Shots and a Nasal Spray to Fight Symptoms This Flu Season

What Flu Viruses are included in the Flu Shot vaccination?
The H1N1 strain of the flu will be included with two other type of flu viruses for the upcoming 2010-2011 flu season. The other viruses are the H3N2 strain and a strain of the influenza B virus. Strains that are included in the flu shot are changed each year based on an estimate of which viruses will be most prevalent in the general population. Scientists monitor flu cases world-wide.

When Does the Flu Shot Take Effect?
After you receive your flu shot, you can expect it to take effect after about weeks. This is how long it takes for antibodies to build up protection within your body. If needles make you queezy, then a less painless vaccination option is to take the nasal spray flu vaccine. The nasal spray uses a live variant of the flu virus that does not cause flu symptoms to develop.

When should I get a Flu Shot?
You should start to think about getting your flu vaccine early in September. The flu season generally lasts through the final months of the year, and into spring of the next year. Each year is slightly different in terms of when the virus peaks and wanes.

Who Should get the Flu shot?
The Center for Disease Control recommends that the following people get their flu shot:

1. Pregnant women
2. Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
3. People 50 years of age and older
4. People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
5. People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
6. People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
Health care workers
Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)

If you decide to get a flu vaccination, you should first contact your family physician.

Should anybody NOT get the flu shot?
According to the CDC, there are some people who should refrain from getting the flu shot. If you have an allergy to chickens, have had allergic reactions to flu shots in the past, or currently have a fever, then contacting your doctor is the best course of action. Any one who has had Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) after a previous vaccination should avoid follow up vaccinations as well.

What are the effects of a flu shot?
According to the CDC, you can expect some minor symptoms to follow your flu vaccination. These include runny nose, wheezing, headache, vomiting, fever. Although, you may experience some of these symptoms from the vaccine, they are considerably more mild when compared to the symptoms suffered from the real flu!

Source: CDC.GOV