Time to Plan Getting a Flu Shot

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone over 6 months of age gets a flu shot this year.  The vaccines this year protect against the pandemic H1N1 virus that emerged in 2009, an H3N2 strain, and a B strain; the composition is the same as last year.  Even so, as protection one year after vaccination is minimal, everyone should be vaccinated again this season. 

Vaccination is best done before onset of influenza activity in the community, and providers should offer vaccination as soon as vaccine is available.  (But late is better than not at all - RG).  Normally, children under 9 need two doses of vaccine to provide sufficient protection.  But because the strains used are the same as last season, a child who was vaccinated last year only needs one flu shot this year.

The following concerns those with egg allergy.  If you have had hives after exposure to eggs, you can receive vaccination safely using a special form of vaccine – the trivalent inactivated vaccine (TIV) rather than the live attenuated (weakened) vaccine; and you should be vaccinated by a professional who is familiar with the signs of egg allergy, and be under observation for at least 30 minutes after administration. If you’ve had a more severe reaction to eggs in the past, you should consult a physician with expertise in this problem – probably an immunologist. If you’ve had a severe reaction to a flu vaccination before, don’t have another one.

For people on Medicare, the Government will pay for a flu shot once every flu season.  Medicare-registered providers will therefore provide your vaccination free of charge.  So there are no excuses for older people to skip a flu shot. Remember, between 3,000 and 49,000 people in the USA die from influenza every year.