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| Other drug names: | A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0-9 |
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Influenza (flu) is a contagious disease. It is caused by the influenza virus, which can be spread by coughing, sneezing, or nasal secretions. Other illnesses can have the same symptoms and are often mistaken for influenza. But only an illness caused by the influenza virus is really influenza.
Anyone can get influenza, but rates of infection are highest among children. For most people, it lasts only a few days. It can cause: fever, sore throat, chills, fatigue, cough, headache, and muscle aches.
Some people get much sicker. Influenza can lead to pneumonia and can be dangerous for people with heart or breathing conditions. It can cause high fever, diarrhea and seizures in children. On average, 226,000 people are hospitalized every year because of influenza and 36,000 die - mostly elderly.
Influenza vaccine can prevent influenza.
There are two types of influenza vaccine:
Influenza viruses are always changing. Because of this, influenza vaccines are updated every year, and an annual vaccination is recommended.
Each year scientists try to match the viruses in the vaccine to those most likely to cause flu that year. When there is a close match the vaccine protects most people from serious influenza-related illness. But even when the there is not a close match, the vaccine provides some protection. Influenza vaccine will not prevent “influenza-like” illnesses caused by other viruses.
It takes about 2 weeks for protection to develop after the vaccination. Protection lasts up to a year.
LAIV does not contain thimerosal or other preservatives.
LAIV is approved for people from 2 through 49 years of age, who are not pregnant and do not have certain health conditions. Influenza vaccination is recommended for people who can spread influenza to others at high risk, such as:
Health care providers may also recommend a yearly influenza vaccination for:
Influenza vaccine is also recommended for anyone who wants to reduce the likelihood of becoming ill with influenza or spreading influenza to others.
LAIV is not licensed for everyone. The following people should get the inactivated vaccine (flu shot) instead:
Tell your doctor if you ever had Guillain-Barré syndrome (a severe paralytic illness also called GBS). You may be able to get the vaccine, but your doctor should help you make the decision.
The flu shot is preferred for people (including healthcare workers, and family members) in close contact with anyone who has a severely weakened immune system (requiring care in a protected environment, such as a bone marrow transplant unit). People in close contact with those whose immune systems are less severely weakened (including those with HIV) may get LAIV. Anyone with a nasal condition serious enough to make breathing difficult, such as a very stuffy nose, should get the flu shot instead.
Some people should talk with a doctor before getting either influenza vaccine:
Plan to get influenza vaccine in October or November if you can. But getting it in December, or even later, will still be beneficial in most years. You can get the vaccine as soon as it is available, and for as long as illness is occurring in your community. Influenza illness can occur any time from November through May, but it most often peaks in January or February.
Most people need one dose of influenza vaccine each year. Children younger than 9 years of age getting influenza vaccine for the first time, or who got influenza vaccine for the first time last season but got only one dose, should get two doses, at least 4 weeks apart, to be protected.
LAIV may be given at the same time as other vaccines.
A vaccine, like any medicine, could possibly cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. The risk of a vaccine causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small. Live influenza vaccine viruses rarely spread from person to person. Even if they do, they are not likely to cause illness. LAIV is made from weakened virus and does not cause influenza. The vaccine can cause mild symptoms in people who get it (see below).
Mild Problems (In children and adolescents 2-17 years of age):
Mild Problems (In adults 18-49 years of age):
These symptoms did not last long and went away on their own. Although they can occur after vaccination, they may not have been caused by the vaccine.
Severe Problems:
What should I look for?
What should I do?
A federal program exists to help pay for the care of anyone who has a serious reaction to a vaccine.
For more information about the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, call 1-800-338-2382 or visit their website at http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation.
Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine Information Statement. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Immunization Program. 7/24/08.
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Last Revised -
09/01/2008
Last Reviewed -
09/01/2008
AHFS® Consumer Medication Information. © Copyright, 2009. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized by ASHP.
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Page last updated: 23 February 2009 |