Behind the flu shot

’Tis the season.

And in that spirit, here’s a reminder of years past: high fever, headache, muscle ache, cough, sore throat, chills, fatigue, nausea/diarrhea and runny or stuffy nose.

Yep, it’s flu season all right.

According to Michael Brandt, Pharm.D, pharmacy clinical supervisor at Kootenai Health, “The sooner you get your flu shot the better. Your immune system will start to kick in immediately, but you’ll get your maximum benefit in about two weeks and that will stay with you the entire season.”

The flu shot is an ever-evolving creation and its annual appearance is nothing less than a crapshoot.

More than six months before the start of the new season, Brandt said, the vaccine’s manufacturers study which flu strains are currently running rampant in Asia. Since these strains are expected to travel around the world, their makeup will determine the strains to be included in the new season’s US vaccines.

“They’ll either hit the target or glance off it,” he said. “Some years, the vaccine will be very very effective and some years it won’t.”

It generally takes four to five months to grow the vaccine, package it in shot form and distribute it to the public. Manufacturers produce hundreds of millions of doses annually, all of which must be tested for efficacy and safety.

Some people are more afraid of the vaccine than the flu itself and some believe that getting a flu shot is tantamount to getting the flu. Others are convinced that vaccination will wreck their immune systems.

“You cannot get the flu from the vaccine,” said Audra Dawson, RN, infection prevention supervisor, Kootenai Health. “What the shot can do is cause your immune system for two weeks or so to be slightly diminished while it’s building up immunization to the vaccine. So, if you were to come in contact with the flu during that period, you might get it.

“If you have a chronic condition, it is imperative you get vaccinated.”

According to Dr. Joseph Abate, chief medical officer at Heritage Health, “The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) still recommends that if you have Guillain Barre Syndrome, you don’t get vaccinated. But generally speaking, when you look at the death rate from the flu for people over 65 who have not received the vaccine, it’s still higher than any complications from the vaccine itself.”

According to www.flu.gov., possible complications resulting from a bout with the flu include: bacterial pneumonia, ear or sinus infections, severe dehydration and worsening of chronic health conditions, such as cardiac disease, diabetes and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).

Most at-risk for complications are those age 65 and older, children — especially those under 6 months — and people with chronic health conditions. Not to be overlooked in the mix are the caretakers of at-risk patients.

“For many people,” Abate said, “the important thing isn’t whether or not they get the flu, it’s whom they transmit it to. We really try to encourage people to get protected — especially healthcare workers and younger people in contact with the elderly or those with chronic medical illnesses.”

Why do so many of us delay getting vaccinated?

“Because flu happens every year, I think people are desensitized to it,” said Cynthia Taggart, public information officer for Panhandle Health District 1. “Many believe it’s just a complicated cold and they’ll get through it just fine. These people haven’t experienced the full flu with complications and I hope they never do.”

Taggart said that because flu shots are available nowadays at many retail pharmacies, Panhandle has cut back the number of adult flu vaccines they purchased this year. They are, however, continuing to offer vaccine clinics as listed on www.phd1.idaho.gov.

“There’s absolutely no difference where you get your shot. It’s all the same product,” Brandt said. “Pharmacists are specifically trained to administer vaccinations and they all go through a certification process for this.”

The generally accepted date for the beginning of flu season is Oct. 1. The end of the season can be anywhere from the start of April through the end of May. Peak time is February.

“The most important thing you can do to prevent the spread of infection,” Dawson said, “is to wash your hands.”

And wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands. The CDC recommends you wash for at least 15 seconds.

Hand sanitizers are also effective, Dawson said. “The only times you absolutely need to use soap and water are when your hands are visibly soiled and after you use the bathroom,” Dawson said.

And if, despite your best efforts, you do get the flu, most people will feel better within a week or two. You are contagious, according to www.flu.gov, from one day before your first symptoms show up to as long as a week after that.