be a big deal. The chances are that you have young children, elderly parents, or contact with people who are at risk of influenza complications. You don't just protect yourself from the flu and its complications when you get vaccinated, you also minimize the chance of passing flu onto people who are less healthy. You wouldn't want your grandma to end up with pneumonia because you didn't remember the flu shot, right?

Now, For The Cons

Like every other vaccine, the flu vaccine can cause side effects in rare cases. Serious reactions are extremely rare and usually caused by an allergy to one of the vaccine's ingredients. That is why you need to tell your doctor about egg allergies or allergies to other vaccine ingredients, if you know about them. If you have had a reaction to a vaccine in the past, and you are not sure why that happened, you should discuss the pros and cons of the flu shot in your individual case with your family doctor. 

Milder reactions are more common — some people experience soreness and redness at the injection site, while others are itchy at that location for a few days. In some cases, a recently vaccinated person may be have a fever for a few days, or experience aches. It is important to note that the flu shot does not have the ability to cause flu, because it does not contain live viruses. 

Another thing you should know is that flu vaccines do not offer long-term protection. People need to get vaccinated every year before the flu season starts for the vaccine to be effective. In addition, kids between six months and eight years who are getting their first flu shot will need two doses for the flu shot to be at its most effective. Talk to your pediatrician about this.