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Seniors and Flu Shots
from:This article lists some simple information that will help you have a better understanding of seniors and flu shots.
According to the reports from the Centers for Disease Control, one of the best ways to avert the spread of influenza is to get inoculated every fall. Every year a new vaccine is produced that includes strains of three separate viruses, which are changed each year based on estimations about which strains of these viruses will circulate in the coming year. Antibodies will begin to form in the body and provide us with protection from these viruses about two weeks after getting the immunization. A good reason to get your shot early in the season.
The population who are most vulnerable to getting the flu bug include the elderly over age 65, young children under the age of 6 months and people with a chronic health condition, such as those with immune suppressed systems, chronic heart or lung conditions with compromised respiratory function or those currently receiving aspirin therapy. Another important sector of the population that should also get immunized, are the people who work with or care for anyone vulnerable to catching viruses. These include workers in the health care field, day care providers and anyone who wants to lower their chance of catching the flu and possibly spreading it to others. Over 90 million people receive an influenza vaccine each year in the US, a huge undertaking by the medical industry.
There are at this time two types of the flu shot available, the injectable type and a nasal spray. The most popular is the injection method because it is easily given with a needle in the deltoid muscle of the arm. These types of vaccines contains an inactivated or killed virus, which may be dispensed to anyone over the age of 6 months with or without chronic health conditions. The lesser know nasal spray type is created from a live virus which may be dispensed to healthy persons varying in age of 5 to 49 years but is not recommended for women who are pregnant.
Please take note that both influenza vaccines are not advised for those who have had an allergic reaction in the past or contracted Guillain-Barre syndrome within 6 weeks of receiving a flu vaccination in the past, have allergic reactions to chicken eggs, are under the age of six months or are experiencing a fever attributed to an active viral or bacterial infection. There are particular groups of people that are placed on priority status by the CDC who are given the influenza vaccine first. This CDC list consists of persons aged 65 and older with or without chronic health conditions, anyone between the ages of 2-49 years with chronic health conditions, young children between the ages of 6-23 months, pregnant women plus residents of long-term health care facilities.
There are some people who are troubled about the side effects of having a flu shot but side effects are predominantly mild and last only a few days. The symptoms that may develop include muscle soreness, redness with swelling at the injection site, low fever and general aching. The nasal spray vaccine includes a weakened virus which may also cause flu-like symptoms in people who receive it this way. A few of these symptoms that have been known to occur include a sore throat, a slight headache, nasal drip, nausea & maybe vomiting, muscle aches and fever. These should all settle down in a couple of days and are by no means as terrible as actual flu symptoms, which can also lead to a more harsh secondary infection if not treated appropriately.
Your family's health care provider should always be consulted with when making any intention about getting your flu shots. Come to think about it, making the choice to get inoculated and maybe experiencing some mild side effects would be far more acceptable than actually coming down with the virus, which can be clearly uncomfortable and incapacitating as anyone who has experienced the flu can recall. By considering to protect ourselves we also help to stop any further spreading of the flu bug which could help those who cannot fight the virus off on their own. It is worth pointing out that with the introduction of the flu shot the number of influenza cases and deaths have decreased drastically, especially for those that are vulnerable, our seniors and children.
It never hurts to be well-informed with the latest on seniors and flu shots. Compare what you've learned here to future articles so that you can stay alert to changes in the area of this year's bug.
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