CDC urges annual influenza vaccination

The CDC recommends annual influenza vaccination for everyone aged at least 6 months. Influenza vaccination options for the 2014-2015 season include the traditional trivalent vaccine, which protects against H1N1 and H3N2 and one influenza B virus, and the quadrivalent vaccine, which protects against two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses.

The trivalent vaccines available for the 2014-2015 season include:

Standard-dose trivalent vaccine, manufactured using virus grown in eggs;
Intradermal trivalent vaccine, injected into the skin instead of the muscle with a smaller needle and is approved for those aged 18 to 64 years;
High-dose trivalent vaccine, approved for those aged at least 65 years;
Trivalent vaccine containing the virus grown in cell culture, approved for those aged at least 18 years;
Recombinant egg-free trivalent vaccine, approved for those aged at least 18 years.
The quadrivalent vaccines available this season include:
Quadrivalent flu vaccine;
Quadrivalent nasal spray vaccine, approved for those aged 2 to 49 years. This vaccine is particularly recommended for healthy children aged 2 to 8 years.

Although the influenza vaccine may cause mild adverse effects that are sometimes mistaken for influenza, they usually last 1 to 2 days after vaccination and are less severe than actual influenza.

In some instances, people may be exposed to an influenza virus before vaccination or during the 2 weeks that it takes the body to be protected after vaccination.

Other reasons some become ill after receiving the influenza vaccine include:

People may become ill from other non-influenza viruses, such as rhinovirus;
People may be exposed to an influenza virus that is not included in the seasonal influenza vaccine;
Protection provided by influenza vaccination varies widely, based in part on health and age factors of the person vaccinated;
Some elderly people and those with certain chronic illnesses may develop less immunity after vaccination.

Influenza vaccination is important for those at high risk for serious influenza-associated complications and for those in close contact with people at high risk.

Additional information may be found at these websites:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/flushot.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/whoshouldvax.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season-2014-2015.htm