Each year I talk to my patients about receiving the ‘flu vaccine. This year, I’ll be talking to them about getting BOTH the ‘flu vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine. Most of the deaths from the H1N1 (Swine) flu virus occurred in a younger population, pregnant women and those with an underlying illness whereas the seasonal flu tends to effect the elderly as well as those with chronic underlying illness.

Scientists are watching the H1N1 virus carefully as it makes its way around the world.  Trends show that the virus will likely have a significant impact during the upcoming flu season. As a novel virus, it remains unpredictable and and by its very nature, almost no one will have immunity from it.

Getting the H1N1 vaccine only confers immunity against this specific virus – not other circulating influenza viruses that yearly claim the lives of 36,000 Americans and cause over 200,000 hospitalizations. This is why you should get the seasonal flu vaccine in addition to the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available.

Here are the important questions patients ask.

1. Why should I get vaccinated against the flu?

The more people who get vaccinated, the less chance the virus has of spreading. Called “herd immunity”, the concept is based on the premise that the more people vaccinated against contagious diseases such as influenza, the less chance the disease has of infecting someone who cannot be vaccinated – such as organ transplant recipients, those who have had an anaphylactic reaction to hens’ eggs, those who have had Guillain-Barre syndrome after having received a vaccine, or simply those among us who are too young to receive the vaccine. Those of us in the herd who can receive the vaccination, therefore protect those of us who cannot.

2. Every time I’ve received a ‘flu shot, I’ve gotten the flu.

There are many subtypes of Influenza A and many different strains of Influenza B. Some cause serious respiratory illness, others cause milder infections. The flu vaccine only protects against 3 flu strains but can confer some protection against other influenza viruses if they are related in structure. So it is possible to get “the flu” – just not likely that you will get one of the three that the vaccine covers.

The influenza vaccine is a dead vaccine (there are certain, limited situations where someone may be administered a live, weakened virus but you would know this because it is not an injection but a nasal spray). The dead virus is incapable of causing influenza but our bodies still recognize the virus as foreign and mount an immune response.

Several things could be happening however to cause you to feel some symptoms. Firstly, the incubation period for the flu can be several days before you feel any symptoms so it is possible that you were already infected by the virus you are being inoculated against or a different virus. In others, the immune response can be brisk enough to trigger mild symptoms but not enough to get sick.

Having never had the flu doesn’t protect you from getting it in the future. In addition, if your work or personal life puts you in contact with those at high risk for developing complications from the flu, then it is important that you do not become a transmitter of the illness.

If you suffer from any chronic condition especially diabetes, asthma, COPD or heart disease, contracting the flu can cause serious complications from your underlying illnesses. That is why it is important to minimize your chance of getting the flu.

4. When is it too late to be vaccinated?

Generally, the flu season runs from December, peaks in January and February and tapers off in March but can be seen as late as May. The CDC recommends that as soon as the vaccine becomes available, people should start getting it. The immune response will not fade if you get the vaccine early on in the flu season. However, it takes about 2 weeks for your body to make antibodies to the virus once you’ve been vaccinated.

Remember, if you do contract a flu-like illness, stay out of work or school until 24 hours after your fever has ended (without having to use fever-reducing medications) or if you didn’t have a fever, stay at home up to 24 hours after your symptoms have resolved.

Stumble! for WP

Related posts:

1. H1N1 (Swine) Flu Vaccination Trials Underway The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), part...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.