Flu Shot Time – Some Needles Used Will Be A Tiny Needle This Year:
According to the Associated Press, Health Officials are saying you don’t want to miss this year’s vaccination against the flu. Most people are concerned about the different strains that are used…this year’s vaccine strain will be a duplicate because the three flu strains that sickened people last winter are still circulating.
People may look at the vaccine flu needle, and think it has shrunk…but it is a less-scary prick instead of an inch-long needle. The new tiny needle is hitting the market this year. This option is for adults only because it’s so brand-new that it will take some searching to find a dose. There are plenty of other varieties, i.e., standard shots, a special high-dose for seniors and the needle free squirt-in-the-nose option to go around so don’t be alarmed. Children will not be administered with the new needle.
Scientific studies aren’t clear about how much a person’s immunity wanes over a year, although it varies by age and overall health. The federal health officials and the American Academy of Pediatrics weighed the evidence, and they say, do not skip this year’s vaccination, because it’s the only way to be sure your immune system remains revved enough for the best protection.
Some people think if they had a shot the year before, they do not need one the next year but they are wrong. According to Dr. Lisa Grohskopf of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, do not count on last year’s vaccine protecting you throughout a second season.
It’s recommended that everyone get the yearly flu vaccination, except babies younger than 6 months and the people with severe allergies to the eggs used to make it. It was reported that 49% of children and 41% of adults were vaccinated.
Are you one of those people who says they never catch the flu? Did you know, you could be a carrier? If you are a carrier, you are unknowingly spreading the misery when you feel more than a sniffle, says Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University, president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
Regardless, everyone should be vaccinated each and every year to ensure you’re protecting others with maximum protection who are around you.
How The New Skin-Deep Vaccine Works?
(A) Sanofi Pasteur’s Fluzone Intradermal uses a needle less than a tenth of an inch long to inject vaccine just below the skin’s surface. This layer, called the dermis, is so rich in a certain type of immune cell that the new shot uses a lower dose of the same vaccine that’s in regular flu shots. Studies found it triggered as much protection as full-strength muscle shots, although it did cause more skin reactions like redness, swelling and itching. There’s little data on pain perception. It’s only for people who are 18 to 64 year olds. It has not been studied in children’s more-tender skin.
How the Nasal-Spray Version Works?
(A) Med-immune’s Flu-Mist is for different age groups, people ages 2 to 49 who are healthy, meaning no one with underlying health conditions or who is pregnant. Unlike flu shots that are made with killed flu virus, Flu-Mist is made with live but weakened virus.
How the Older Adults, Does CDC Recommend the High-Dose Shot Works?
(A) The immune system weaken with age so that it doesn’t respond as well to an ordinary flu shot. Sanofi’s Fluzone High-Dose is a standard into-the-muscle shot but it contains four times the usual dose, to spur more immune response in people 65 and older. First sold last, studies still are under way to track if that translates into fewer illnesses and hospitalizations. It can cause more of the typical flu-shot side effects. The CDC says it’s OK for seniors to choose either a high-dose shot or the regular shots from a variety of manufacturers.
Reference:
Article from Associated Press in the News & Messenger Serving Prince William County, Manassas & Manassas Park, Virginia, names of Doctor’s cited in Associated Press Release