Importance and Process of Getting Vaccinated Against the Flu

Font Size Adjustments and Vaccination:

Font Size Control Options:

• Increase the font size
• Decrease the font size
• Print
• Peak

Social Media Sharing Options:

Share on Facebook, Twitter, Kakao Story, Naver Band.

If you have an acute illness, it is advisable to delay vaccination until you recover.

The Importance of Annual Flu Vaccination:

It is now the perfect time to get vaccinated against the flu. Unlike other vaccines, the seasonal flu vaccine needs to be administered every year. This is because the flu virus that causes the illness mutates almost every year, leading to the circulation of different strains of the virus.

The flu vaccine is designed to prevent four major influenza viruses: Type A (H1, H3) and Type B (Yamagata and Victoria strains). These are the most likely strains during the flu season. However, each of these four viruses has various subtypes. The decision regarding the composition of the vaccine is based on factors such as which viruses are causing disease in humans prior to the epidemic season, the extent to which the virus spreads before the epidemic season, the effectiveness of the previous season’s vaccine, and the presence of cross-protective effects against related flu viruses of the same type or subtype.

So, how do we gather the information necessary to make these decisions? The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) consists of 144 national influenza centers in more than 114 countries. These centers test thousands of influenza virus samples. Every six months, WHO convenes a consultative body comprising representatives from relevant research institutes, centers, and academic societies to review the influenza surveillance data and research findings. Based on this information, they provide recommendations on the efficacy of the flu vaccine and the composition of its ingredients. This consultation usually takes place in February for Northern Hemisphere countries and in September for Southern Hemisphere countries, enabling the selection of the appropriate flu vaccines.

A medical staff member administers a flu shot to an elderly person. © Youth News

Vaccination Guidelines for Children:

Children under 8 years: 2 doses, 4 weeks apart

Since the flu is most common from October to April of the following year, it is recommended to get vaccinated between September and December. Immunity typically develops 2-3 weeks after vaccination, and healthy adults can expect a prevention effect of 70-90% through vaccination. The flu vaccine can reduce flu-related complications by 50-60% and mortality by 80% in older adults. Children between 6 months and 8 years old need to receive two doses, with a four-week interval between them. It’s important to note that immunity does not develop immediately after vaccination, so there is still a chance of catching the flu for the next two weeks to a month. Additionally, if the prevalent virus type changes, the effectiveness of the vaccine may decrease.

The national flu vaccination program will be implemented between September 20 of this year and April 30, 2024. Children between 6 months and 13 years, pregnant women, and seniors aged 65 or over are the target groups for national vaccination. The advantage of this program is that it is accessible for free at designated hospitals, clinics, and public health centers, regardless of one’s place of residence. Moreover, the national vaccination now uses quadrivalent vaccines containing all the vaccines recommended by WHO, as opposed to trivalent vaccines used in the past.

When receiving a flu shot, there are some precautions to keep in mind. For instance, individuals with egg allergies who receive a vaccine based on fertilized eggs are at risk of experiencing anaphylaxis. In such cases, influenza vaccination using a cell culture vaccine is an alternative option.

There is a debate about the suitability of getting vaccinated when experiencing a fever or infectious disease. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that acute illnesses reduce the vaccine’s efficacy or increase side effects. However, it is generally recommended to postpone vaccination until recovering from an acute illness. Minor illnesses like colds do not hinder vaccination, and it is possible to receive the vaccine while taking antibiotics. It is important to remain at the vaccination site for 20 to 30 minutes after the procedure to monitor the patient’s condition.

Author: [Author Name]

© [Year] Sisa Journal. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited.

Leave a Comment:

Comment on this article: [Type your comment]

Deleted comments cannot be restored. Do you still want to delete?

Login and Comment:

If you select an account, you can log in to verify your account and leave a comment.

• Name:
• Password:
• Prevent automatic registration
• Check:

Increase the font size

Decrease the font size

print

peak

facebook twitter kakao story naver band share

If you are suffering from an acute illness, vaccination should be delayed until improvement occurs.

Now is the time to get vaccinated against the flu. Unlike other vaccines, the seasonal flu vaccine is a vaccination that must be given every year. This is because the flu virus that causes the flu mutates almost every year, causing different types of viruses to circulate.

For this reason, the flu vaccine contains vaccine ingredients aimed at preventing four major influenza viruses, Type A (H1, H3) and Type B (Yamagata and Victoria strains), which have been found to be very likely of becoming common during the year. flu season is being decided. Of course, these four viruses also have various subtypes. First, we need to know which viruses cause disease in people before the epidemic season, how far the virus spreads before the epidemic season, which how protective the previous season’s vaccine was, and the The decision is made on the basis of whether there is a cross-protective effect against related flu viruses of the type or subtype.

How do we get the information to make these decisions? The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) includes 144 national influenza centers in more than 114 countries. Here, thousands of influenza virus samples will be tested. Twice a year, WHO organizes a consultative body with representatives from relevant research institutes, centres, and related academic societies to review the influenza surveillance situation and research results. It provides recommendations such as how useful the flu vaccine will be and how its ingredients should be included. It is usually held in February for choosing flu vaccines for Northern Hemisphere countries, and in September for choosing flu vaccines for countries in the Southern Hemisphere.

A member of medical staff administers a flu shot to an elderly person. ⓒ Youth News

Children under 8 years: 2 doses, 4 weeks apart

As the flu is mostly common from October to April of the following year, it is best to get the vaccine between September and December. Immunity is formed 2-3 weeks after vaccination, and healthy adults can expect a 70-90% prevention effect through this. For older adults, it can reduce flu-related complications by 50-60% and reduce mortality by 80%. Children between 6 months and 8 years old need to be vaccinated twice, and it is recommended to receive the second dose 4 weeks after the first vaccination. After receiving the flu vaccine, immunity is not formed for about two weeks to a month, so you can catch the flu. In addition, if the type of virus that is prevalent changes, the effectiveness of the vaccine may decrease.

The national flu vaccination will be implemented between September 20 this year and April 30, 2024. In particular, children aged between 6 months and 13 years, pregnant women, and seniors aged 65 or over have been identified as targets national vaccination. The advantage of this national vaccination is that it can be given for free anywhere, in a designated hospital, clinic, or public health center, regardless of address. In addition, trivalent vaccines were mainly used in the past, but now quadrivalent vaccines containing all the vaccines recommended by WHO are used for national vaccination.

There are some things to be careful about when getting a flu shot. For example, if a person is allergic to eggs and receives a vaccine based on fertilized eggs, there is a risk of anaphylaxis (biological hypersensitivity reaction) due to egg allergy. In this case, it is possible to vaccinate against influenza using a cell culture vaccine.

There are concerns about whether it is right to get the vaccine when you have a fever or an infectious disease. There is no evidence yet that some acute illnesses reduce the effectiveness of a vaccine or increase side effects, but if you have an acute illness, it is usually recommended to delay getting the vaccine until you feel better. Of course, minor illnesses such as colds are not contraindications to vaccination, and vaccination is possible even while taking antibiotics. The important thing is to stay at the vaccination site for 20 to 30 minutes after the vaccination and observe the patient’s condition.

Copyright © Sisa Journal Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited

Comment on this article Expand