Today everyone is talking about vaccination. Modern society has divided into two large camps: those who are for and who are against vaccination. In this article I want to tell you in what cases and where to get the flu shot.
Why is it necessary
Doctors have long been saying that flu vaccination is a very important point in the prevention of this disease. And although after the introduction of the vaccine it is far from always possible to avoid the disease, nevertheless, the flu then proceeds in a mild form. And such problems as complications or infection by contact with the patient are completely impossible.
Who needs this?
Before deciding where to get the flu shot, you need to say for whom it might be required.
- Children whose age is from 6 months to 18 years.
- People over the age of 50.
- Patients with chronic diseases of the lungs, bronchi, heart.
- Those who have diseases such as diabetes, anemia.
- Pregnant women (whose term of gestation is at least 14 weeks).
To whom vaccination is contraindicated
Where they get the flu shot, you can learn more about this later. At this stage, I want to talk about for whom such a procedure is prohibited:
- People who have chicken intolerance. After all, the vaccine is a mix of proteins and other medications.
- It is not recommended to vaccinate those people whose previous vaccination caused certain complications.
- You can not be vaccinated for those with exacerbated chronic diseases or allergic reactions.
It is worth remembering that a completely healthy person should be vaccinated. If the patient recently underwent surgery, he had severe inflammatory processes, there is weakness or fever - in this case, vaccination should be postponed for about a month.
Where to do
It's time to figure out where and where they get the flu shot. So, at the very beginning, it must be said that vaccination can be carried out in any medical institution that has a state license. This can be not only an immunological center, but even a regular clinic. The procedure is carried out by a qualified specialist in the medical industry in the “vaccination” room. Vaccination itself is carried out in two main ways:
- By injection.
- By instillation of special drops in the nose, i.e. intranasally.
If vaccination is given by injection, then it can be done:
- In the upper third part of the arm, forearm.
- Alternatively, the vaccine may be administered to the thigh.
- In the buttocks, vaccination is not carried out, because it is very difficult to get the muscles in this case. There is a risk of introducing the medicine into the subcutaneous layer.
Intravenous, subcutaneous or intradermal administration of the vaccine is not used, as it is ineffective.
Kids
When and where do children get their flu shot before the first year of life? So, the smallest children need to be vaccinated no earlier than the 6th month of life. The medicine is administered to babies twice. This is very important, since for children this infection can be very dangerous. The injection to even the smallest patients is predominantly done in the forearm. However, if the baby does not want or cannot sit in one place, the child can be given an injection in the thigh. To do this, mainly split vaccines are used. They have minimal reactogenicity and maximum efficiency for this category of patients.
Older children
It is necessary to separately understand when and where the flu vaccine is given to children at the age of 12, i.e., older children and adolescents. So, all those children who attend children's educational institutions - kindergartens, schools need to be vaccinated against this disease. Indeed, influenza virus infection in student groups is extremely high. An injection is also given to the upper arm. If the child is afraid of injections and does not want to be vaccinated, you can also administer the vaccine in the thigh (it is most convenient to hold the baby in this position).
Adults
“Where do adults get the flu shot?” - a frequently asked question. Again, mainly in the hand (as an alternative, vaccination can be given in the thigh). It is also worth mentioning that it is also very important for adults to get vaccinated. After all, their incidence is also high. And the disease most often proceeds with complications. And with age, the patient’s body is becoming increasingly difficult to deal with various viruses and infections.
About vaccines
A few words are worth saying about the vaccines themselves. So, they are created separately for each region, given the many important factors. If there is a desire to be vaccinated, it is best to take the drug that the specialized medical institution offers. It is not recommended to buy a vaccine on your own. If vaccination is supposed to be by injection, then the following drugs are most often used: Influvac, Fluppol, Vaxigripp. If vaccination is carried out intranasally, a drug such as Ultravak is used mainly.