THE FLU SHOT

By Trevor Shewfelt, Pharmacist at the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy

We now have this and most other articles published in the Parkland Shopper on our Website. Please visit us at www.dcp.ca

The information in this article is intended as a helpful guide only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice. If you have any questions about your medications and what is right for you see your doctor, pharmacist or other health care professional.

In Ontario they have a universal flu vaccination program. Since 2000, anyone 6 months of age and older can get a flu shot free of charge. This means the province of Ontario spends $26.5 million dollars a year on flu shots. The good new is a study published by Dr. Jeffrey Kwong of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto says the number of flu deaths and hospitalizations are down since the program started. The problem with the study is that the number of flu deaths and hospitalizations do go up and down periodically. But it is more positive news that flu shots help keep people healthy.

What is the flu? The flu (or influenza) is a viral illness spread from person to person by coughing or through contact with nasal fluids. Symptoms may include fever, headache, cough, muscle aches, runny nose, sore throat and exhaustion. The symptoms of the flu are usually more severe that a cold. Symptoms can be similar to other viral illnesses. However, onset of the flu is usually more sudden. Flu symptoms usually last from 7 to 10 days, but the cough and weakness can continue for 6 weeks. Influenza arrives in Manitoba every year in late fall or early winter.

“Can I get the flu from the flu shot?” No. The flu vaccine is made from dead virus parts. It cannot give you the flu. Unfortunately, some people can get sick, or can even get the flu immediately after the flu shot. That is because the flu shot doesn’t start working until 2 weeks after the shot. So you can catch the flu and get symptoms during that two week period. Also, people who seem to have gotten the flu within a day or two of the shot probably had the flu virus in them already at the time of the shot, and would have gotten sick anyway. Finally, the flu shot only protects against some very specific influenza virus. It doesn’t protect against the common cold virus or bacterial illnesses. The flu vaccine is effective in about 70% of healthy adults and children. In nursing homes, the flu vaccine stops 50%-60% of flu related hospitalizations, and 85% of flu related deaths. As said before immunity to the flu usually starts about 2 weeks after the shot and lasts less than 1 year. The elderly, unfortunately, can have their immunity fall off in as little as 4 months.

“Can the flu shot give me a bad reaction?” Rarely. The flu shot is made in chicken eggs. So people with serious egg allergies should not get the flu shot. You can get a local reaction at the injection site that turns red and is sore for up to two days. You may also get fever, headache, or muscle pain. If these symptoms get very bad or last for a long time, seek medical attention.
How well does the flu shot work? Well, that is difficult to say. The influenza virus mutates every year or so. The vaccine only protects against what the virus was like last year. If the virus only changed a little, the flu shot works well. If the virus changed a lot, the flu shot doesn’t work as well.

Who is at risk for influenza causing serious complications and should receive the vaccine?
· Residents of nursing homes and other chronic care facilities
· Anyone with chronic heart or lung disease
· Anyone with cancer, anemia, or a weakened immune system due to disease or medication
· Persons with other chronic conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, alcoholism and multiple sclerosis may also benefit
· Anyone 65 years or older
· Children aged 6 months to 23 months
· Children and teenagers on long term aspirin therapy
· People living with "at risk" individuals who are likely to have a poor response to vaccine, such as frail elderly and those with a weakened immune system due to disease or medication
· Health care workers and other personnel in settings where care is provided for those at high risk

Who should not get the flu vaccine?
· Infants younger than six months of age
· Anyone who has a severe allergy to egg protein, formaldehyde or thiomerosal
· Anyone who has a serious acute illness, with or without fever, on the day they are to be immunized. A mild illness, with or without a low fever, is not a reason to avoid immunization.
· Persons known to have developed Guillain-Barre syndrome within six weeks of a previous influenza vaccination.

As always if you have any questions or concerns about these or other products, ask your pharmacist.