Ever since writing about my flu shot gig, I have been googled numerous times for key phrases involving flu shots. Between that, and all the people who ask me, “Is this gonna make me sick?” I feel compelled to set the record straight, so here are some
FLU FAQs for you. What are the adverse effects of the flu vaccine? Here they are, directly from the Fluarix website:
- Most adverse events reported were mild and self-limiting.
- Local effects include pain, redness, and swelling
- Systemic effects which were more common include muscle aches, fatigue, and headaches
- Systemic effects which were less common include joint pain, shivering, and fever.
Will the flu shot give me the flu? No, it will not make you sick. Fluarix is not a live virus, and therefore cannot infect you with the flu. It does however, trigger your immune system to respond to the dead virus, thereby creating the mechanism by which your body will fight off the flu. According to the manufacturer, it takes about 3 weeks for the body to build up its defenses after vaccination. So if you feel as though the flu shot made you sick, the truth is that it might have made you feel a little run down. When your immune system kicks in it can give you a feeling of malaise (otherwise known as “feeling yucky.”) It’s also possible that you did in fact, catch the flu before the initial three week period was over. Again, that doesn’t mean the vaccine made you sick. It just means you are quite an unlucky person. Is it normal to have a sore arm after getting the flu shot? Yes. It’s one of the adverse reactions reported. The flu shot is injected into your deltoid muscle, and generally speaking, anytime you stick a one and a half inch needle into your muscle, you can expect to feel a little sore. This will probably go away within a day or two. Now, if your arm is throbbing in unbearable pain for quite some time, then yes, I would be concerned. Who should get a flu shot? This is straight from the CDC
:
- Children aged 6 months until their 5th birthday,
- Pregnant women,
- People 50 years of age and older, and
- People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions;
- People who live in nursing homes and other long term care facilities.
- Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu (see above)
- Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)
- Healthcare workers.
Who should NOT get the flu shot?
- People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
- People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination in the past.
- People who developed Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine previously.
- Influenza vaccine is not approved for use in children less than 6 months of age.
- People who have a moderate or severe illness with a fever should wait to get vaccinated until their symptoms lessen.
Are nurses who give out flu shots normally so strikingly attractive and intelligent? Why yes, we are. *blush* So kind of you to notice, and be sure to come back next year. ( ;