Every winter, the influenza virus causes epidemics of flu in communities throughout the country. This year may be especially burdensome due to the COVID-19 pandemic happening at the same time.
Flu is highly contagious. It causes hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths each year.
The influenza vaccine is available every year to help protect people from coming down with flu. But is it safe? And how important is it now that COVID-19 is a factor?
Read on to learn about the benefits and risks of the flu shot.
The flu vaccine is very safe, although there are some groups of people that shouldnt get it. They include:
A common worry is that the flu vaccine can give you the flu. This isnt possible.
The flu vaccine is made from an inactivated form of the influenza virus or virus components that cant cause infection. Some individuals do experience side effects that will typically go away in a day or so. These include:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), receiving the influenza vaccine is the most effective way to prevent yourself from becoming sick with the flu.
Its still possible to get the flu after vaccination. If you do get sick with the flu, your symptoms may be milder if you got the vaccination.
Influenza vaccination has been shown to lead to a lower risk of influenza-related complications or hospitalizations in some groups. They include:
When you protect yourself from the flu through vaccination, youre also protecting those who cant get vaccinated from catching the flu. This includes those who are too young to get vaccinated. This is called herd immunity and is very important.
Sometimes you can get the flu shot and still come down with the flu. It takes around 2 weeks after receiving the vaccination for your body to develop immunity. During this time, you can still get catch the flu.
Another reason why you can still catch the flu is if there wasnt a good vaccine match. Researchers need to decide which strains to include in the vaccine many months before flu season actually starts.
When theres not a good match between the selected strains and the strains that actually end up circulating during flu season, the vaccine isnt as effective.
Some people may have a negative reaction to the flu shot. If you have a negative reaction to the vaccine, symptoms usually occur within minutes to hours after receiving the vaccine. Symptoms may include:
If you experience these symptoms after getting the flu vaccine, see your doctor. If the reaction is severe, go to the emergency room.
Guillain-Barr syndrome is a rare condition where your immune system begins to attack your peripheral nerves. Its very rare, but influenza virus vaccination can trigger the condition.
If youve already had Guillain-Barr syndrome, speak to your doctor before getting vaccinated.
The influenza vaccine can be delivered as either an injection or as a nasal spray.
The flu shot can come in a variety of forms that protect against three or four influenza strains. Although no type of flu shot is recommended over others, you should speak to your doctor about which one is best for you.
The nasal spray contains a small dose of a live, but weakened form of the influenza virus.
The nasal spray wasnt recommended for the 2017 to 2018 influenza season due to concern for low levels of effectiveness. But either is recommended for the 2020 to 2021 season. This is because the formulation for the spray is now more effective.
The flu vaccine is needed every year for two reasons.
The first is that your bodys immune response to influenza decreases over time. Receiving the vaccine every year helps you have continued protection.
The second reason is that the influenza virus is constantly changing. This means that the viruses that were prevalent in the previous flu season may not be in the upcoming season.
The flu vaccine is updated every year to include protection against the influenza viruses most likely to circulate in the upcoming flu season. A seasonal flu shot is the most effective protection.
The CDC recommends that children over 6 months of age receive the flu vaccine. Children under 6 months old are too young to receive the vaccine.
Flu vaccine side effects in babies are similar to those in adults. They may include:
Some children between ages 6 months and 8 years may need two doses. Ask your childs doctor how many doses your child needs.
Pregnant women should get the flu vaccine every year. Changes in your immune system during pregnancy lead to an increased risk of severe illness or hospitalization due to influenza.
Both the CDC and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend pregnant women get the seasonal flu shot in any trimester of pregnancy.
Additionally, receiving the flu vaccine can help protect your baby. In the months after birth, if you breastfeed, you can pass anti-influenza antibodies to your baby through breast milk.
While the flu vaccine has had a strong safety record in pregnant women, a 2017 study did raise some safety concerns. Researchers found an association between miscarriage and flu vaccination in the preceding 28 days.
Its important to note that this study only included a small number of women. Additionally, the association was only statistically significant in women who had received a vaccine containing the pandemic H1N1 strain in the previous season.
While additional studies need to be completed to investigate this concern, both the CDC and the ACOG still strongly recommend that all pregnant women receive the flu vaccine.
Manufacturers typically begin shipping the flu vaccine in August. People are often encouraged to receive the vaccine as soon as its available.
However, a 2017 study found that protection begins to wane over time following vaccination. Since youll want to be protected throughout the entire flu season, you may not want to get your vaccine too early.
Most doctors recommend that everyone gets their flu vaccine by the end of October or before the virus begins to circulate in your community.
If you dont receive your vaccination by the end of October, it isnt too late. Getting vaccinated later can still provide protection against the influenza virus.
Every fall and winter, millions of people get the flu. Receiving the flu vaccine is a very effective way to prevent yourself and your family from developing the flu.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a factor since a person can acquire it and other respiratory infections like the flu at the same time. Getting the flu shot will help to decrease the dangers for everyone.
There are many benefits to influenza vaccination, as well as some associated risks. If you have questions or concerns about influenza vaccination, be sure to speak to your doctor about them.
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Vaccines have greatly reduced, and even completely eliminated, many infectious diseases in the United States and across the world.
Scientists estimate that the first rounds of COVID-19 vaccines administered between December 2020 and December 2021 prevented 20 million deaths in 1 year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccines routinely prevent four to five million deaths per year from other serious diseases, including polio, whooping cough, measles, and the flu.
Yet one of the most common complaints from people whove received a vaccination is soreness in the upper arm or shoulder where they receive the vaccination.
Most of the time, this soreness is mild and will go away without treatment in a few days. However, you may sometimes experience more severe side effects related to vaccination in the upper arm, including intense shoulder pain and limited range of motion.
The most common side effects from vaccination, including the COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, are mild.
Its very common to experience some temporary soreness where you receive an injection. But an estimated 1 to 2 million people who are vaccinated each year with just the flu shot experience severe shoulder pain and limited range of motion. That number is larger when factoring in all the various vaccinations beyond just the flu vaccine. The number is also expected to grow as vaccination numbers increase worldwide.
Such severe reactions to vaccines are very rare, but they do occur.
One condition that may result is known as shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA). This can occur within 48 hours of vaccination.
Symptoms may include:
SIRVA can result in chronic or sometimes permanent injury to the arm and shoulder. Some studies have found that the symptoms of SIRVA may last at least 6 months.
Most cases of SIRVA appear to be caused by poor needle placement by the person administering the vaccine or a localized reaction to the vaccine serum.
The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) provides information on vaccine administration based on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) guidance:
For most people, getting a vaccine is a simple procedure that causes few if any side effects. Some people may experience the following effects after receiving a vaccine:
SIRVA symptoms usually arise within 48 hours of vaccination.
Symptoms are severe if theyre persistent and do not resolve with taking over-the-counter pain medications. If your shoulder pain is intense and doesnt resolve on its own within a week of vaccination, you should make an appointment with a doctor.
Diagnosing SIRVA can be challenging, as shoulder pain is a common symptom shared by a variety of medical conditions. What makes SIRVA different from other shoulder injuries is its association with vaccination.
A SIRVA diagnosis can involve a medical professional:
SIRVA can be painful and even debilitating, but treatment is available. Often, SIRVA treatment includes one or more of the following:
The exact treatment a person receives differs from person to person, depending on their symptoms.
Vaccines have worked to significantly reduce disease in many parts of the world.
Most people do not experience any serious lasting side effects as a result of vaccination. However, in rare cases when a vaccine is administered improperly, a person may experience more severe symptoms, including intense shoulder pain classified as SIRVA.
While SIRVA may be long lasting, and even permanent, its symptoms are treatable. A SIRVA diagnosis should not prevent receiving future vaccines.
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