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What is influenza
(also called the "flu?")
Influenza is commonly called the "flu."
Influenza infects the nose, throat, and lungs and can cause mild to severe
illness.
When does flu occur?
Flu occurs in the United States most often in
the fall and winter and commonly peaks in February and March.
What are the symptoms of
flu?
People with flu often have:
If you or someone you know has these symptoms and they are
severe, contact your doctor, nurse, or clinic as soon as possible. The best
way to tell if you have flu is for a health care provider to
swab your throat and have a lab confirm the diagnosis.
How does flu spread?
The flu spreads easily from
person-to-person by coughing and sneezing. Even healthy kids and adults can
get very sick from the flu and spread it to others before they know they're
sick. Most healthy adults can infect others one day before symptoms
develop and up to five to seven days after becoming sick. Kids can spread
the virus for ten or more days.
Does past infection with flu make a person
immune?
No. Because viruses that cause flu change frequently, people who have
had the flu or a flu shot in previous years may become infected with a
new strain.
How do you prevent the flu?
The best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu shot each year as
soon as vaccine is available. Using good health habits can also help
stop the spread of flu; washing your hands, covering your cough, and
staying home when you're sick.
How serious is the flu?
Flu is unpredictable and can be severe, especially for older people,
young kids, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions.
These groups are at greater risk for serious complications if they get
the flu, including:
- Bacterial pneumonia.
- Ear infections.
- Sinus infections.
- Dehydration.
- Worsening of chronic medical conditions (asthma, congestive
heart failure, or diabetes).
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About Flu Vaccine
How many types of flu vaccine are there?
You can choose from two types of flu vaccine--a flu shot or the
nasal spray. If you’re not sure which is best for you or your
family, ask your doctor, nurse, or clinic. With either vaccine, kids under
age nine may need two doses in the same flu season if they have not had
flu vaccine before or if they have not had two flu shots in
one season.
Flu shot (for anyone aged six months and older)
The flu shot, or Trivalent Inactivated Vaccine (TIV), contains inactivated (killed) viruses and may cause
some soreness where the shot is given. The flu shot can be given to anyone age
six months and older.
Nasal spray (for healthy kids, teens, and non-pregnant adults aged 2 to 49 years)
The nasal spray flu vaccine, or Live, Attenuated
Influenza Vaccine (LAIV), contains live, weakened flu viruses. The spray can
cause mild congestion and runny nose. Some may get a low-grade fever or feel
achy for one to two days while their immune system responds to the vaccine. It can be given
to healthy kids over age 2 and non-pregnant teens and adults under 49 years. Check with your health care provider or local pharmacy about how to
get the nasal spray (commonly called FluMist).
Find information on flu vaccine, TIV, and LAIV on the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website.
Is there a higher dose flu vaccine available for people aged 65
and older?
Yes. This year there is a special kind of flu vaccine called Fluzone
High-Dose that is approved for people aged 65 and older. The vaccine is
intended to give a stronger immune response than regular flu shots
offering better protection against flu. Fluzone High-Dose is not
recommended for people with a severe allergy to chicken eggs or people
who have had a severe reaction to a flu vaccine in the past. Visit
CDC's Fluzone High-Dose Seasonal Flu Vaccine Web site for more
information.
Can flu vaccine give you the flu?
No. Flu vaccine cannot give you the flu.
Some people incorrectly believe that they can get flu from the
vaccine. This is not true. The flu shot only contains proteins from the
flu virus, so the virus cannot reproduce itself and cause illness. While
the nasal spray vaccine contains live flu virus, the virus has been
weakened in the lab, so it cannot grow in the lungs and cannot cause the
flu.
If the flu vaccine is the same as last season, do I need to get a
flu shot?
Yes. People should get vaccinated every year because even if the
viruses in the vaccine are the same as the year before, immunity to flu
viruses declines over time and may be too low to provide protection
after a year.
Does flu vaccine protect against viruses other than the flu?
Flu vaccine will not prevent illness from other flu-like viruses,
including flu viruses not in the current flu vaccine. The vaccine
contains three strains of flu viruses that research suggests will be
circulating during the flu season.
Does vaccine protect throughout the flu season?
Yes, getting vaccinated now will protect you throughout the flu season.
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your
community from the flu. Be sure to
check with your health care provider to get a flu shot.
How long does it take for the vaccine to protect people from the flu?
Studies show that the flu vaccine creates a
strong immune response in most healthy adults eight to ten days after a
single dose.
How do I find a
flu vaccine?
- Call your doctor, nurse, or clinic.
- Check the American Lung Association’s
Flu Shot Locator.
- Contact your
local
health department.
- Call the Family Health Hotline at
1-800-322-2588.
What is the cost of flu vaccination for children
under 19 years of age?
The Washington State Department of Health provides
flu vaccine to all kids under 19 at no cost. Health care providers may
charge an office visit fee and a fee to give the vaccine, called an
administration fee. People who cannot afford the administration fee can
ask their regular health care provider to waive the cost. Adults should
talk to their insurance carriers about coverage for flu vaccine.
How effective is the flu vaccine?
The effectiveness of flu vaccines can vary from year to year. It
depends on the match between the strains in the vaccine and the flu
viruses that are circulating as well as the age and health of the person
being vaccinated.
No flu vaccine is 100 percent effective but can provide moderate
protection and help reduce the severity of the disease if you do get
sick. Flu vaccines are most effective when the vaccine strains are
similar to the circulating strains. The flu vaccine helps prevent
illness; it doesn't treat it. It takes about two weeks for your body to
build immunity for protection against the flu and lasts for about one
year.
For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention's
Vaccine Effectiveness--How Well Does the Flu Vaccine Work? page.
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Flu Vaccine Recommendations
Who should get
flu vaccine?
Everyone six months and older should get a flu shot as soon as the vaccine is
available! Getting a flu vaccine every year is the
first and best way to prevent
flu. Certain people are at greater risk and are especially encouraged to get a flu vaccine,
including:
- Older people.
- Young kids, especially kids under age five.
- Kids and adults of any age with certain chronic health conditions or
special health care needs, such as asthma, diabetes (type 1 and 2), heart disease, neurologic conditions, and
certain other long-term health conditions.
- Pregnant women.
- Household contacts and caregivers of people in any of the above groups.
- Household contacts and caregivers of babies under
six months of age who
are too young to get flu vaccine.
- Health care professionals.
- American Indians/Alaska Natives.
How many doses of flu vaccine does my
child need this year?
Kids six months through eight years who got at least one dose of
2010-2011 flu vaccine only need one dose of flu vaccine this year.
Kids six months through eight years who did not get a flu vaccine
last year may need two doses of flu vaccine spaced about one month apart
for best protection. Check with your doctor, nurse, or clinic about your
child's specific needs.
How are flu vaccine recommendations made and who makes them?
Human flu virus continuously changes, so flu vaccines are updated each year
to include the most common strains of flu. The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) advisory committee met in February 2011 to decide which strains to
include in the next flu vaccine. The flu vaccine for the 2011-2012 season
includes:
- A/California/7/2009 (H1N1-like virus).
- A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2-like virus).
- B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.
How can I learn more about the latest flu vaccine recommendations?
Go
to the
FDA
website for more information about the latest flu vaccine recommendations.
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Vaccine Safety
Is the flu vaccine safe?
Yes. Flu
vaccines have a very good and long safety record. Over the last 50 years,
flu vaccines have been shown to be safe. The vaccine is made and rigorously tested in the
same way each year, no matter what strains are included.
Like any
medication, vaccines may have side effects. Every year, the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) works closely with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
health care providers, state and local health departments, and other
partners to ensure the highest safety standards for flu vaccines. The CDC
also works closely with the FDA to monitor unexpected health problems
following vaccination.
Visit these links for more information about vaccine safety:
How are flu vaccines
monitored for safety?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) and the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) (along with state and local health departments, health care
providers, and other partners) watch closely for any signs that the flu
vaccine causes unexpected problems and investigates unusual side effects
quickly. Side effects (also called adverse events) may not be related to
vaccination, but just happen around the same time. Tracking and
investigation helps us figure out which side effects are truly caused by
vaccination and which are not.
Visit these links for more
information about vaccine safety:
Are there side effects to the flu vaccine?
Side effects from the flu vaccine are mild, localized
reactions. The most common side effects are:
-
Soreness, redness, tenderness, or swelling where the
shot was given; fainting (mainly in adolescents); headache, muscle
aches, fever; and nausea. If these problems occur, they usually
begin soon after the shot and last one to two days.
-
Life-threatening allergic reactions, which are rare.
If they do occur, it's usually within a few minutes to a few hours
after the shot was given.
People who get the flu vaccine will be
screened for an
allergy to eggs that may be a precaution but not necessarily a
contraindication. A fact
sheet will be provided about the vaccine's benefits and risks, signs of side
effects to look for after vaccination and how to report side effects (also
called adverse events).
What can I do if I have a
side effect from a vaccine?
If you think you or your child may have a side effect from a vaccine, be
sure to discuss this with your health care provider and either:
- Ask your health care provider to file a report with the Vaccine
Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
- File a report yourself with
VAERS (follow instructions for online reporting).
Can I get a Mercury-free Flu Vaccine?
Mercury-free flu vaccines are available and
meet the requirements of the mercury-limiting law that went into effect in
Washington State on
July 1, 2007. The law requires that pregnant women and kids under age
three
be given vaccines that are mercury-free (or thimerosal-free).
Thimerosal is a preservative still used in some vaccines to prevent
contamination. Thimerosal contains a
type of mercury called ethylmercury. Studies show that ethylmercury breaks
down and leaves the body more quickly than methylmercury (the type of
mercury found in the environment). A thimerosal-free influenza vaccine is defined as having less
than 1.0 microgram of mercury per 0.5 milliliter dose.
Ask your doctor, nurse, or clinic about mercury-free flu vaccines for you or
your child or if you have more questions about this law.
Can Washington's legal limits on mercury in
flu vaccines be suspended?
Yes. The secretary of health can temporarily
suspend Washington's legal mercury (thimerosal) limit for a vaccine for
two reasons:
-
If there is an outbreak of a
vaccine-preventable disease.
-
If there is a shortage of vaccine available
to protect the public health against vaccine-preventable diseases.
Where can I find more information about the
recent suspension of Washington State mercury limits on certain flu
vaccines?
On July 1, 2011, the secretary of health
temporarily suspended Washington's limit on the amount of mercury (thimerosal)
allowed in flu vaccine given to pregnant women and kids under three who
are allergic to latex. The thimerosal-free
flu vaccine comes in single-dose syringes, which may have small amounts
of latex in the tip cap. This suspension allows people at risk of an
allergic reaction to latex to choose whether or not they want to get
vaccinated.
For more information, visit the Washington
State Department of Health's
Flu Vaccine Mercury Suspension Web page.
What are the concerns with certain flu
vaccine and reports of seizures from high fever (febrile seizures)?
The FDA and the CDC saw a rise in the
number of reports to the
Vaccine Adverse
Event Reporting System (VAERS) of
febrile seizures (seizures from high fever) after vaccination with
Fluzone vaccine for kids under age two.
The swift investigation of these reports about
Fluzone (made by sanofi pasteur), shows that VAERS works by pointing out
possible problems. FDA and CDC will continue to monitor reports,
communicate findings, and make recommendations for improvements if
necessary.
Another brand of flu vaccine called Afluria is
related to a vaccine associated with fevers and fever-related seizures
in young children in Australia. It should not be given to children eight
years and younger, except in special circumstances. Ask your doctor for
more information.
In the cases reported, all kids recovered with no lasting effects. We
have no reports of seizures related to high fever in Washington State.
There are no changes in recommendations for childhood flu vaccination.
Find more information about febrile seizures and the safety of Fluzone
vaccine on the
FDA website. You can also check with your health care provider if
you have specific questions or concerns about this vaccine.
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Good Health Habits
Protect
yourself and others--use good health habits
Take these simple
precautions to help prevent the spread of flu and other lung and breathing (respiratory) diseases:
- Get a flu vaccine every year.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your upper sleeve, not your bare
hand.
- Use a tissue to wipe your nose, then throw the tissue away.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.
If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand gel or disposable
wipes.
- Stay home and away from others while you or
your family members are
sick.
- Wear a mask to cover your face in a medical office, if asked.
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Antibiotics
Important information about antibiotics
Antibiotics don't work against viruses such as colds or influenza. If you take
antibiotics for a viral illness, you could develop resistant germs or "superbugs."
Then, when you really need the antibiotic for a serious bacterial
infection, it may not work.
Find
more information on our antibiotics page.
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