Flu season is once again upon us, and the CDC recommends that everyone six months or older receive a flu vaccine, with it being even more important for those who have a high risk for complications, like the elderly, children under five, and pregnant women.
This season, there are a number of different flu vaccines recommended for different groups of people, dependent on age, health and relevant allergies.
What Vaccines are Recommended this Year?
Standard dose flu shots. Most standard dose trivalent shots are produced using virus that is grown in eggs. Different trivalent formulations are used for various age groups, with most being given in the arm muscle. This is the go-to vaccine formula for most people from 18 to 64 years old.
High-dose for
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A new seasonal flu vaccine has been approved this season that contains adjuvant for adults over the age of 65. An adjuvant is a vaccine addition that creates a stronger immune response to people that receive the vaccine. This new vaccine is called Fluad and is the first of its type in the U.S. Shot made with virus grown in cell culture.
Cell-based vaccines are created by growing viruses in animal cells, as opposed to the egg-based process for most flu vaccines. The most important difference of this vaccine, Flucelvax, are stored frozen, so these vaccines can be grown more quickly in the event of a major outbreak. This vaccine is appropriate for those with egg allergies as well.
Shot made using recombinant vaccine
This type of vaccine, Flublok, does not use a live flu virus or chicken eggs in production, but it does have a shorter shelf life than other influenza vaccines, with an expiration date of nine months from manufacture. This vaccine is not dependent on egg supplies or limited by virus selection that can only be used for growth in eggs, making it easy to ramp up production quickly if needed. This vaccine is also suitable for people with egg
What exactly is the influenza shot made from? Have you ever wondered how the vaccine is made? There are two parts to making a flu shot: First, scientist experts around the world decide what types of flu will be included in the flu shot for each year. Then, vaccine manufacturers start making the flu shots so that by the time the next flu season starts, millions of doses are already available. How do they decide what goes into a flu shot? Every year, in more than 100 countries around the world, health workers and expert scientists collect samples from people who are sick with the flu. These samples are taken and sent to five international labs, chosen by the World Health Organization, that test the samples and find out what strains of influenza are most common. The five labs are in the U.S., England, Australia, China and Japan.
Additionally, as many as 500,000 chicken eggs per day are needed for the process. Influenza viruses are injected into chicken egg embryos, where they are allowed to incubate and multiply for several days. A machine extracts the virus from the egg, which is then purified and chemically killed and made into the vaccine. (Tenpenny, 2008, Davidson, 2007-2009, Offit, 2008).
Each new strain of the virus must be identified and that is usually done around February for the appropriate development and dispersal of a new vaccine for later that year. They do this by collecting strains of the flu virus from about 100 centers worldwide and then they analyze them in a laboratory. They take this information and use it to decide on the arrangement of the vaccines that are being offered for the following flu season. Also, there are two types of vaccines one that is injected and another that is a nasal-spray vaccine both that are made with live, attenuated virus. Flu vaccines specifically are recommended each year as this article mentions simply because “New flu vaccines are released every year to keep up with rapidly adapting flu viruses” (Mayo). This makes since because flu viruses change so quickly therefore last year's vaccine may not protect someone from the viruses of the upcoming years. Also after vaccination, one’s immune system does produce antibodies that will protect them from the vaccine viruses. Overall the fact that antibody levels start to decrease over time that makes it another reason to get a flu shot every
Have you ever been in pain to where you feel like your whole body is aching along with a headache? Then, oddly your body temperature changes. One minute your hot then the next you're cold. Some people even have scratchy throats and a mild cough. Well all of these are signs that you might be coming down with the flu. This harsh and dreadful symptoms can be prevented by simply getting an influenza vaccination. To promote people getting the vaccine the government makes several ads a year to raise awareness to encourage people to make the responsible decision by getting the vaccination.
According to the “Commonwealth of Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services” that as of February 2, 2018 that there have been 100 flu-related fatalities from the flu this year alone and at least four of those deaths were children. The influenza shot is an inactivated vaccine made of inactive germs. Because the germs in this vaccination are inactivated or killed, the shot will cause the patients to not get the flu. However, this shot will allow your body to create the antibodies needed to ward off the influenza virus. I feel that for school-aged students under the age of 18 the flu shot should be
The next set of recommended vaccines for adults are from the age of 60 and older. The elderly are exposed to many diseases due to weakened immune systems. According to the CDC 1 million adults are exposed to shingles and about 60 percent are hospitalized due to the influenza virus (CDC, 2016). They recommend getting the Flu vaccine, Varicella and Zoster vaccine to protect against the two previously mentioned. Another vaccine that is important is the Td or Tdap which protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. The pneumococcal vaccine protects the elderly against the bacteria that causes pneumonia.
According to Papatya Tankut—RPh Vice President of Pharmacy Affairs at CVS health—“Getting a flu shot is the most effective way to protect yourself and your family from getting the flu” (A). Most people underestimate the importance of the flu shot even though it is the best thing someone can do to stay healthy. It allows for people's body to identify influenza so it knows how to fight back incase it has to face the flu. With this, it is also never too late for someone to receive the flu vaccine. The CCD recommends to receive the influenza vaccine as soon as it is released for flu season; however, it is still beneficial to get the vaccine as long as the disease is circulating (C). Throughout the flu season, there are many opportunities to receive the flu and become sick. Even getting the influenza vaccine during the second half of flu season helps protect your body from that point until flu season ends. By families receiving the flu shot at the beginning of the season or towards the middle or end, the influenza vaccine helps people become more immune to the
Seasonal influenza is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the industrialized world. The United States alone averages more than 23,000 influenza-associated deaths annually (Cortes-Penfield, 2014). Everyone is given the option to receive the flu vaccination each year. The vaccine is offered in health care facilities, clinics, and pharmacies around
The article mentions that the Flu season starts in the Fall and reaches its peak in January or February. It is said that until very recently, flu shot campaigns did not start until October. However, according to the article, in the last few years, the flu-shot season “has stretched out” and that’s mainly because drug stores, like CVS and Walgreens, started having medical clinics inside them, and pharmacists were given permission to give vaccination.
Everyone is given the option to receive the flu vaccination each year. The vaccine is offered in health care facilities, clinics, and pharmacies around North America.
To answer my research question I will first review literature on flu vaccines from conventional sources such as the Center for Disease Control and National Institute for Health. I will then review other material available on the Internet written by doctors that do not agree with the conventional
The season that nobody looks forward to is alive and well, flu and cold season. Thousands of people across the world get sick every year and unfortunately some end up dying from whatever sickness they have. The flu vaccine is always recommended by doctors and health officials, but it is safe to say not everyone takes it and believes in it.
FLUCELVAX® is a first of its kind flu vaccine, approved by U.S. FDA to use cell culture technology. FLUCELVAX®, an intramuscular injection is used in the prevention of seasonal flu caused by influenza virus types A (subtypes H1N1 and H3N2) and B.1 It is indicated for use in individuals of age 18 years or older.1 The manufacturing process uses mammalian cells instead of chicken eggs to grow viral strains. It is a trivalent and inactivated influenza vaccine, consisting of a continuous cell line of Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells.1 “The formulation of FLUCELVAX® contains 45 micrograms (mcg) hemagglutinin (HA) per 0.5 mL dose in 15 mcg HA of each of the following three influenza strains: A/Brisbane/10/2010 (wild type) (H1N1); A/South Australia/55/2014 (wild type) (H3N2); B/Utah/9/2014. Residual amounts in each dose of FLUCELVAX® may contain MDCK cell protein (≤8.4 mcg), a protein other than HA (≤ 120 mcg), MDCK cell DNA (≤ 10 ng), polysorbate 80 (≤ 1125
According to Healthy People 2020 a goal of theirs is to “increase immunization rates and reduce preventable infections.” The influenza virus is one of these preventable infections, which can cause serious harm to patients. The influenza virus is known as the “flu.” Everyone in his or her life has had some experience with the flu, whether that is himself or herself or a family member. What if there was a way to ensure people from contracting a strain of the influenza virus? Well, thanks to technology and medical research there is.
Another way to prevent pneumonia is to get vaccinated. There are two vaccines that are approved for adults one is called the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and the other is called the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. It is recommended for people over the age of 19 to receive the conjugate vaccine. The polysaccharide vaccine is recommended for adults 19 to 64 who qualify for the conjugate vaccine (Hess, pg.866). According to The American Lung Association, getting a flu shot every year can be one of the best ways to prevent seasonal influenza leading to the prevention of pneumonia.