Push Starts on Americans for Flu Shots

The flu season will shortly be upon us and that three in one vaccine from last years will be available once more for this year's season and the flu strain is said to be the same.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control once more makes their appearance known by advocating the flu shots for those who are six months old and older. This includes all people who have had received the shot last year. This is said to protect against the strains of H1N1, H3N2 and B.

According to the CDC there is a possibility that the immunity given from last years shot could have faded.

Children who are younger than nine years and had received one dose of the vaccine last year only needs one dose this year instead of the recommended two doses.

The CDC also highly recommends that healthcare and pregnant women receive the shot.

Companies in which provide the vaccine for the U.S. market include; Sanofi-Aventis, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, AstroZeneca unit MedImmune and CSLmake. The U.S. market is expected to be provided with 166 million doses, nine million more than last year.

Dr. Carolyn Bridges with the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases stated in a telephone briefing that there will be plenty of the vaccine this year for anyone who wants one. Children six months to eight years who are just receiving the shot for the first time will require two doses. Theses doses should be at least one month apart to build up immunity.

The flu vaccine does not immediately take effect. The vaccine takes around two weeks to work. The antibodies need to develop within the body to provide protection against influenza virus infection.

Even though receive the shot you could still get the flu. Protection on a person is dependant on two factors; age and health, the similar or "match" between the virus strains and the vaccine.

Just as any medication there are a list of side effects. According to the CDC the vaccine causing serious harm like severe allergic reactions or death is extremely small.

Mild side effects:

Soreness, redness or swelling in area of shot.

Hoarseness, sore, red or itchy eyes, cough

Fever and or aches

Severe side effects:

Life-threatening allergic reactions from vaccines are very rare. If they do occur, it is usually within a few minutes to a few hours after the shot.

In 1976, a certain type of inactivated influenza (swine flu) vaccine was associated with Guillain-Barr© Syndrome (GBS). Since then, flu vaccines have not been clearly linked to GBS. However, if there is a risk of GBS from current flu vaccines, it would be no more than 1 or 2 cases per million people vaccinated. This is much lower than the risk of severe influenza, which can be prevented by vaccination.