Am I too late…for the flu shot?

So you don’t want to develop those annoying flu symptoms (fever, sore throat, muscle aches, cough, runny or stuffy nose) that can spread to family and acquaintances.

I, myself, was almost too late to receive the long-term effectiveness of this season’s influenza immunization. But after a recent interview with Beth, one of our neighborhood Walgreen pharmacists, I was convinced.

You see, she explained to me that “The Standard dose we use is even more than adequate to meet the demand of the main viruses this year.” She continued, “Flu season hasn’t really begun. The first wave is January and February; the second wave takes place March and April.”

Beth, who then administered my Standard vaccine shot, added, “It can take as long as two weeks to one month to take effect. Most people should get the vaccination by December, if they can.”

WebMD agrees.

Under the subject of Vaccines Health Center/Flu Vaccine Tip Sheet, the WebMd explains that the holiday season rapidly approaching means lots of “people contact,” which means more coughing and sneezing in public.

The site does add, however, that getting vaccinated at any time from September to May will still help prevent the further spread of these germs. While not all forms of influenza are protected, and some illnesses are mistakenly taken as the flu, the shot does provide the best protection against the illness; its effectiveness should last several months to a year.

If you are still weighing the pros and cons of taking the seasonal vaccine, WebMd also gives the following important information.

“Influenza causes more than 200,000 people in the U.S. to be hospitalized every year. Up to 49,000 people die each year from flu-related causes. Prevention is key.”

For those who are afraid that the vaccine can actually give you the flu, WebMd adds, “It can’t. The vaccine is made with a dead [flu shot] or weakened form of the flu virus [nasal flu vaccine], which can’t give you influenza.”

If you are not feeling well at the moment of intended vaccination, have had a previous severe allergic reaction to the vaccine, or have Guillain-Barre Syndrome (a severe paralyzing illness), you are advised by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to not take the shot that day.

For most recipients, only mild problems such as soreness, redness, or swelling might occur at the vaccinated site. These symptoms should not last beyond 1 to 2 days after receiving the inoculation. Any more extreme allergic reaction to the vaccine (estimated as only 1 in a million doses) should result in an immediate emergency call.

WebMd continues that there is a good reason why you should get the vaccination each year. They summarize, “Flu viruses change, so flu vaccines must change, too. Each year’s vaccine is unique, cultivated from the flu strains health officials believe will be most menacing that year.”
For the vast majority of people, even those with a non-severe egg allergy, the vaccine’s present low amount of egg protein should not be a problem. Finally, WebMd recommends the new high-dose versions of the flu vaccine known as Fluzone (where it is available) for seniors.

Because those over the age of 65 and others who have certain health issues (heart, lung, kidney disease, nervous system disorders, or a general weakened immune system) may need stronger strains of the flu strains, in December 2009, a high-dose, trivalent fluvaccine formulation was FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved.

According to Medicine Matters’ Dr. Sandra Fryhofer and Mayo Clinic’s Dr. James Steckelberg, this commonly referred to as Fluzone High-Dose Vaccine contains 4 times more hemagglutin (antigens/the part of the vaccine that stimulates the immune system) per dose than a Standard flu shot.

Both the Standard and the High-Dose vaccinations do, however, have the same chosen this year’s “difficult to control” three flu strains. The Fluzone can be more skin irritating but has proven in multiple studies to provide stronger antibody protection in seniors who have taken it.

The Fluzone trivalent has been noted to give more protection to prevent pneumonia development and prevent the worsening of already present medical conditions.

Still, newer this season and offering even stronger influenza protection, the quadrivalent flu vaccine is now approved for senior population inoculation. It is designed to protect against four (not only three) different flu viruses: two influenza A and two influenza B. Prior to this quadrivalent vaccine, only one influenza B strain was included in both the original and the trivalent shots.

FDA does inform us that more research is being undertaken to determine whether in the future these inoculations should be used for all seniors or for the general population. Walgreen’s did not have these two more powerful doses of vaccine available when I visited there three weeks ago.

Apparently, Sun City residents who took advantage of having received early flu shots have reaped the advantage of obtaining these two valued super strains.

For those still in search a visit to Walgreen’s more distant store/pharmacy, and Jewel’s or Walmart’s pharmacies, all on Highway 47 or CVS pharmacy on Algonquin Road or pharmacies on Randall Road may produce supplies of these shots. What are you waiting for? Stay healthy throughout the extended holiday season! Happy Thanksgiving!

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