In the United States announced the beginning of the flu season: what vaccine to do and what will be the virus

Despite the fact that it is technically still summer, it's time to think about flu shots, American doctors are sure. On Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published recommendations for influenza vaccination in the 2018-1919 season, according to which all children older than six months should be vaccinated before the end of October.

Фото: Depositphotos

This decision was made after a particularly deadly flu season last year, when almost 180 people died from the virus, writes The Daily Mail. Dr. Gene Moorjani, a pediatrician at Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital in Orlando, Florida, explains why it's important to get your vaccine no later than Halloween, why nasal spray is a good alternative, and how the myth that you can get the flu from vaccinations.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 2017-2018 season was one of the most serious in the history. In the last week of January alone, for every 14 visits to doctors and clinics across the country, one was associated with the flu. This made last season the most deadly since the swine flu epidemic in 2009. In the US, 179 children died, thousands were hospitalized. According to the CDC, 80% of dead children were not vaccinated.

In a “good” year, vaccination effectiveness can range from 50 to 70 percent. However, when a strain known as the H3N2 virus is actively distributed, the efficiency drops to 30 percent.

What vaccinations can you get?

The CDC recommends receiving the vaccine either as a vaccine or nasal spray. If you decide to give an injection, there are two options.

• The first is a trivalent vaccine that protects against two strains of influenza A, H1N1 and H3N2 and one strain of influenza B.
• The second option - a tetravalent vaccine against influenza, protects against the same strains as the trivalent, plus the additional influenza B virus.

“Your body needs two weeks to build up antibodies, so I use Halloween as a time marker when my patients need to do it,” says Dr. Murjani. “If you vaccinate before this time, you will be protected during the high season.”

Should I use a nasal spray?

AAR recommends that injection be preferred over spray because it provides more stable protection against the virus.

“A long time ago, we told patients to get any form of vaccine, whether it was a shot or a spray,” Moorjani says. “What we do know now is that the jab was much better at protecting against the virus.”

For the first time in two years, the CDC updated its recommendations to include nasal spray known as FluMist. Nasal spray uses live, attenuated viruses that are designed to teach the body to recognize and prevent strains of influenza if you have become infected. The injection works in a similar way, but uses dead virus strains. First introduced in 2003, the spray was offered as an alternative to children who are afraid of needles or have a doctor run out of vaccines. However, the data showed that from 2013 to 2016 the year of the spray was not as effective as a shot, especially against the H1N1 virus (this is the influenza A strain responsible for the pandemic of the flu 2009 of the year).

The manufacturer of the spray gun AstraZeneca says that it has developed a new formula in order to better identify H1N1. After the CDC reviewed the study, which showed that children in the US received the best immune response, the agency decided that the spray could be added to the list of recommendation options.

“Although this is better than nothing, especially if your doctor runs out of vaccines, there are children who should not be given a nasal spray because it is a live virus,” says Dr. Murjani. “For children with asthma or immunodeficiency, we do not recommend sprays.”

Фото: Depositphotos

Can I get sick from the vaccine?

Murjani says this is a “complete, 100 percent myth.”

“If I get a flu shot and the same day a sick child sneezes in my face, I’ll get sick because of the child, not because of the vaccine,” she said.

However, the doctor noticed that the virus can be picked up, even if you were vaccinated.

“Getting vaccinated doesn't mean you won't get the flu this year - it lowers your chances, but if you do get the flu it will help your body fight it off better. And instead of being sick for 5-6 days, you will be sick for 2-3, and the temperature during fever will be lower.”

Who is contraindicated for vaccination?

The only group of people who should not be vaccinated against influenza are children under six months of age. According to the doctor, they are too small, so they rely on the “cocoon effect” - the mother's immune protection. Therefore, when parents vaccinate themselves, they protect their children.

Contrary to popular belief, according to Murgjani, a headache or a slight cold is not a contraindication to vaccination. Only if you are seriously ill, it is better to postpone the vaccine.

Is vaccine safe for pregnant women?

The CDC says that pregnant women can get the vaccine at any time. According to Murjani, there are several reasons why the expectant mother should take root.

“Pregnant women with the flu may experience many more complications,” she explained, adding that this increases the likelihood of hospitalization. According to the doctor, the protection resulting from vaccination is transferred to the child and can protect him or her during the first six months of life, until the baby himself cannot be vaccinated.

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