Stay healthy this flu season by getting a flu shot well before winter’s arrival. Flu shots only take a few minutes to administer and can protect you from a serious bout of the flu. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted for “universal” flu vaccination in the U.S. on February 24, 2010 and encourages everyone six months and older to get a flu vaccine once per year. Here are ten important facts about flu shots:
1. There’s more than one type of flu shot available. Regular flu shots you can get at the local pharmacy or medical clinic aren’t the only type of flu shot out there. High-dose vaccines are available for people 65 and older, and an intradermal vaccine – a shot that goes into the skin – is an alternative to the regular flu shot (injected into a muscle).
2. You can get a flu shot injected into your skin. The regular seasonal flu shot is injected into the muscle, but the intradermal vaccine is injected right into the skin. According to the CDC, the intradermal vaccine will be available for the first time for the 2011-2012 flu season for people between the ages of 18 and 64.
3. You don’t have to get an actual shot. The nasal spray flu vaccine is an option for healthy people between the ages of 2 and 49 years old who are not pregnant. However, this is a weakened version of the flu shot vaccine.
4. The flu vaccine protects against three different types of viruses. The 2011-20212 flu vaccine is designed to protect you against the influenza A (H1N1) virus, the influenza A (H3N2) virus, and the influenza B virus.
5. A flu shot can reduce your chances of getting the flu by up to 90 percent. The Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition reports that the influenza vaccine is powerful enough to reduce your chances of getting the flu by 70 to 90 percent. If you do end up getting the flu after having a flu shot, your flu will be less severe and you’ll probably recover fairly quickly.
6. Serious side effects from a flu shot are rare. Some people may experience some redness, swelling and itching at the injection site which typically subsides within a day. A very small minority will have a serious allergic reaction to the flu shot. According to the Vermont Department of Health, the risk of a severe allergic reaction is less than one in four million.
7. The best time to get vaccinated is in October or November. You can ward off the flu virus through the winter months and holiday season by getting your shot as early as October. The flu vaccine can still be given in December or even later if needed.
8. There’s a new flu shot every year. Scientists have to make a different flu vaccine every year because the strains of flu-causing viruses change every year. The shot is based on the strains of flu viruses in circulation in any given year.
9. It can take up to two weeks for the vaccine to take effect. There is a chance that you end up getting the flu right after your flu shot because the vaccine may not have taken effect yet.
10. People with weakened immune systems can still get the flu after a flu shot. The elderly and people with weakened immune systems can still get the flu after getting the flu vaccine. High-dose vaccines can offer more protection.