Seasonal flu is a disease that affects millions of people every year. The most favorable time for the disease is autumn and winter, when the human immunity is weakened and does not cope with viruses so effectively. Different strains of viruses can cause the development of an acute respiratory disease, but, despite the nature of the pathogen, the symptoms are very similar in all cases. The patient has a fever, a sore throat, a runny nose, a cough and a headache.
Flu shot
In order to prevent the onset of many infectious diseases, vaccination is carried out. After the opening of the first vaccine, doctors saved hundreds of millions of lives. Millions of people are vaccinated against the flu every year, because the vaccine is still considered the main preventive method in the fight against infections.
Sometimes, potential patients have the question: do you need a flu shot? The vaccine is a weakened viral material that is not able to multiply in the body. When a person is injected with vaccination material, the set of proteins of which is identical to the active virus, his immune system begins to produce antibodies against this virus.
Time for vaccination
It is best to be vaccinated against influenza in the fall (from September to November), because the epidemic of this disease at this time becomes widespread. A flu shot is given to children and adults. It is not recommended to vaccinate the vaccine in spring or summer, as the number of antibodies decreases over time, and the effect of it is no longer so strong.
You can get a flu shot after the outbreak. If the vaccination was carried out, and the next day a person was infected, the vaccine will not worsen the course of the disease. The flu will be much worse if the vaccine is not given, there is even a risk of serious complications.
Who needs vaccination?
To date, vaccinations are already given to babies from 6 months of age. There is a category of people who need a flu shot first. In the high-risk zone - elderly people, patients who are in hospital, pregnant. It is necessary to vaccinate children and adolescents (from 6 months to 18 years old), especially if they have used aspirin for a long time for the purpose of treatment. Such patients can have severe complications after the flu. This category includes people with kidney, lung, heart problems, metabolic disorders, patients with immunodeficiency, with hemoglobulinopathies, with staphylococcal infection, as well as students and schoolchildren who are constantly in society.
Flu shot: contraindications
The main material for the manufacture of the vaccine are chicken embryos. Not every organism is susceptible to them, and there are a number of cases where a flu shot is not recommended. Contraindications relate primarily to those patients who suffer from an allergic reaction to chicken protein. Do not vaccinate people during an exacerbation of chronic diseases. Vaccination is undesirable for another two weeks after the final recovery, because the body is weakened and may not respond properly.
Do not vaccinate patients with progressive forms of neurological diseases, as well as allergies to influenza vaccines.
What is flu?
The disease belongs to the category of acute viral infections, is accompanied by a general infection syndrome in a pronounced form and affects the respiratory tract. Not all patients are aware of the danger of this disease. In some cases, the flu begins with a cough, fever and runny nose, and may result in the death of the patient. Statistics show that every year about 40 thousand people from developed countries die from the flu and the complications caused by it.
Types of influenza
The causative agent of the virus is divided into three independent types: A, B and C. A constant mutation of the virus, which leads to a change in its antigenic structure, leads to the fact that qualitatively new varieties of the influenza virus are actively appearing and multiplying. The danger to the population lies in the fact that immunity to them has not yet developed in the human body, so the virus infects the patient and can cause unpredictable complications. The transmission of the influenza virus from a sick person is carried out by airborne droplets, which allows it to spread to all categories of the population.
Type A flu instantly spreads to large areas and is pandemic or epidemic. Local distribution of influenza B virus allows you to record its individual outbreaks and take measures in time. Sporadic outbreaks of infection cause influenza type C.
The benefits of vaccination
Vaccination helps the body to develop strong immunity, which will help to avoid getting the flu. Even if the vaccinated person caught the infection, then the disease proceeds without complications and in a milder form than those who refused vaccination. Specific prophylaxis is carried out by live and inactivated vaccines. The flu shot for children over three years of age is of domestic origin. Imported vaccines, which have all the necessary licenses, are intended for children aged 6 to 12 months.
The maximum amount of antibody is reached 14 days after vaccination. The annual vaccination is due to the fact that the vaccine provides the body with short-term immunity (6-12 months). Vaccination should be given before and during the epidemic season.
Flu vaccines
Influenza vaccines are divided into several types. The first is live vaccines. They are made from strains of the virus that are safe for humans. With intranasal administration, they contribute to the development of local immunity. Vaccination is carried out before the start of the epidemic period. Live vaccines vary depending on whether they are intended for children or adults.
Persons over 7 years of age are prescribed inactivated vaccines. It is a concentrated and purified influenza virus grown on chicken embryos and inactivated by UV radiation and formalin. Inactivated vaccines include influenza liquid chromatographic, centrifugal and eluate-centrifuge.
Subunit and split vaccines have domestic and imported varieties. These include drugs such as Grippol, Agrippal, Begrivak, Vaksigripp, Influvak, Fluarix.
Refusal of vaccination
Increasingly, people refuse vaccination. This is explained by the fact that often after an inoculation against influenza, unwanted reactions of the body to the material occur. Illiterate administration, poor quality of the vaccine, or failure to follow the rules after vaccination leads to complications. Another reason for refusing vaccinations is that parents consider it harmful to their child’s health.
You can refuse all vaccinations or from a specific one. The refusal of the flu vaccine must be argued and the polyclinic workers must be notified of this decision.
There are a number of cases where medical professionals have confirmed that an influenza vaccine is undesirable. Contraindications relate primarily to the state of health of the child when he suffered an injury or is sick. But after the baby’s condition is normalized, they still have to be vaccinated.
To refuse vaccination, you must write a special application in two copies (one for yourself, and the second for the school, kindergarten or clinic). The application must be registered in the journal of documents of the institution, it must contain: decrypted signature, number, document number, seal. It is also worth remembering that refusal of vaccinations is a decision to take responsibility for the diseases against which vaccination is carried out.
The consequences of refusing vaccinations
Not always refusing a flu shot (sample is below) is the right decision on the part of the parents. Preventive vaccinations are protected by law, and their absence complicates the lives of citizens. So, they are forbidden to travel to countries that require specific vaccinations. Citizens may be temporarily denied admission to health or educational institutions, especially if there is a threat of epidemics or infectious diseases. In the absence of the necessary vaccinations, citizens have problems in hiring, where there is a risk of infection with infectious diseases. In other words, unvaccinated children and adults are not allowed into the team if there is a suspicion of an epidemic.
The consequences of a flu shot
A flu shot, the contraindications to which have already been carefully studied, can also adversely affect human health. It is about the occurrence of side effects. Before vaccination, it is necessary to undergo an examination and consult a doctor. Maximum caution should be exercised in case of vaccination of children, pregnant women and the elderly. The vaccine does not save from all diseases (in this case, from the flu) at all, but it significantly reduces the possibility of infection. Untimely vaccination can lead to flu. But even in this case, it will be much easier to transfer the disease than abandoning the vaccine.
After vaccination, allergic reactions and chronic diseases can worsen. To avoid this, you need to warn the doctor about their availability. Children should be vaccinated only healthy, because even a slight runny nose during vaccination can turn into insomnia for the child, loss of concentration and a decrease in immunity. You must also follow the rules for caring for the vaccine to avoid local problems on the skin. If the body somehow reacted to previous vaccinations, then it is worth giving up on subsequent ones.