While debate has raged for years about the efficacy of flu vaccines, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise strongly that your best line of defense against this potentially deadly virus is to get an annual seasonal flu vaccine.
Here are some dos and don’ts to consider before you get your flu vaccine this year:
DO Get Yourself Vaccinated Every Year.
The flu virus is not one virus at all -- it’s actually a term that refers to hundreds of types of viruses that fall into three strains of influenza -- A, B and C. And these viruses mutate very quickly. As such, every year, flu vaccines are designed to protect against the three (trivalent flu vaccines) or four (quadrivalent flu vaccines) strains of the virus that are expected to circulate most commonly each year.
Even if this year’s vaccine will protect against one of the strains you were vaccinated against last year, there is a chance that the virus may have mutated, and the antibodies your body produced after last year’s shot won’t be able to protect you from developing the illness. Not to mention, our antibody levels begin to drop over time, making an annual vaccine an important step to protecting ourselves against the flu.
DON’T Wait Until Flu Season Has Started.
Because the flu vaccine is produced by private manufacturers, when each year’s vaccine will be available may vary, but typically, they begin around July or August. Once you receive your shot or spray, it can take up to two weeks for your body to develop the antibodies necessary to develop immunity against the flu, so waiting until after flu season has started increases the likelihood that you will have been exposed to the virus in the days before or after getting vaccinated, rendering your shot useless.
DO Assess Your Risks for Complications.
The CDC recommends annual seasonal flu vaccines for everyone 6 months of age and older, but this vaccine is especially important for those people who are at a higher risk of developing complications from the flu, which can be potentially fatal. Among those people for whom the flu vaccine is especially important:
● Pregnant women
● Seniors (people aged 65 and older)
● Young children (children between age 6 months and 8 years may need two doses of the flu vaccine to be fully protected -- often administered about a month apart, so be sure not to miss your follow-up appointment!)
● People who suffer from asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
● People who have cancer or are undergoing cancer treatment
● People with cystic fibrosis
● People with HIV/AIDS or a compromised immune system
● People with kidney or liver disease
● People who are obese
● Members of a household where there is someone with a chronic health condition, compromised immune system or a young infant who is too young to be vaccinated
DON’T assume that because you’re otherwise healthy, the flu won’t strike you hard.
While complications are more common in people who fall into the high-risk categories outlined above, that doesn’t mean that they can’t strike someone who is otherwise healthy and “should have” been able to fight off a case of the flu at home, in bed, watching daytime television.
Beyond the obvious, there may be an underlying condition that you are not aware of until it’s too late, and the same strain of influenza can have very different levels of severity from case to case. Complications from flu occur in about 25 percent of patients. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” as the old saying goes.
DO Your Research And Discuss Your Vaccine Options With Your Doctor
The flu vaccine comes in two forms - an injection and a nasal spray. The injected vaccine is the most common form of the vaccine but may be trivalent (protecting against the three most common strains of flu expected to circulate) or quadrivalent (protecting against four common strains expected to circulate). There is also an intradermal vaccine that has been approved for people who are 18 to 64 years of age.
The nasal spray vaccine consists of a small dose of live but weakened flu viruses that it approved for use in healthy people between the ages of two and 49 who aren’t pregnant. This vaccine does not cause the flu but will trigger an immune response in the nose and upper airways, as well as throughout the body. While this form of the vaccine is preferred for healthy children between 2 and 8 years old, experts still advise that you shouldn’t delay vaccination if this form is not immediately available when the flu shot is.
What vaccine is best for you and your family will depend on a number of factors. If you are a caretaker for someone with a compromised immune system, for example, you will want to avoid the nasal spray vaccine unless you can quarantine yourself from said person for a period of up to seven days. Research your options and discuss which version is best for you.
DON’T Neglect To Tell Your Doctor About Allergies And Reactions
If you have certain allergies, such as an allergy to eggs or an allergy to gelatin, you need to disclose these facts to your doctor before undergoing any flu vaccine. Some versions of the flu vaccine contain tiny amounts of egg proteins, so if you have an allergy, you’ll need to take certain precautions. Either opt for a vaccine that doesn’t contain egg protein (there are versions approved by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, for use in people 18 and older) or wait in the doctor’s office for no less than 30 minutes after receiving the vaccine to ensure that you don’t have a reaction.
If you’ve had a severe reaction to a previous flu vaccine, you’ll want to disclose it to your doctor before undergoing another flu vaccine. Be sure to outline symptoms and timing because not all reactions are related to the vaccine. If you’ve had a true reaction to the vaccine in the past, you may not be advised to get an annual vaccination.
DO Take Extra Steps To Stay Healthy During Flu Season.
Even if you’ve had your flu shot, there is a chance that you may develop a case of flu caused by a strain against which you haven’t been vaccinated. Along with your flu vaccine, good hygiene is your primary defense against the flu and other contagious illnesses. You should always:
● Wash your hands often and thoroughly using soap and water.
● Use an alcohol-based sanitizer (other sanitizers do NOT protect against viral infections, like influenza) on your hands if soap and water are not available.
● Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth whenever possible
● Clean your cell phone or smart device regularly because this device is likely set down on common, potentially contaminated surfaces and then regularly held to the face.
● Avoid crowded areas when possible when the flu is most prevalent in your area.
● Stay healthy -- get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, stay hydrated and eat healthy foods to keep your immune system in top shape.