The main way to keep from getting
the flu is to get a yearly flu shot. You can get this 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 shot every year because it is different every year.
Scientists make a different flu shot 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 shot made from inactivated (killed) flu viruses. Because the viruses are inactive, they cannot cause infection. The preparation is based on the flu viruses that are in circulation at the time and 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 shot has been made and distributed to doctors' offices and clinics. This means that even if you get the shot, you still may get infected. However, if you do get infected, the disease is usually milder because the flu shot will still give you some protection.
Until recently, you could get
the flu shot only as an injection. However, in 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a nasal spray
flu vaccine called FluMist
®, which you can get from your healthcare provider. The FDA approved it 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
- Have metabolic disorders, such as diabetes or kidney dysfunction
- Have an immunodeficiency disease or are on immunosuppressive treatment
- Have had Guillain-Barré syndrome
- Are pregnant
- Have a history of allergy or hypersensitivity to any of the parts of FluMist or to eggs
- Are a child or teenager who regularly takes aspirin or products containing aspirin.
When Should I Get the Flu Shot?
Your immune system takes time to respond to the flu shot. Therefore, you should get vaccinated six to eight weeks before flu season begins in November to prevent getting infected 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 shot after the season has begun. The flu 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 Shot
Approximately 5 to 10 percent of people who get the flu shot will have mild side effects for about a day after vaccination. The most common side effect in children and adults is soreness at the site of the injection. Other side effects, especially in children who previously have not been exposed to the
flu virus, include:
These side effects may begin 6 to 12 hours after the flu shot, and may last for up to two days.
Viruses for producing the flu shot are grown in chicken eggs and then killed with a chemical so that they can no longer cause an infection. The shot may contain some egg protein, which can cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, if you are allergic to eggs or have ever had a serious allergic reaction to the flu shot, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you consult with your healthcare provider before getting one.
Who Should Get the Flu Shot?
People who are in any of the following groups, or who live in a household with someone who is, should get
the flu shot:
- 50 years of age or older
- Have chronic diseases of your heart, lungs, or kidneys
- Have diabetes
- Immune system does not function properly
- Have a severe form of anemia
- Will be more than three months pregnant during the flu season
- Live in a nursing home or other chronic-care housing facility
- 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 shot. Children and teenagers (2 to 18 years of age) should get the shot 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 shot if they live in a household with someone in the above-mentioned groups. Healthcare providers and volunteers should get the flu shot if they work with people in any of these groups.
