Flu Vaccinations
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If you are a parent of young, school age children, chances are you are already dreading the flu and cold season. Well, your concerns are well-founded.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), children typically have the highest attack rates during community outbreaks of influenza, and serve as a major source of transmission within the community.
In an effort to combat these two facts, the CDC recommends all children between the ages of 6 months and 18 years old receive an annual vaccination against influenza.
Other high risk individuals who are strongly encouraged to get an influenza vaccination include those over the age of 50; pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding; and those with compromised immune systems.
Because high risk individuals are more likely to need hospitalization as a result of influenza complications, prevention is extremely important. Therefore, health care providers, nursing home and assisted living employees, and anyone else with contact to high risk individuals fall under the CDC’s recommended target audience for annual influenza vaccinations.
According to John Jentes, M.D., there are two different methods used to administer the influenza vaccination, either by a nasal spray or an injection. The injections are the most common form of administration, as the nasal spray has more contraindications.
“The ‘flu shot’ is an inactivated vaccine, meaning it is a killed virus,” explained Dr. Jentes. “The nasal spray is made from a live, but weakened flu virus, which shouldn’t make you sick.”
However, because the nasal spray contains a live flu virus, it can only be used by healthy individuals between the ages of 2-49 years old who are not pregnant.
“Always check with you doctor or the health department about getting a vaccination," said Dr. Jentes. "Prevention is still the best medicine.”
