24 Oct 8 Common Flu Vaccine Questions:

Flu season will be upon us soon, and the internet is buzzing with Flu vaccine myths. Many think of Flu as a mild inconvenience, however, hundreds of people die from Flu each year. If you have ever had a case of the real Flu, not just a common cold, you understand why those at high risk especially struggle.

Have you gotten or plan on getting your Flu vaccine this year?

8 Common Flu Vaccine Questions:

1. Should I get the Flu vaccine?

One of the more common questions I get in the fall is whether or not to get the flu

vaccine. To answer the question simply – yes.  1 in 10,000 people die of the flu each year.

Annual vaccinations reduce your chances of dying from Flu by approximately 50%.

The Flu vaccine also reduces major cardiovascular events and death in those who are at high risk for heart attacks.  Flu vaccination not only protects pregnant mothers who are at risk for severe influenza but also protects their infants for the first 6 months of life.

2. When should I get the Flu Vaccine?

I recommend that you get your flu vaccine in October or November.  If you get your Flu vaccine in July or August, your immunity will likely wane toward the end of the Flu season.  I continue to recommend and give Flu vaccines as long as there is circulating virus in the area.

3. Who is at high risk?

• all children aged 6 months through 59 months;
• all persons aged ≥50 years;
• adults and children who have chronic pulmonary – (including asthma) or cardiovascular (except isolated hypertension), kidney, liver, neurologic, hematologic, or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus);
• persons who are immunocompromised due to any cause (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by HIV infection);
• women who are or will be pregnant during the influenza season;children and adolescents (aged 6 months through18years) who are receiving aspirin- or salicylate-containing medications and who might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection;
• residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities;
• American Indians/Alaska Natives; and
• persons who are extremely obese (BMI ≥40).

If you live with or are in frequent contact with someone at high risk, even if you don’t want to get the vaccine for yourself, get the Flu vaccine to protect them.

4. Which Flu vaccine should I get?

One of the difficulties with vaccinating against the flu is that the virus frequently mutates. That means that the vaccine which worked last year won’t work this year.  Each year scientists have the difficult task of predicting which strains of flu the vaccine will need to protect against. To increase their odds, the flu vaccine protects agains several different types of flu. The Trivalent vaccine protects against Influenza A (H1N1), Influenza A (H3N2), and one type of Influenza B.  The Quadrivalent vaccine protests against the same types of Influenza as the Trivalent vaccine plus one additional type of Influenza B.  Because the Quadrivalent vaccine protects against more types of Influenza, that is the one I recommend.

If you are 65 years old or older you should get the High Dose Quadrivalent vaccine since your immunity wanes the older you get.

5. Can I get Flu from the Flu vaccine?

Many people are afraid that they will get Flu from the Flu vaccine.  The standard vaccine you get  at your doctor’s office or at the pharmacy is an inactivated virus. An inactivated virus is not a live virus so you can not get Flu from this type of vaccine.  You can have a mild reaction to the vaccine which often presents with low grade fever, fatigue, and muscle aches for 24 hours.  The symptoms are usually mild and can be mitigated by taking Tylenol or Ibuprofen.

FluMist is a nasal spray vaccine. It does contain live virus, therefore, people with weak immune systems potentially can get Flu from the vaccine.  I do not recommend the FluMist vaccine.  It is significantly less effective that the standard Flu shot.

6. If I have an egg allergy can I take the Flu vaccine?

Another question I get frequently is whether or not people with egg allergies can take the Flu vaccine.  Modern day vaccines contain very small amounts of egg protein. No serious reactions have ever been reported with the Trivalent vaccines.  The American Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a division of the Center For Disease Control, recommends that people with egg allergies follow the same age-appropriate vaccine schedule as the general population.

If you had a severe reaction to eggs in the past, the ACIP recommends that you get your vaccine in a doctor’s office or hospital. If you are still concerned, ask for a recombinant vaccine (Flublok). It does not contain egg protein. Beware that it is more expensive and your insurance may not cover it.

Of course, if you have had a severe anaphylactic reaction to the Flu vaccine in the past you, don’t take it.

7. Does the Flu vaccine cause Guillain-Barre?

Whether or not you can even contract Guillain-Barre from the Flu vaccine is controversial.  Even if it exists, it is very rare,  estimated to occur in only 1 out of 1-1.5 million vaccinated people.  To put that in perspective, you are 100 times more likely to die of Flu than you are to get Guillain-Barre from the vaccine. Studies also suggest that you are significantly more likely to get Guillain-Barre from Flu than the Flu Vaccine.  If you are concerned about getting Guillain-Barre, your chances are better if you get the vaccine.

8. Does the Flu vaccine cause Autism?

Both the Center for Disease Control and The World Health Organization find no supporting evidence that Flu vaccines cause Autism.

Here’s to the Journey!

Dr. David