Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Recommendations

Many More Should be Receiving Influenza Vaccines

Oct 6, 2009 Lawrence DiVizio

It is common knowledge that the seasonal influenza vaccine should be used but a much larger portion of the population should be taking advantage of this protection.

When someone gets a flu shot, what he is getting is more than a vaccine for a single illness, says the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Ga. Each year health organizations around the world monitor the strains of influenza that are making their way across the globe.

Influenza Viruses

From this information, the flu shot form of the vaccine is formulated to contain dead versions of three viruses; influenza A (h3n2), regular seasonal A (H1N1), not the 2009 variant, and one B virus. A separate immunization is needed for the 2009 variant of the H1N1 virus, commonly known as “swine flu”.

New to the mix is the vaccine in the form of a nasal spray, instead of the normal injection. With this compound, the viruses are not dead, but instead weakened to the point that they will cause an immune response as needed, but not the illness. This is recommended for healthy individuals from 2 to 49-years-old.

The nasal spray version is not to be used by pregnant women, the CDC says, and neither vaccine should be used by the following:

• People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
• People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination.
• People who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine.
• Children less than 6 months of age (influenza vaccine is not approved for this age group)
• People who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever (they should wait until they recover to get vaccinated.)

With either vaccine, it takes approximately 2-weeks for the human body to reach a full immune response after it is given.

Influenza Vaccination Guidelines

Based on the recommendations of the CDC, which are followed by most doctors, every child from the age of 6-months to 18-years-old should be getting a flu shot. This helps prevent, the CDC states, a wide spread outbreak of the flu among those who are with the most people; children in schools. This is why the vaccine is also recommended for those living in college dorms or other high population density housing, the CDC guidelines point out.

For many years, going beyond this group was the recommendation that senior citizens should also be taking advantage of the influenza vaccine. And with mass immunization programs among the elderly at senior homes and through their doctors, this has been successful. What was added in the past 10-years is the recommendation that the age group be lowered. In this case the CDC has recommended that anyone over 50-years-old have the vaccine. This leaves a group of individuals in the country from 19 – 49-years-old out, but it is only by their choice. With the prevalence of the vaccine, it is available to those who want it.

Where the larger concern comes in is those who have underlying health conditions that take the flu from inconvenient, to possibly fatal. And this group is not limited to those who are considered “ill”, it also includes woman who are pregnant or who plan on being pregnant during flu season.

Patients with heart, kidney, and liver or lung diseases should receive the influenza vaccine, along with those suffering from diabetes, asthma, anemia and other blood disorders. Individuals with weakened immune systems should also have the seasonal influenza vaccine. This group includes patients receiving long term treatment with steroids, which suppress the immune system, cancer patients receiving chemo or radiation therapy and HIV/AIDS infected individuals. This is also extended to those with neuromuscular diseases such as someone prone to seizures or with cerebral palsy. The reasoning behind this group is the possibility the illness could lead to swallowing or breathing problems, causing the effects of influenza to be more extreme.

One group of individuals requiring the flu vaccine is children receiving long term aspirin treatment. This happens in various groups of children with rather rare diseases. The logic in this recommendation, according to the CDC, is that children being treated with aspirin that contract a virus such as influenza will be at risk of developing Reye’s Syndrome.

Finally, healthcare workers and first responders, such as police and fire personnel are routinely given the seasonal influenza vaccine. Again this limits the number of individuals who could carry the illness to others and protects the workers from the disease in their day-to-day work.

Influenza Vaccination Sites

As far as where to find the vaccine, the CDC through their web site Flu.Gov, offers an interactive map that links to state health departments for the entire nation. Not only will this map provide information on where to receive the seasonal influenza vaccine, but also provides those locations where the 2009 H1N1 vaccine will be available. Plans are in the works for a search-via-zip code system on the site to allow better and more accurate searches for locations offering immunizations. Current information from the CDC says that the system should be up and running within the next two weeks.

One of the best places to find flu shot clinics are health departments in communities across the country. This information can be found by contacting local health departments where many times immunizations are provided at a discounted cost. The CDC communicates daily with the agencies allowing for greater flow of vaccines to the locations in need.

Finally a source for seasonal flu vaccines is retail sites such as big-box retail stores, drug stores and of course local health care providers. Many times health insurance companies will cover any fees associated with receiving the vaccine. According to a client representative with Health Alliance Plan in Michigan, if a member receives the vaccine at a retail store, the bill can be forwarded to the insurer for reimbursement.

With the seasonal influenza vaccine in wide distribution and the 2009 H1N1 vaccine just being released, now is the time to prepare for the coming flu season.

The copyright of the article Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Recommendations in General Medicine is owned by Lawrence DiVizio. Permission to republish Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Recommendations in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Seasoanl Influenza Vaccine is Offers Protecton

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