Flu shot: Your best bet for avoiding influenza

This year's annual flu shot will offer protection against three or four of the influenza viruses expected to be in circulation this flu season. A high-dose flu vaccine also will be available for adults age 65 and older.

Influenza is a respiratory infection that can cause serious complications, particularly in young children, older adults and people with certain medical conditions. Getting an influenza vaccine — though not 100% effective — is the best way to prevent the misery of the flu and its complications.

Doctors and nurses are encouraged to begin vaccinating people as soon as the flu vaccine is available in their areas, usually sometime in August. So, the time to get your flu shot is now!

It takes up to two weeks to build immunity after a flu shot, but you can benefit from the vaccine even if you don't get it until after the flu season starts. It's usually best for people in the United States to get their flu vaccine by the end of October. However, you can still protect yourself against late flu outbreaks if you get the vaccine in February or later.

When you get vaccinated, your immune system produces antibodies to protect you from the viruses included in the vaccine. But antibody levels may decline over time — another reason to get a flu shot every year.

The CDC recommends annual influenza vaccinations for everyone age 6 months or older. Chronic medical conditions, including asthma and diabetes, also can increase your risk of influenza complications. Check with your doctor before receiving a flu vaccine if you are allergic to eggs or had a previous severe reaction to a previous flu vaccine.

The flu vaccine will be available as an injection or as a nasal spray. In recent years, there was concern that the nasal spray flu vaccine wasn't effective enough against certain types of flu. The nasal spray vaccine is expected to be more effective in the 2019-2020 season. The nasal spray vaccine is approved for people between 2 and 49 years old. The flu vaccine can also be delivered by an injection that's usually given in a muscle in the arm.

The flu vaccine can't give you the flu. But you might develop flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches and fever for a day or two after receiving the vaccine due to the body’s response to the proteins in the vaccine. But, even then, it’s still protective and those symptoms are not as severe as the flu.

The flu vaccine is your best defense against the flu, but there are additional steps you can take to help protect yourself from the flu and other viruses. These steps include the following:

  • Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water.
  • Use an alcohol-based sanitizer on your hands if soap and water aren't available.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth whenever possible.
  • Avoid crowds when the flu is most prevalent in your area.
  • Practice good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, drink plenty of fluids, eat a nutritious diet and manage your stress.
  • You can also help prevent the spread of the flu by staying home if you do get sick.

If you receive your flu vaccine at an LPS-sponsored vaccination clinic, remember to bring your most current insurance card. Click on Lincoln Public Schools Immunization Clinics to sign up and for more information on the clinics. Flu vaccine is also readily available at a variety of locations in the community.

This is also a great time to review your vaccination record and make sure you are up to date on all vaccinations. With the recent outbreaks of measles, mumps and pertussis, you will want to make sure you are protected.

- Julie Frederick, BSN, RN, NCSN, LPS Health Services Coordinator

Resources: www.cdc.gov/flu, Prevention Magazine 2019, Mayo Clinic 2019


Published: October 2, 2019, Updated: October 2, 2019