The Benefits of the Flu Shot Usually Outweighs the Risks

It’s that time of year again, you see everyone pushing their Flu (Influenza) Shots. Your doctor, pharmacy, local grocery store and many others are all having flu shot clinics. There will be about 143 million doses produced this year which would be the most ever. You need to understand the risks and the benefits of the flu shot in order to decide if it is something you should get.

What is influenza (The Flu)?

Influenza is a contagious respiratory infection caused by the influenza virus. It can cause fever, chills, dry cough, sore throat, headache, muscle ache and extreme tiredness. The symptoms are similar to a cold (a different virus) but can be much more severe. Also the flu symptoms usually come on suddenly and with a high fever. It is impossible to diagnose the flu from symptoms alone, but your doctor can identify it with a test. If you get the flu, go to the CDC website for information on how to treat it.

What is the influenza vaccine (the flu shot)?

The Flu Shot is an inactivated (killed – and cannot cause the flu) form of the virus which is injected into the muscle. After the injection is given it takes the body up to 2 weeks to develop immunity to the virus. Because the virus is always changing, the virus itself is different every year. An attempt is made to identify the 3 most likely strains to cause illness and the vaccine is created with these strains. When the vaccine closely matches the virus causing illness it provides good protection during flu season. When the match is not so good there is still some protection available by having taken the shot.

What are the risks of getting the flu?

In the United States, the number of people hospitalized due the flu is approximately 226,000 people. Also, about 36,000 people die due to the flu. Most of these people are elderly. Even if you are not hospitalized, you can become very sick and could have other complications such as bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections and dehydration. If you have medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart failure you could have a worsening of these conditions as a complication of the flu.

What are the risks of the flu shot?

The flu shot is inactivated virus so you cannot get the flu from the vaccine.

Some mild side effects form the vaccine are soreness, redness and swelling at the injection site, fever, and aches. These problems are usually mild and last only one to two days.

Some severe problems are also associated with the flu shot but they are considered to be very rare. One of these problems is a life threatening allergic reaction. If this does occur it is usually within a few minutes to a few hours of the shot. This is believed to be most likely due to the egg protein used to make the shot. There is also a very small chance (1 or 2 cases per million vaccinations) of getting Guillain-Barre´ Syndrome but a definite relationship to the flu shot has not been established.

There is also a concern with a preservative use to make some of the vaccines available on the market. The preservative is thimerosal and it has been associated with autism in children and Alzheimer’s in the elderly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated the evidence does not support a link to thimerosal. (CDC Statement on Autism and Thimerosal) If you are concerned about this issue there are some flu vaccines labeled as “thimerosal free”.

Who should get vaccinated?

According to the CDC you should get vaccinated if:

• you are between 6 months and 18 years old or greater than 50 years old
• you are pregnant
• you have heart, kidney, liver or lung disease, diabetes, asthma, or anemia
• you have HIV/AIDS
• you are having cancer treatment with radiation or drugs
• you are taking drugs that suppress the immune system (including steroids)
• you live in a nursing home or other long term care facility
• you are a health care provider
• you have contact with or care for any of the above people
• you are a police officer, firefighter or provide any other essential community service
• you live in a dorm, jail or other crowded facility
• travel to the southern hemisphere between April and September
• you want to decrease your chance of getting the flu

Who should not get vaccinated?

You should not get the flu shot if:

• you have a severe egg allergy (the flu shot virus is grown in eggs)
• you have a severe allergy to any component of the vaccine

Talk to your doctor before getting the flu shot if:

• you have had a severe reaction to the flu shot in the past
• you have ever had Gulliain-Barre´ Syndrome
• you are moderate to severely ill. You may need to wait until you recover before you get the flu shot.

In conclusion I believe the benefits outweigh the risks for the majority of the population. To determine if it would be a benefit for you to get a flu shot talk to your doctor about your specific situation. For myself, the benefits far outweigh the risks and I get my flu shot every year.

The best resource for more information is the CDC’s Flu site.