What do you need to know about the flu vaccine? & Why should you take flu vaccine?

Flu is one of the most serious vaccine-preventable diseases, with potential hospitalization rates of over 50% and death rates as high as 5%.

What do you need to know about the flu vaccine? & Why should you take the flu vaccine?

Flu is one of the most serious vaccine-preventable diseases, with potential hospitalization rates of over 50% and death rates as high as 5%. Influenza can lead to pneumonia, which can cause chest pain or difficulty breathing. Severe influenza may require hospitalization for IV fluids and breathing assistance, worsening its risk profile. Influenza also has a high risk of morbidity in people with chronic illnesses that cause chronic inflammation (e.g., diabetes).

The flu vaccine is a must every year. Even those folks who only seem to get the flu during intense pandemics should still take the yearly duration as a precaution.

1. The flu vaccine isn't 100?fective, so it's still worth getting.

2. You need to be immunized against the flu within 72 hours of facing a stressful situation in order for the vaccine to work best.

3. There is no such thing as live attenuated influenza virus -- you are either vaccinated or part of the risk group who might get sick if exposed."

4. The side effects are low and unlikely to last long.

The cold virus is very close genetically to the influenza virus, which means that people can catch both viruses at once (which makes colds more severe). Supporting your immune system with healthy lifestyle choices will help keep your resistance high should you find yourself exposed.

 A flu vaccine provides you with immunity against three or four different influenza viruses - what's really important to remember is that it'll only protect you for the virus strains in the vaccine, meaning every time there's a new strain of flu circulating around, health officials need to update the vaccine.

Vaccines work by mimicking a portion of a disease-causing germ and triggering your body to generate antibodies specifically designed to attack this part. To make sure these antibodies will be able to recognize any future outbreaks of disease from this same germ, most vaccines contain attenuated (weakened) forms of the germs, which won't cause an infection but will stimulate your body's immune system into producing antibodies. The flu vaccine, like all vaccines, is a very specific type of medication.

When we can't govern our environment, we need to do our best to limit the transmissibility of viruses by getting the flu vaccine every year. Flu vaccinations also help protect those who cannot get vaccinated (such as infants and others with certain medical conditions).

The main reason you should get a flu vaccine is for prevention- if you had it once before and believed it protected you from catching or resisting future infection, then your body would recognize that strain and be more prepared than someone who has never caught the virus. Even if it does not prevent infection entirely, there are other reasons why getting one may be beneficial: some people might live with an illness that worsens during bouts of influenza.

The flu vaccine is one of the most highly researched and reviewed topics. Over time it's been found to be less effective than previously thought, so so many people think it's better to just be cautious and skip it instead.

The flu vaccine is recommended for everyone six months and older. Now that we know who should get the flu vaccine, let's talk about how you can prevent getting sick if you've already been vaccinated or haven't yet gone in for a shot. It may seem like common sense but protect yourself by washing your hands every time! The flu virus thrives on other people's hands -- and less than 20 seconds of scrubbing with soap and water can kill it under these conditions.

In order to get the flu vaccine, you need an appointment with your doctor or clinic. It typically takes a week before it's ready, and there are some common side effects of the vaccine.

Typically use warnings/side-effects for a flu shot include soreness at the site of injection or low moods after getting the shot while fever is still going on, cold symptoms including coryza (common cold) and cough also can occur during this time as well as fatigue which isn't too surprising given how long it takes to recover from an infection. In rare cases, there can be reactions that require close monitoring such as dizziness or uncontrolled eye movement which warrants medical attention if it persists. The common flu mist is a very effective tool to battle infection.

The vaccine is thought to work by initiating memory T-cells that will remain in the body and fight that specific strain of flu, should it infect you later. Memory T-cells live for many years after your first infection from the virus they're adept at fighting.

If you're a pregnant woman, please talk to your doctor first. If you're a child aged 5-9 who has had the flu vaccine before and it didn't work for you that year, then usually it will work just fine in subsequent years. However, if this is not your first time getting the flu vaccine and it didn't work well for you last year as well as this year, then perhaps look into other ways of preventing the flu since those seem to be fighting off the virus better than what you have been given.

Many studies have shown a strong link between the flu vaccine and a lower risk of getting the flu. This applies to those who do not already have an impaired immune system, such as those with chronic disease or pregnant women. For those folks, it's important that they stay up-to-date on their shots to lessen their odds of catching influenza or any other infection that may compromise their condition.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends annual vaccination against the flu during flu season for everyone aged six months and older unless they have had one before and they generally don't make this recommendation without good reason: indeed, large observational investigations (i.e., studies in which people were followed and data collected through questionnaires.

Flu season lasts from October to May, peaking between December and February. The best way for you to protect yourself is by getting a flu vaccine right now. In the US, each year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends an annual influenza vaccine because it can help reduce the risk of many different illnesses that flu causes, not just a "flu" or respiratory infection that most people associate with "the flu." With vaccination against flu, people may have milder symptoms – if any – because they have lower viral loads. Flu-infected individuals can inject as much as 100 billion particles of flu virus into the air during a single talk. Anyone within breathing distance - including those without symptoms, such as children and pregnant women - is at risk for infection.

A team of scientists studied how illness spreads in crowded places. They found that coughs and sneezes deliver almost 100% contamination to people one meter away, whereas handshakes disperse 10%. This means it's more likely that someone with the flu will infect you than you'll catch their cold by shaking hands or hugging them; enteroviruses like rhinovirus move even further (2 feet).

The flu vaccine protects not only the person who has it, but also the people they come into contact with. It is a myth that it will make our immune system less responsive to other invaders because that one myth has been disproven many times over.

In addition, this year’s flu vaccines will be made from four different strains of the virus – an H3N2 from Hong Kong and two H1N1s from North America and Indonesia – each offering slightly different protection against infection. In addition, some studies suggest getting a seasonal vaccine can offer indirect protection against cancer.

The most important thing about the vaccine is that it is a weakened form of the flu virus. The body can build up immunity against a weakened form faster than a regular virus.

Vaccinating your children and yourself against influenza (flu) can reduce flu illnesses and complications like hospitalizations missed work and school. It's important to get the vaccine every year, even if you had it last year. Flu vaccines can affect your health in two ways. The shots are designed to protect against infection conditions caused by influenza viruses themselves. But there are also other benefits from getting vaccinated since few people realize that they may have weakened immune systems due to nasal allergies or asthma medications or autoimmune disease or diabetes mellitus type 1 or 2 or certain types of cancer treatment with radiation therapy.

A preventative measure, but also because the vaccine may provide a milder case of influenza.

For example, studies have shown some benefits from flu shots including prevention, reduction in medical visits, and lost days at work or school for healthy adults. The flu oftentimes makes people quite ill and some companies discourage or prohibit employees from coming to work when they are feeling ill because of the risks associated with infecting co-workers and customers alike. Overall, you're better off taking a relatively harmless medication that can help protect you from this miserable illness than risking serious health complications that come with lower immunity due to contracting influenza. Studies show that more infections occur on average during years when more children get vaccinated.