The text is presented for informational purposes only. We strongly urge you not to self-medicate. When the first symptoms appear, consult a doctor. We recommend reading: “Why you can’t self-medicate?”
Vaccine prevention of influenza is the introduction into the human body of a biologically active drug for prophylactic purposes, which is capable of forming short-term immunity to the body’s ability to fall under the influence of the influenza virus. Vaccination is considered the most effective preventive measure against this disease. The flu itself is much more dangerous than many people think, since this disease can cause severe consequences, complications and death. Medical science is constantly improving methods for preventing this disease, but to date scientists have not yet found anything better than vaccination.
Types of vaccines
In modern pharmacology, there are a large number of vaccines against the influenza virus. They all differ in their ability to influence the virus to prevent disease caused by different strains of the virus and the mildness of their effect on the body. To correctly select a flu vaccine, it is best to consult a doctor who will help determine for a particular person which vaccine in his case will be the most effective and will cause the fewest side effects.
All vaccines against the influenza virus help build immune defenses in the body. The choice should be made based on whether a person has an allergic reaction to chicken egg white, which is part of many vaccines, or to specific components of the drug.
By type, vaccines are live, that is, containing a dose of a live attenuated virus, whole virion based on chicken protein, split (protein-free) and subunit. The most popular live vaccine is the Russian drug “Live influenza allantoic vaccine” for intranasal administration, which helps protect simultaneously from 3 strains of the virus. This vaccine can only be administered to the body after the age of 3 years. The whole-virion Russian vaccine “Grippovac” can be used only from the age of seven and only in cases where the patient, after preliminary tests, does not have an allergy to chicken protein or aminoglycosides. If allergic reactions to chicken egg whites are detected, patients are vaccinated using split-split vaccines, such as the French Vaxigrip, German Begrivak or English Fluarix, which do not use egg whites. The most well-known subunit vaccines include Dutch (Influvac) and Russian (Grippol, Grippol Plus) drugs.
The vaccine is poorly tolerated by the human body only if during the administration of the drug the conditions of this procedure were violated, or after vaccination the patient did not comply with certain doctor’s instructions. If all immunization conditions are met, then any vaccine is tolerated quite easily.
Vaccination
Most often, vaccination against influenza takes place in a clinic, but vaccination can be done in any other equipped institution if the patient wishes, for example, in a medical office of an enterprise, school, kindergarten, in a hospital, or a private medical clinic.
If the patient is at risk for possible influenza infection, vaccination should be planned and carried out in advance. On the eve of the start of the cold season (the potential season for the spread of the influenza virus - in late November - early December), such patients are invited to clinics, they are examined by a doctor, and then, if there are no health problems at the time of the examination, they are vaccinated.
If a person is not included in the risk group, but wants to independently protect himself from influenza vaccination, he needs to purchase any desired drug for vaccination and go to any medical institution, where he will be examined by a specialist and then given a referral for vaccination or undergo vaccination available for seasonal prophylaxis with the drug.
The flu vaccine is administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly into the deltoid muscle area. In the case of subcutaneous administration of the vaccine, the drug is injected into the area under the shoulder blade or into the shoulder. Some live vaccines can be administered intranasally by specialists.
It is important to remember that the risk category for influenza includes all children without exception.
However, vaccinating children against influenza has its own characteristics:
- young children can be given the flu vaccine no earlier than six months of age;
- Almost all flu vaccinations for young children are given twice;
- For children, the vaccine is administered only in the femoral area.
Such features are explained by the presence of maternal immunity in a child up to 6 months of age, and the need for revaccination a month later to strengthen immunity. The femoral area is optimal for anti-influenza vaccination in children due to the fact that if the body reacts to the administered drug, it is easiest to carry out resuscitation measures in this area (apply a tourniquet).
At the age when children attend kindergarten, they especially need a flu shot, since they do not yet have immunity to many diseases, and the large number of children contributes to the spread of a large number of infections. In the case of influenza, in this state of affairs, an outbreak of an epidemic of the disease is possible. The most ideal situation is when all members of the children's team are vaccinated against influenza. Together with them, all adults who are in constant contact with children - parents, brothers and sisters, teachers - should also be vaccinated. Before vaccinating a child, three days before, he should have minimal contact with third parties who can infect him with any infection. The same should be done for three days after vaccination - crowded places must be excluded from the child’s environment during this period of time. The most optimal situation is when the child, after vaccination, remains at home for a week under the supervision of his parents. If these rules are followed, stable specific immunity will be formed.
Side effects
Side effects from the flu shot in adults are not common. If adverse reactions occurred everywhere, people would have abandoned this method of prevention long ago.
The likely harm from side effects is several times lower than the probability of contracting the flu and suffering from serious complications that develop later.
Every year, more than 10 million vaccines are administered worldwide, but no more than twenty deaths due to this cause are recorded. While the death rate caused by the virus exceeds 3 million.
However, the vaccine may well cause the development of adverse reactions, and the person who decides to get vaccinated must be prepared for this. Most often, adverse reactions occur in children, the elderly, and also during the installation of live vaccine injections. Inactivated compounds are safer than live ones. Whole-virion substances produce more reactions than subunit or split vaccines.
Side effects are more likely to occur if a person is examined before the procedure by a doctor who is not sufficiently qualified. Or the medical personnel who give injections do not have sufficient experience in this matter. For example, vaccination in the thigh is indicated for children, in contrast to adults, who are vaccinated in the forearm. This is necessary in order to reduce the likelihood of developing allergies.
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Side effects:
- redness of the skin;
- pain and swelling of the skin at the injection site (often develops in females or in the presence of hemagglutin in the composition);
- skin rashes with signs of urticaria;
- development of asthma;
- Quincke's edema;
- anaphylactic shock.
The last three reactions are very rare. People who have a high tendency to develop allergies must undergo mandatory preparation for vaccination.
To avoid tragic developments, a person must stay in the hospital department for at least half an hour after receiving the injection. This is necessary to timely monitor the development of possible negative reactions and provide (if necessary) quick and qualified assistance.
After vaccination, body temperature may increase. This symptom is not dangerous; it indicates the beginning of the body’s response to viruses that have penetrated it, and the active creation of immunity against influenza.
Some people report the following reactions:
- severe fatigue;
- the appearance of a runny nose;
- development of pharyngitis;
- headache;
- malaise;
- increased drowsiness;
- muscle and joint pain;
- increased size of lymph nodes;
- disorders of the digestive tract;
- decreased platelet count in blood serum;
- decrease in blood pressure readings.
The question of the likelihood of developing adverse reactions worries many people (especially parents) who have decided to get vaccinated. In addition, people are worried that vaccination may trigger the development of influenza. When a person is given an inactivated composition, the disease cannot develop. This substance does not contain live viruses, and therefore cannot provoke the flu.
If a live vaccine is given, then there is a very small chance of developing the disease. This can happen in people with extremely low immunity, so vaccinations with these compounds are prohibited for them.
Contraindications to vaccination
There are several contraindications to influenza vaccination, as with any other vaccines.
Such vaccination is absolutely contraindicated:
- allergy sufferers who are sensitive to chicken protein (applies only to vaccines based on it);
- children under 6 months of age;
- in cases of previous reactions to components of a similar drug.
Temporary vaccination is contraindicated for those who are currently suffering from any infection or are suffering from an exacerbation of chronic diseases. Only 2-4 weeks after complete recovery is it recommended to consider the possibility of vaccination.
Contraindications for administering the vaccine do not include cancer, pregnancy, or immunodeficiency. Such diagnoses, on the contrary, serve as a reason for mandatory vaccination, since such people are at increased risk of contracting influenza and developing severe complications of this infection.
You cannot be vaccinated at the onset of any respiratory disease, since usually its onset is difficult to clearly determine and find out immediately what kind of disease a person has become infected with. To get a flu shot, you must recover from the actual infection, wait 14 days, and then use the vaccine.
And put on a white mask
In hot weather, masks need to be changed more often, but you should not abandon them, Rospotrebnadzor advises.
During the long May holidays, it’s good to spend more time outdoors, but still not in a crowd. The threat of increased spread of coronavirus infection remains. Therefore, it is still better to avoid unnecessary contacts and large crowds of people. As before, it is important to wear a mask in transport and enclosed spaces.
“There is no need to be afraid of getting heat stroke due to the use of personal protective equipment. The mask cannot significantly disrupt heat exchange. In extreme heat, to ensure normal heat exchange, you can dress lightly and protect your head from the sun with a light hat,” Rospotrebnadzor reminded.
In hot weather, masks become wet faster, the protective layer fails, and the effectiveness of protection against infection decreases, so they need to be changed more often. In addition, in spring and summer it is better to avoid wearing dark masks.
By the way
Vaccination during pregnancy and breastfeeding
Vaccination is the only method of safe and effective prevention of influenza in pregnant women, and has been performed in different countries for more than 20 years with inactivated split vaccines. This statement is based on a significant reduction in the prevalence, severity and consequences of influenza in pregnant women, with potential benefits for the babies they give birth to. According to WHO, pregnant women are a priority group to be vaccinated against influenza. This provision is based on a significant reduction in the prevalence, severity and consequences of influenza in pregnant women, with potential benefits for the babies they give birth to. Most experts agree that during the period of bearing a child, you can get vaccinated against influenza in the second or third trimester; it is better to try not to touch the first trimester.
In the case of a nursing mother, vaccination becomes a very necessary manipulation due to the fact that the body, weakened by childbirth, is more susceptible to infection by viruses. Even if enough time has passed after childbirth (several months), the immune system usually does not have time to restore itself due to the woman’s nervousness and lack of sleep. This may make a nursing mother more susceptible to influenza infection. By getting vaccinated, a woman will not only protect herself, but also protect her child from the virus, through the supply of antibodies produced from mother’s breast milk.
But flu vaccination is considered the most desirable and effective when planning pregnancy. During this period, the woman’s body is at the peak of its health, the immune system is not weakened in any way and is able to effectively form the necessary antibodies to any virus. It is important to avoid influenza during pregnancy, since its consequences can be very negative for the child, leading to intrauterine infection and even miscarriage.
High-quality and timely vaccination can save the health, and even life, of the mother and the unborn baby, so experts recommend thinking about vaccination when a woman is just starting to plan a pregnancy.
Should those who have had COVID-19, particularly mild cases, be vaccinated?
The EpiVacCorona vaccine does not overload the immune system, which is why it is also recommended for people with chronic diseases without exacerbation. The vaccine also strengthens the immune system for those who have had coronavirus, for example in a mild form or asymptomatically. If a person who has recovered from the disease has a high titer of antibodies to coronavirus (above the reference values), vaccination can be postponed. If the antibody titer is below the reference values, it is better to get vaccinated. It is often not worth checking antibodies - this should be done about six months after the illness.
How does the vaccine work?
The effect of the influenza vaccine is not aimed at destroying the virus that already exists in the body. Vaccination is designed to mobilize protective immune functions, forming antibodies even before encountering the most common infectious disease.
The compositions of influenza vaccines can vary greatly due to the fact that their base can be either live or inactivated. Inactivated samples are artificially bred by cultivating the virus in a chicken embryo, then purifying it of impurities and rendering it harmless using ultraviolet rays or formaldehyde. The viruses used in vaccines are inactivated and do not cause influenza. However, mild side effects may occur, including a local reaction at the injection site. Live vaccines are whole-virion vaccines with viral virions, split protein-free, subunit vaccines with two viral proteins involved in the formation of an immune response to the virus in the body.
The period for administering the influenza vaccine must be chosen based on WHO forecasts regarding the upcoming epidemic, as well as on the instructions for the specific vaccine, which clearly states the period for developing the body's immune response. As a rule, this period ranges from 10 to 30 days.
The duration of the vaccine's effect also depends on the specific drug. Most often, antibodies to influenza are produced after vaccination for up to 6 months. However, in modern pharmacology there are drugs that protect health for 9-12 months.
Anti-influenza vaccination, subject to certain conditions, is the most effective method of protection against the disease. Experts include such conditions as maximum vaccination coverage of the population of all ages, the possibility of isolating sick people from other family members or team members, protection from contacts at the time of vaccine administration, when many come to the clinic and encounter already sick people before vaccination, high awareness of influenza vaccine prevention.
After using a subunit or split vaccine, the patient may experience a local reaction at the injection site for some time. It is completely normal and does not require medical attention as it goes away on its own. Such discomfort usually disappears within 2 days.
Flu vaccines have very low reactogenicity, meaning they rarely cause complications.
The individual characteristics of each human body can sometimes lead to such post-vaccination reactions as:
- allergy to the components of the drug;
- local reaction - infiltration at the injection site;
- the occurrence of mild catarrhal manifestations in the form of low-grade fever, sore throat and other symptoms that go away on their own within 2 days and occur only after the use of live vaccines.
In general, the presence of side effects is, in most cases, a normal reaction of the body to an antigen, reflecting the process of developing immunity.
What is incompatible with vaccination?
It is widely believed that after vaccination you should not take water treatments - a bath, a shower or in any way wet the injection site. This is not entirely true - you can wash yourself, but you cannot swim in the sea, river, lake or pool, where there is a risk of encountering infections, for the first couple of days after the manipulation. When performing home bath procedures, it is better to give preference to a light shower, without rubbing with a sponge and staying in hot water for a long time, in order to protect the injection site from inflammation.
Many people are also interested in the possibility of drinking alcohol while the vaccine is being administered and immunity against infection begins to develop. Doctors are categorical in their opinion - after vaccination you should refrain from drinking alcohol for at least three days. At best, the vaccination will be ineffective. In the worst case, it will provoke a disease. You should also give up not only alcohol, but also heavy fatty, fried foods, as well as known natural allergens - citrus fruits and chocolate, so that nothing prevents the body from producing the necessary antibodies to the influenza virus.
