When flu shot season comes around each year, during the beginning of the holiday season, it may seem like an afterthought while shopping for all those gifts and organizing events, but it is something that needs to be a priority, as these flu shot vaccines will protect you each season from the flu virus. And with illnesses like the H1N1 flu and other influenza viruses that can completely impair your day to day life, you need to schedule a time slot where you can go in to your doctor or pharmacy to get your flu shot. Let’s take a look at the flu shot, its importance, and who should be getting this vaccine each and every year.
While you may hear the word ‘flu’ as a common buzzword – do you really know what the flu is? The medical term, influenza, is actually considered an infection of the respiratory tract, and this can be a very serious and dangerous illness, causing particularly devastating effects in very young children and the elderly, as they are more vulnerable to the impact of infection. This is why the CDC says that anyone who is 6 months or older should definitely by vaccinated with the flu vaccine, each year. The flu shot is the most successful form of protection against any of the flu viruses.
Now that you know about the importance and necessity of getting your flu shot – you’re most likely clambering to get one as soon as possible. Depending on the region you live in, and the anticipated amount of flu cases projected for the year, this can vary drastically. The flu shot is usually sent out in shipments as it’s made, so it’s more available at some times, and less at others. In some cases, when the flu season is predicted to be severe, you may not even be able to get one right away. How do you avoid shortages impacting you and your family? Calling ahead and setting up an appointment with your primary care doctor early in the pre-flu season is crucial, as there are usually no shortages in that time.
In a general sense, the flu vaccine starts its availability period in the early fall or late summer region, all the way up through flu season. Why is it better to get the dead version of the virus from the flu vaccine in your system as soon as possible? Aside from avoiding contracting the flu, you also need to be aware that it often takes over two weeks for the vaccine to actually build up immunities of the flu strain inside your body, so getting it before flu season technically starts will allow it to be completely immune in your system by the time the flu season does start.
If you think that you can get one flu shot in your lifetime, and instantly become immune to the illness for the rest of your life – then you’re very wrong. Each year there are new strains and mutations of the influenza virus that occur, and this is why they need to be taken yearly, to adapt and accommodate to these mutations in the virus. One example of this mutation is the H1N1 virus, which was an unexpected mutation that took the world by storm one year during flu season. Ensuring that you’re safe from the flu virus means getting an updated shot each year, without fail, in order for it to work properly.
How does the virus build up in your immune system to keep you safe? This is actually caused by the antibodies in your body that react to the dead version of the virus in the flu virus injection. They help block off and protect you from infection. The only issue with this is that these antibodies don’t last forever, and they do decline and die off around the six month mark after getting your vaccination.
As we said earlier, those who are elderly or young children are high risk for getting the flu and suffering from severe complications without the vaccination, and the same goes for women who are pregnant and nursing. Aside from these high risk demographic groups, there are also a list of medical conditions that put men and women at a higher risk for the flu as well, so if you have one of these conditions, make it a priority to get the vaccine each year. If you have asthma of any severity, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, obesity, sickle cell, kidney disease or muscular dystrophy, then you must get a vaccine each year to avoid issues with the flu virus.
Now while it is recommended that everyone gets a flu vaccination, there are some small segments who can’t or shouldn’t get the flu vaccine. If you are someone who has had an allergic reaction to a past vaccine, have an allergy of chicken eggs, or have a fever on the scheduled day of your vaccine, then you at least need to see your primary care doctor beforehand. They can clear you and say if you’re able to get the vaccine without any severe complications.
Did you know that you actually have option when it comes to taking your flu vaccine each year? There are two forms of flu vaccine available each year, and they each are slightly different with different qualities. The most common form is an injection or show, which is actually made from the dead version of the virus. You’ll find that in most cases, they inject this vaccine into the arm, and due to the fact that the virus is already dead when it enters your body, this means you cannot become infected with the virus this way. The other form is the nasal spray, typically called FluMist that actually gives you a small amount of the live virus into your system. This won’t cause the flu either, but it will inevitably cause some kind of respiratory response in your body.
Don’t forget to get your flu shot each year – so you can be happy and healthy this holiday season!