The best way to keep from getting the flu is to get a yearly flu vaccine. You can get the flu vaccine at:
- Your doctor's office
- A local clinic
- Work (in many communities)
- Supermarkets
- Drugstores.
It is important to note that you must get the flu vaccine every year because the viruses on which the vaccine is based change every year.
How the Vaccine for the Flu Is Made
Scientists make a different flu vaccine every year because the strains of flu viruses change from year to year. Nine to ten months before the flu season begins, scientists will prepare a new flu vaccine made from inactivated (killed) flu viruses. Because the viruses are killed, they cannot cause infection. The flu vaccine preparation is based on the flu viruses that are in circulation at the time and on the viruses that are expected to circulate the following winter.
It is important to note that an unpredicted new strain of the flu virus may appear after the flu vaccine has been made and distributed to doctors' offices and clinics. This means that even if you do get the flu vaccine, you still may get infected. However, if this happens, the disease is usually milder because the flu vaccine will still give you some protection.
(Click Flu Virus for more information about flu viruses.)
Until recently, you could only get the flu vaccine as an injection (a "
flu shot"). However, in 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a nasal spray form of the flu vaccine called FluMist
®, which you can get from your healthcare provider. The FDA approved FluMist for use in healthy people who are 5 to 49 years of age.
You should not use FluMist if:
- You have certain lung conditions, including asthma, or heart conditions
- You have metabolic disorders, such as diabetes or kidney dysfunction
- You have an immunodeficiency disease or you are on immunosuppressive treatment
- You have had Guillain-Barré syndrome
- You are pregnant
- You have a history of allergy or hypersensitivity to any of the parts of FluMist or to eggs
- You are a child or teenager who regularly takes aspirin or products containing aspirin.
When Should I Get the Flu Vaccine?
Your immune system takes time to respond to the flu vaccine. Therefore, you should get vaccinated 6 to 8 weeks before flu season begins in November to prevent infection or to reduce the severity of the flu if you do get it. However, flu season usually lasts until March, so it is not too late to get the flu vaccine after the season has begun. The vaccine itself cannot cause the flu, but you could become exposed to the virus by someone else and get infected soon after you are vaccinated.
Side Effects of the Flu Vaccine
Approximately 5 percent to 10 percent of people who get the flu vaccine will have mild side effects for about a day after vaccination. The most common flu vaccine side effect in children and adults is soreness at the site of the vaccination. Other side effects from the flu vaccine, especially in children who previously have not been exposed to the
flu virus, include:
These side effects of the flu vaccine may begin 6 to 12 hours after vaccination and may last for up to 2 days.
Viruses for producing the flu vaccine are grown in chicken eggs and then killed with a chemical so that they can no longer cause an infection. As a result, the flu vaccine may contain some egg protein, which can cause an allergic reaction. If you are allergic to eggs or have ever had a serious allergic reaction to the flu vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you consult with your healthcare provider before getting vaccinated.
Who Should Get the Flu Vaccine?
People who are in any of the following groups or live in a household with someone who is, should get the flu vaccine:
- You are 50 years of age or older
- You have chronic diseases of your heart, lungs, or kidneys
- You have diabetes
- Your immune system does not function properly
- You have a severe form of anemia
- You will be more than 3 months pregnant during the flu season
- You live in a nursing home or other chronic-care housing facility
- You are in close contact with children 23 months of age or younger.
The CDC recommends that children 6 months to 23 months of age get the flu vaccine. Children and teenagers (2 to 18 years of age) should get the flu vaccine if they are taking long-term aspirin treatment, as they may be at risk of developing Reye's syndrome following a flu infection. Children should also get the flu vaccine if they live in a household with someone in the above-mentioned groups. Healthcare providers and volunteers should get the flu vaccine if they work with people in any of these groups.
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