Saturday, October 20, 2012

One last post about the flu vaccine



How does the flu vaccine work?  This year’s flu vaccine is a different mixture of three flu strains from last year.  When the flu shot or nasal spray flu vaccine is given, a person’s body develops antibodies which help protect the person from the virus strains in the vaccine.  It takes two weeks for the body to develop antibodies. 

Some people notice side effects after they get a flu vaccine.  Most common side effects can include “soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given, a fever (low grade), aches.”  Life threatening allergic reactions and Guillain-Barre syndrome symptoms can occur but are rare. For more information about these side effects, see the CDC website at  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/flushot.htm

Do you wonder why you got the flu shot one year and still caught the flu?  The CDC explains why at  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/flushot.htm  If you have questions and/or concerns about the flu vaccine, talk to your doctor/healthcare provider. 



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