DEAR DR.PAUL: What is the Influenza vaccine? Will getting the vaccine actually cause the flu?
DR.PAUL ANSWERS:
The "flu", caused by the Influenza virus, is a potentially serious infection.
The flu often begins like a cold, but is usually associated with:
High fever
Severe muscle/body aches
Chills
Headache
Loss of appetite and
Extreme fatigue and weakness
A cold usually lasts a few days, whereas the flu can last up to 7-10 days. Also the cough and fatigue from an influenza infection can persist for a few weeks. Influenza is a very serious threat to the elderly and to people/children with underlying medical conditions including: chronic heart, medical or lung problems, weakened immune systems and cancer.
Since there is no cure for the flu, the best approach is prevention which is best achieved by getting a by Flu Shot (or Influenza vaccine). Each year a different strain or type of Influenza virus arrives, often from Asia. Fortunately, in most cases, we can accurately predict which strains will arrive each season and prepare a vaccination to prevent that specific infection. Because the virus strains change every flu season, a different vaccination is needed every year. In other words, last year's vaccine will not protect against this coming season's strain of influenza virus. This is why the vaccine needs to be given every year.
People at risk for developing complications of Influenza infections, which includes the elderly and people and children with chronic illness should receive the flu shot. However, in certain areas, the vaccine is offered to everyone universally.
What about children? Influenza infection rates are higher in younger children, and even healthy kids can end up quite sick as a result of the flu. For this reason, some regions offers the vaccine free of charge to everyone, including healthy children. It has been shown that the flu shot can decrease the rate of ear infections associated with the flu and reduce school absenteeism.
Generally the influenza vaccine is quite safe. Most people either have no side effects or experience local redness, swelling or soreness at the site of the injection. Some people may complain of body aches and/or fever for a day or 2 following the injection. Severe allergic reactions to the vaccine itself are extremely rare.
The flu vaccine is also quite effective: Among healthy adults, the vaccine protection rate is between 70-90%. In children, it is about 80-90% effective in preventing influenza infection and about 62-73% effective in preventing illness with fever. In the elderly, the vaccine can prevent pneumonia, hospitalization and deaths. However, even if a vaccinated person does develop the flu, it will be much milder than if he or she had not received the vaccination.
On a final note, the flu vaccine should not be given to:
Children less than 6 months of age
Anyone with a serious egg allergy
Anyone with an allergy to the vaccine components (thimerosal or neomycin) or
Anyone who has had a previous allergic reaction to an influenza vaccine
Oh yes, one more thing: No. The vaccine is a killed vaccine, not a live vaccine, so it will not cause an influenza infection.
The information provided in this site is
designed to be an educational aid only. It is not intended to
replace the advice and care of your child's physician, nor is
it intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. If
you suspect that your child has a medical condition, always
consult a physician.
