Vaccination against influenza is one of the few methods that can effectively prevent the onset of influenza or reduce the risk of complications from infection. Vaccination against influenza allows children and adults to get rid of the disease much quicker and to protect the immune system from possible dysfunctions and weakening.
Why do I need a flu vaccine?
Not so long ago, the flu was considered a difficult curable disease, since when it appeared in humans, a number of symptoms developed, which adversely affected the whole body condition. In addition to fever and poor health, a person could have a serious fever.
First of all, the flu suffers from respiratory system and heart. The level of protection of the immune system with influenza is so low that in most cases this early always led to extensive epidemics and deaths. Only with a happy coincidence, the patient could overcome the disease and come to a full recovery.
Today, medicine has been able to create drugs that meet all the pharmacological requirements that protect against the flu and can significantly reduce the incidence rate even in particularly favorable for the flu season.
The use of influenza vaccine is recommended, as it allows solving a number of such problems: 
- Reduces the danger of getting a dangerous virus;
- Eliminates the possibility of complications;
- Safely develops the resistance of the body's defense system to viruses;
- Facilitates the progression of the disease when infected;
- Protects other people from possible infection;
- Prevents the epidemic from developing.
The vaccine allows you to create a degree of protection, which reaches up to 70%.This is a fairly high indicator, which can relieve not only of the flu, but also of a number of respiratory ailments. It is especially important to vaccinate against children, since even 20% of vaccinated children in the team, be it kindergarten or school, exclude the possibility of an epidemic.
In science, a vaccine against influenza is referred to as a trivaccine. In its composition there are active antibodies, which react to extraneous bacteria, that is, viruses. The drug activates the immune system to fight a certain type of harmful microorganisms, which in the future allows the body to recognize them and successfully destroy them.
If you get a flu shot, this will not give you a full guarantee that you will not get sick. The thing is that the vaccine provides partial protection. But, one way or another, after making the coveted vaccination, you will recover faster and will not have to stay in bed for a few weeks.
How effective the vaccine will be depends on a number of factors, namely:
- Vaccine quality;
- Features of the human body;
- Quality of living conditions in which the person is.
Given the large number of influenza vaccine names, it should be remembered that if you have been vaccinated against one type of disease, then there is no guarantee that you will not get another type of vaccine.
What kind of flu vaccines are there?
In medicine, there are two main types of influenza vaccines. Each of them is used in accordance with the testimony of the person to whom the vaccination is prescribed.
- Traditional vaccination - is an ordinary shot, carried out by injecting a substance into the human body through a needle. In this case, a person is injected with dead vaccines that cause the immune response to react to foreign bodies, forcing him to fight the virus. This type of vaccination is the most common and habitual for society.
- Aerosol spraying is a more advanced and modern form of fighting the flu. This method involves the dispersion of live and active vaccines through the nose, which then enter the body and act on the same principle as the usual vaccine. This method is famous for its great convenience and ability to handle a larger number of patients. However, the aerosol from the flu is contraindicated in pregnant and lactating women, as the substance can adversely affect fetal development and lactation.
Every year, scientists have to develop a new formula for a flu vaccine, since the old one, in most cases, becomes ineffective after the first morbidity season.
Today in the hands of doctors there are more than a dozen vaccines that are used not only in the countries of the former USSR, but also in Europe - Germany, Italy, France and other countries.
Categories of people who need vaccination
Vaccinations do not have strict medical indications and are made purely at the request of a person. However, there are a number of recommendations and opinions that make it necessary to vaccinate a particular type of people. The thing is that there are groups of people who are more prone to the incidence of influenza. In such groups, the disease often flows into complications in the form of pneumonia, bronchitis, meningitis, encephalitis.
So, it is recommended to undergo annual vaccination to the following groups of people:
- Elderly with chronic diseases;
- Children with chronic diseases;
- Children older than 6 months;
- Adult people with diseases of the lungs, heart, kidneys, liver;
- People with oncological diseases;
- People with diabetes mellitus, with low immunity resistance;
- People with disabilities and people living in nursing homes;
- Medical staff.
Others who do not have significant problems with immunity to people, can be vaccinated at will. For example, in a case where you live in an area where the climate is cold enough, it makes sense to think about strengthening your immunity. Also, if you are a young parent and are afraid of accidentally infecting your child, vaccination will help to solve this problem. Long-term business trips and travel also involve carrying out this procedure.
Why do I need to be vaccinated every year?
Annual vaccination allows to protect a person from the risk of the disease exactly on the interval for which the medicine is calculated. Most people choose to ignore this precautionary measure, since the flu has recently ceased to be something incurable and frightening. After all, the flu is perfectly treated with medicines and antibiotics. But doctors have this view, there are many arguments that are designed to convince those who do not see the benefits of using the vaccine.
According to social surveys, many people are afraid to get vaccinated because of an excessively high risk of developing allergic reactions. In particular, this problem is observed in young children. But, despite this, the immune system needs additional support, which will provide the body with protection.
Why can not we ignore influenza vaccinations when it comes to children? The thing is that new strains of the virus appear with each new season. If adults, having had at least a few of them, have an already established protective system that will fight the flu, then with young children, everything is much more complicated. The young organism has never before encountered viruses, so its system is not capable of resisting such an attack.
If the child has an allergy, then after the examination the doctor in most cases allows the procedure, but with mandatory intake of antihistamines. In rare exceptions, the child is contraindicated with injections when the question concerns his state of health and further normal development.
The child who is first vaccinated against influenza should be observed with the doctor. In the absence of the formed immunity, a double vaccination is carried out, which takes place with an interval of 4 weeks. If, for personal reasons, parents decided to refuse to be re-vaccinated, they should be ready for what the pediatrician will recommend next year to instill the child twice.
Flu vaccinations in combination with proper nutrition, hardening and exercise are guaranteed to protect you from meeting flu and viral infections. Thanks to such prevention, you can freely enjoy your life and not think about illnesses.
How is vaccination carried out?
Vaccination against influenza is habitually carried out in two ways. However, before the vaccine is done, a person should be examined by the doctor beforehand to rule out the possible risk of unpredictable reactions.
Classically, the vaccine is injected through a syringe into the shoulder, into the deltoid muscle region. After the vaccination, it is forbidden to wet the injection site, as it can lead to an increase in the area of redness, and also the appearance of itching. Vaccination does not imply any restriction in food or beverages.
Children are most often vaccinated by using aerosol, in advance, saying that they are ordinary drops in the nose. The procedure is absolutely painless and does not require compliance with any recommendations of the doctor after its implementation. This type of injection reacts less strongly to viruses, so it does not always give the expected results. Children, as well as adults, can be vaccinated in the upper part of the shoulder.
Vaccination against influenza: contraindications and side effects of
Despite the fact that flu vaccinations are very effective in fighting the virus, vaccination is not available to all categories of patients. For example, it is contraindicated if the person has the following problems:
- Pregnancy.
- Asthma is bronchial.
- Diseases and dysfunction of the kidneys and adrenal glands.
- Diseases of the blood.
- Chronic diseases of the respiratory tract and lungs.
- Diseases of the nervous system.
- Cardiovascular failure.
- Hypertension.
- Exacerbation of any chronic disease.
This is why, before carrying out the vaccination, it is worth consulting with a competent doctor who will tell you exactly whether it is possible to vaccinate or better to refrain from this safety measure.
Vaccination against influenza can cause a number of side effects of .They are divided into local and system. Local side effects are expressed in the redness and swelling of the injection site, a slight itch is possible. Systemic side effects are more global and consist in resistance to the vaccine of the whole organism.
As the scientists note, almost 50 million cases of vaccination, 23 of which are fatal, in 25 cases, neuropathy occurs. To avoid the occurrence of allergic reactions, in modern medicine, subunit vaccines are increasingly being used. Speaking of the inactivated or the so-called dead vaccine, the side effects in this case are as follows:
- Redness.
- Moderate soreness.
- Swelling of the skin at the site of injection.
- Pains of different nature.
- Body temperature rise.
Most often, these symptoms last for 1-2 days and occur immediately after vaccination.
When using an active or live new generation vaccine that is used as a nasal spray, there are also side effects. Children under 17 years of age often report having symptoms such as:
- Moderate muscular pain.
- Nausea.
- Indigestion.
- Runny nose.
Adults aged 18 to 50 also experienced the side effects of such vaccinations. Among them:
- Sore throat.
- Runny nose.
- Feeling of weakness.
- Headache.
- Cough.
- Chills.
These side effects do not always occur. In some cases, vaccination occurs asymptomatically and reliably protects a person from the virus during an epidemic.
The most common questions
Vaccination against influenza causes the decision to address a doctor a lot of questions. The main and most frequent questions are:
Question: Is it true that the influenza virus succumbs to a mutation every year and vaccination may not affect a person at all?
- Modern vaccines contain influenza strains in the last three seasons. This means that the mutation of the virus is provided by the composition of the drug. In rare cases, when a person becomes infected with the flu after vaccination, the course of the disease is either asymptomatic or the disease manifests itself in a lighter form. Also, annual vaccination involves adapting the human immune system to any changes in the form of influenza.
Question: Why did not previously get such flu vaccines?
The whole point is that the purchase of a vaccine is very expensive and not every state is able to introduce vaccination into the national schedule of all vaccinations. Introduction to the plan for a vaccine against influenza is a measure that can protect the population of the state from the epidemic and costly struggle against its consequences. The vaccine is especially needed for children and the elderly, since the organisms of these categories of the population cope with the virus very hard. This often pushes the body to complications. Among them:
- Pneumonia.
- Bronchitis.
- Otitis.
- Sinusitis.
- Toxic complications resulting in disability.
Cases of complications require urgent hospitalization of patients. That is why cases of death from influenza often occur when the disease occurs in the elderly and children.
Question: Why are people afraid to vaccinate?
The very idea that a weakened virus, capable of causing the appearance of immunity to it, is introduced into the human body - leads some to shock. Especially often in a panic fall young mothers. Often this leads to whole epidemics of influenza, quarantines and high mortality. Thus, the refusal of mothers to vaccinate their children against measles, influenza and rubella, a few years ago, will lead to a sharp increase in these diseases among children.
Question: Can I get a flu shot to children under 3 years of age and does it make sense?
It is optimal to vaccinate children for the first time when they go to kindergarten( approximately 3-4 years).Before this age it is better to refrain from vaccination and instill only family members of the child with whom he is in constant contact. For children it is better to use subunit type of vaccines. The reason is that the content of these vaccines is based on surface antigens. In general, the vaccination is shown from 6 months after the birth of the baby, while the inactivated vaccine is used.
Question: Is vaccination in an epidemic safe?
The best option is vaccination in advance. Vaccination against influenza during the height of its epidemic does not pose a threat to human health, but it may not have time to act, which is why doctors do not give absolute protection against influenza. The protective function after grafting is formed only after 2 weeks. In fact, the most terrible is the occurrence of complications after a previous illness. After all, most people do not die from influenza, but from pneumonia due to it or due to toxic complications.
Question: Is it necessary to be examined before vaccination?
The doctor is guaranteed to perform a temperature measurement, also the doctor conducts a survey to identify the patient's allergic reaction to antibiotics of a certain species or chicken protein.
Question: Where should I get vaccinated and can I do it myself?
Vaccination is performed exclusively under the supervision of a doctor in a medical institution. There are private rooms and specialized private clinics that conduct examination and vaccination of patients. And in winter, in many polyclinics, special rooms are opened in which vaccination is produced.
Do not vaccinate yourself by any means. This is due to the fact that patients are not sufficiently aware of the contraindications of such drugs. You can buy the vaccine at the pharmacy, but hope that vaccination will not give side effects all the same, it's not worth it. Consultation of a specialist before vaccination is mandatory.
Question: In what period is vaccination most appropriate?
Outbreaks of epidemics occur during the cold season. The most dangerous period is October-November. Prepare for an epidemic is worth it in advance. Thus, the optimal period when it is worth protecting your body against the flu is mid-end of September.
Question: Where should the vaccine be stored?
Drugs from influenza are quite stable, but they still need to be stored in certain conditions. The most successful environment for a vaccine is a refrigerator, the temperature in its chamber should be 2-8 degrees. Also, in no case should the vaccine be frozen. After that, it ceases to function.
