WHY GET VACCINATED?
Influenza is a serious disease. It is caused by a virus that spreads from infected persons to the nose or throat of others. The "influenza season" in the U.S. is from November to March or April each year. Influenza can cause:
INFLUENZA VACCINE
The viruses that cause influenza change often. Because of this, influenza vaccine is updated each year by replacing at least one of the vaccine viruses with a newer one. This is done to make sure that influenza vaccine is as up-to-date as possible.
WHO SHOULD GET INFLUENZA VACCINE?
People at risk for getting a serious case of influenza or complications-or people in close contact with them-should get the vaccine. These include:
Others who should consider getting influenza vaccine include:
WHEN SHOULD I GET INFLUENZA VACCINE?
The best time to get influenza vaccine is between September and December. A new shot is needed each year.
*People 9 years of age and older need one shot.
Influenza vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines, including pneumococcal vaccine.
CAN I GET INFLUENZA EVEN THOUGH I GET THE VACCINE THIS YEAR?
Yes. Influena viruses change often, and they might not always be covered by the vaccine, But people who do get influenza despite being vaccinated often have a milder case than those who did not get the shot.
*fever *sore throat *cough *chills
*headache *muscle aches
People of any age can get influenza. Most people are ill with influenza for only a few days, but some get much sicker and may need to be hospitalized. Influenza causes thousands of deaths each year, mostly among the elderly.
Influenza vaccine can prevent influenza.
Protection develops 1 to 2 weeks after the shot and may last up to a year.
*Everyone 65 years of age or older.
*Residents of long term care facilities housing persons
with chronic medical conditions.
*Anyone who has a serous long-term health problem with:
*heart disease *lung disease *kidney disease
*metabolic disease, such as diabetes
*anemia, and other blood disorders
*Anyone whose immune system is weakened because of:
*HIV/AIDS or other diseases that affect the immune system
*treatment with drugs such as long-term steroids
*cancer treatment with x-rays or drugs
*Anyone 6 months to 18 years of age on long-term aspirin
treatment (who could develop Reye Syndrome if they catch
influenza).
*Women who will be more than 3 months pregnant during the influenza season.
*Physicians, nurses, or anyone else coming in close contact with people at risk of serious influenza.
*People who provide essential community services
*Travelers to the Southern hemisphere between April and September, or those traveling to the tropics any time
*Students ans staff at schools and colleges, to prevent outbreaks
*Anyone who wants to reduce their chance of catching influenza.
*Children less than 9 years old may need two shots, given one month apart.
Also, to many people "the flu" is any illness with fever and cold symptoms. They may expect influenza vaccine to prevent these illnesses. But influenza vaccine is effective only against illness caused by influenza viruses, and not against other causes of fever and colds.
SOME PEOPLE SHOULD CONSULT WITH A DOCTOR BEFORE GETTING INFLUENZA VACCINE
Consult with a doctor before getting an influenza vaccination if you:
1) ever had a serious allergic reaction to eggs or a previous dose of influenza vaccine
If you are moderately or severely ill at the time the shot is scheduled you should usually wait until you recover before getting influenza vaccine. Talk to your doctor or nurse about rescheduling the vaccination.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS FROM INFLUENZA VACCINE?
A vaccine, like any medicine, is capable of causing serious problems, such as sever allergic reactions. The risk of a vaccine causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small. Almost all people who get influenza vaccine have no serious problems from it. The viruses in the vaccine are killed, so you cannot get influenza from the vaccine.
Mild Problems
2) have a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
*soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
*fever
*aches
if these problems occur, they usually begin soon after the shot and last 1-2 days. And are usually relieved with Tylenol.
Severe Problems
*Life threatening allergic reactions are very rare. If they do occur, it is within a few minutes to a few hours after the shot.
*In 1976, swine flu vaccine was associated with a severe paralytic illness called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). Influenza vaccines since then have not been clearly linked to GBS. However, if there is a risk of GBS from current influenza vaccines it is estimated at 1 or 2 cases per million persons vaccinated-much less than the risk of severe influenza, which can be prevented by vaccination.
WHAT IF THERE IS A MODERATE OR SEVERE REACTION?
What should I look for?
What should I do?
HOW CAN I LEARN MORE?
*Ask your doctor or nurse. They can give you the vaccine package insert or suggest other sources of information.
*Call your local or state health department.
*Contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
*Any unusual condition, such as a high fever or behavior changes. Signs of a serious allergic reaction can include difficulty breathing, hoarseness or wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, a fast heart beat or dizziness.
*Call a doctor, or get the person to a doctor right away.
*Tell your doctor what happened, the date and time it happened, and when the vaccination was given.
*Ask your doctor, nurse, or health department to file a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) form, or call VAERS yourself at 1-800-822-7967.
Call 1-800-232-2522 (English)
Call 1-800-232-0233 (Espanol)
