It's not too early to get your flu shot

Here's what you need to know before the start of the flu season.

It's never too early to prepare for the flu season, and that's exactly what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is asking Americans to do. Last year, seasonal flu reached epidemic levels for 16 consecutive weeks and more than 700,000 people were hospitalized.

It may be too early to know what is happening for this year's influenza season. The World Health Organization usually assesses the activity of the flu to make predictions, according to Dr. Judy Tung, a doctor in internal medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Last year, one subtype of influenza A H3N2 was the predominant strain and this is likely to be the case this year, she added.

What can you do to avoid the flu epidemic? Get vaccinated – and do it early. People should receive a flu shot by the end of October, advises the CDC.

"Ideally, you should have the flu shot before the start of the flu season, so between September and November," Tung said. "But [the flu shot] is recommended throughout the flu season, even if you miss the pre-season window.

What's up with the flu?

This year's vaccine can cover up to four different strains of the disease – two Aces (one H1N1 and one H3N2) and two Bs, said Tung.

"The newer recombinant technologies have stopped relying on the manufacture of egg-based influenza vaccines and are therefore safe for those with egg allergies," she said.

David J. Topham, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, explained that in addition to vaccines derived from egg culture, there is a cell culture-grown vaccine and a product in insect cells (FluBlok). .

The vaccine against insects has some advantages: Influenza proteins do not have mutations that the virus would need to develop in eggs and, therefore, are more similar to the H3N2 viruses that circulate in humans.

"It is therefore possible, but not proven, that the insect cell vaccine can elicit immunity that better matches the circulating H3 strains," he said.

Do you have a phobia of needles? People aged 2 to 49 can receive an intranasal vaccine.

"The intranasal flu vaccine has not been recommended in the previous two years, but it has been approved for 2018 through 2019," Tung added.

It does not contain a live attenuated virus, so it's not suitable for pregnant women, people who are immunocompromised or have severe asthma, she said.

The live attenuated influenza vaccine is now recommended for children, noted Topham.

"It has not been recommended for a few years, only as an alternative to injection," said Mr. Topham.

There is also a variety of vaccines for people over 65 years old. The high dose option is 25% more effective than the standard dose.

The bottom line

Anyone older than 6 months should be vaccinated against the flu. Children under 5, adults over 50, pregnant people and people with chronic health conditions are particularly vulnerable to serious influenza infection.

People need to know that the flu vaccine can not cause the flu. This has been demonstrated in several randomized controlled trials, said Tung.

"Part of the reason the flu vaccine is never 100% effective is that the flu virus is delicate and undergoes antigenic drift (or genetic modification) all the time, forcing us to follow these changes with annual updates. Drifts can occur in a season that makes the vaccine less effective, "she said.

Another benefit of being vaccinated against the flu, even if you are not at risk of contracting the flu, is that it protects you and those around you.

"It decreases the chances of getting infected and spreading the virus," added Topham.