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CLEVELAND – After a difficult flu season last winter, the CDC now recommends that people get vaccinated as soon as the vaccine is available.
According to Susan Rehm, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic, protection against influenza vaccine lasts about six months. People who get vaccinated in the fall should be protected until spring.
"It's important to get the flu shot as soon as it's available in the community," said Dr. Rehm. "The CDC would really like everyone to be vaccinated to be vaccinated by the end of October. However, if fall arrives later and you have not been vaccinated yet, do not hesitate. We want people to be vaccinated as long as the vaccine is available. "
Dr. Rehm said this year's influenza vaccine has four components. Each injection contains two influenza "A" strains and two "B" influenza strains.
Two of the four parts, strain A and strain B were modified compared to last year's vaccine.
The CDC recently reported that the flu had caused up to 80,000 deaths last winter.
Dr. Rehm has unfortunately said that there is no way to accurately predict the type of season this season, but experts hope it will be more lenient than last year.
She said that sometimes the myths around the flu vaccine would prevent some people from getting it, so it's important to be able to separate the facts from the fiction.
"The flu shot does not catch the flu – it's really the number one myth that's still there," said Dr. Rehm. "Some people may feel a little bad for a day or two after; some people may even have a low fever – but it's not the flu – it's the body that makes the antibodies, gets potent and gets ready to fight the flu. "
Dr. Rehm said the vaccine is the best thing to do to protect against the flu this season.
She said the flu vaccine has a dual purpose: to protect itself and reduce the amount of influenza vaccines prevalent in the community, helping those who are particularly vulnerable to the complications of influenza.
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© 2018 Cleveland Clinic
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