- Why
get vaccinated?
Influenza ("flu") is a serious disease.
It is caused by a virus that spreads from infected persons to the
nose or throat of others. The "influenza season" in the
U.S. is from November to April each year.
Influenza can cause:
- fever
- sore throat
- cough
- chills
- headache
- muscle aches
People of any age can get influenza. Most people are ill with
influenza for only a few days, but some get much sicker and may need to
be hospitalized. Influenza causes thousands of deaths each year,
mostly among the elderly.
Influenza vaccine can prevent influenza.
2. Influenza
vaccine
The viruses that cause influenza change often. Because of this,
influenza vaccine is updated each year by replacing at least one of the
vaccine viruses with a newer one. This is done to make sure that
influenza vaccine is as up-to-date as possible.
Protection develops about 2 weeks after the shot and may last up to a
year.
Some people who get flu vaccine may still get flu, but they will usually
get a milder case than those who did not get the shot.
3. Who
should get influenza vaccine?
People at risk for getting a serious case of influenza or
influenza complications, and people in close contact with them
(including all household members.) should get the vaccine. An
annual flu shot is recommended for these groups:
- Everyone age 50 years of age or older
- Residents of long term care facilities housing persons
- Anyone who has a serious long-term health problem with:
| - heart disease |
- kidney disease |
| - lung disease |
- metabolic disease
such as diabetes |
| - asthma |
- anemia, and other
blood disorders |
- Anyone whose immune system is weakened because of:
- HIV/AIDS or other diseases that affect the immune system
- long-term treatment with drugs such as steroids
- cancer treatment with x-rays or drugs
- Anyone 6 months to 18 years of age on long-term aspirin treatment
(who could develop Reye Syndrome if they catch influenza).
- Women who will be past the 3rd month of pregnancy during the
influenza season.
- Physicians, nurses, family members, or anyone else coming in close
contact with people at risk of serious influenza.
Others who should consider getting influenza vaccine include:
- People who provide essential community services.
- Travelers to the Southern hemisphere between April and September,
or those traveling to the tropics any time.
- Students and staff at schools and colleges, to prevent outbreaks.
- Anyone who wants to reduce their chance of catching influenza.
- Healthy children 6-23 months of age, and their household contacts
and out-of-home caretakers
- Household contacts and out-of-home caretakers of infants less than
6 months of age
4. When
should I get the influenza vaccine?
The best time to get influenza vaccine is from October to
mid-November. A new shot is needed each year.
- People 9 years of age or older need one shot.
- Children less than 9 years old need two shots, given one month
apart, the first time they get vaccinated against influenza.
Some people should be vaccinated at the beginning of September or
October:
- 65 years or older
- people at high risk from flu and its complications
- household contacts of these groups
- health care workers
- children under 9 getting the flu shot for the first time
Influenza vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines,
including pneumococcal vaccine.
5. Some
people should consult with a doctor before getting influenza vaccine.
Consult with a doctor before getting an influenza vaccination if you:
- ever had a serious allergic reaction to eggs or previous
dose of influenza vaccine
OR
- have a history of Guillain-Barre' Syndrome (GBS).
If you are moderately or severely ill at the time the shot is
scheduled you should usually wait until you recover before getting
influenza vaccine. Talk to your doctor or nurse about rescheduling
the vaccination.
6. What
are the risks from influenza vaccine?
A vaccine, like any medicine, is capable of causing serious problems,
such as severe allergic reactions. The risk of a vaccine causing
serious harm, or death, is extremely small. Almost all people who
get influenza vaccine have no serious problems from it. The
viruses in the vaccine are killed, so you cannot get influenza from the
vaccine.
MILD PROBLEMS:
- soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
- fever
- aches
If these problems occur, they usually begin soon after the shot and
last 1-2 days.
SEVERE PROBLEMS:
- Life-threatening allergic reactions are very rare. If they
do occur, it is within a few minutes to a few hours after the shot.
- In 1976, swine flu vaccine was associated with a severe paralytic
illness called Guillain-Barre' Syndrome (GBS). Influenza
vaccines since then have not been clearly linked to GBS.
However, if there is a risk of GBS from current influenza vaccines
it is estimated at 1 0r 2 cases per million persons vaccinated -
much less that the risk of severe influenza, which can be prevented
by the vaccination.
7. What
if there is a moderate or severe reaction?
What should I look for?
- Any unusual condition, such as a high fever or behavior
changes. Signs of a serious allergic reaction can include
difficulty breathing, hoarseness or wheezing, hives, paleness,
weakness, a fast heart beat or dizziness.
What should I do?
- Call a doctor, or get the person to a doctor right away.
- Tell your doctor what happened, the date and time it happened, and
when the vaccination was given.
- Ask your doctor, nurse, or health department to file a Vaccine
Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) form, or call VAERS yourself
at 1-800-822-7967.
8. How
can I learn more?
- Ask your doctor or nurse. They can give you the vaccine
package insert or suggest other sources of information.
- Call your local or state health department.
- Contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- Call 1-800-232-2522 (English)
- Call 1-800-232-0233 (Espanol)
- Visit the Immunization Program's website at http://www.cdc.gov/nip
Send mail to webmaster@phdm.org with
questions or comments about this web site.
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