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Everyone 6 months of age and older should get the flu vaccine. Seasonal flu vaccines have a very good safety track record.
The 2011-2012 flu vaccine protects against an influenza A H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus and the 2009 H1N1 virus.
Everyone 6 months of age and older should get the flu vaccine. It is especially important to get the vaccine if you, someone you live with, or someone you care for is at high risk of complications from the flu.
Get the vaccine as soon as it is available in your area. Flu season usually peaks in January or February, but it can occur as late as May. Early immunization is the most effective, but it is not too late to get the vaccine in December, January, or beyond.
Rear Admiral Anne Schuchat, M.D., Director, National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The flu vaccine will protect you for one flu season. The flu vaccine is designed to protect you from the strains of flu that are expected to circulate that flu season.
There are two types of vaccines, the flu shot and the nasal spray.
The flu shot is:
The nasal spray is:
Flu vaccines (the flu shot and nasal spray) cause antibodies to develop in the body. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are in the vaccine.
It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against influenza virus infection. In the meantime, you are still at risk for getting the flu. That's why it's better to get vaccinated early in the fall, before the flu season really gets under way.
Seasonal flu vaccines have a very good safety track record. Although there are possible side-effects to vaccination, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration closely monitor the safety of seasonal flu vaccines.
Possible mild side effects of the flu shot include:
Possible mild side effects of the nasal spray include:
Mild side effects usually begin soon after you get the shot and last one to two days.
Possible serious side effects of vaccination include:
Serious side effects usually begin within a few minutes to a few hours after receiving the shot. If you experience any of these reactions, seek medical attention immediately.
Contact your health care provider immediately if you have a serious reaction to the flu vaccine. Your health care provider should report your reaction to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). You can also file a report yourself. All serious reactions should be reported, even if you aren’t sure it was caused by the flu vaccine. VAERS uses this data to help identify serious reactions that may need further investigation.
If your reaction results in a serious injury, you may qualify for compensation from the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). VICP provides compensation for vaccine-related injury or death claims for covered vaccines given on or after October 1, 1988.
No, you cannot get the flu from the flu shot or the nasal spray. The flu shot contains inactivated (killed) flu viruses that cannot cause illness. The nasal spray contains weakened live viruses. The weakened viruses only cause infection in the cooler temperatures found in the nose. The viruses cannot infect the lungs or other areas in the body where warmer temperatures exist.
Most health insurance plans cover the cost of vaccines, but you should check with your insurance company before visiting your health care provider.
If you do not have insurance or if it does not cover vaccines, help is available.
Talk to your health care provider about vaccination if you have:
Last syndicated: September 19, 2012
This content is brought to you by: Flu.gov