Flu shot and flu treatment FAQs

Three years ago a flu-vaccine shortage kept many people from getting the shots. Now you’re more likely to be confused by the multiple vaccine options available, including the nasal spray recently approved even for use in toddlers, and which drugs to take if you do come down with the flu. Possible health concerns have added to the uncertainty. Here’s our advice.

Who should get vaccinated?
All adults should get a flu shot every year, especially if they’re age 50 or older, live in a long-term-care facility, are pregnant, have weakened immunity or a chronic illness, or live with or care for people in any of those groups.

Should I get the shot or the newer nasal spray?
Most people, including kids, should opt for the shot. It works as well as the spray (FluMist) and costs less. Moreover, the spray is not approved for children under age 2 or adults over 49, and its live vaccine poses unacceptable risks to pregnant women and people with weakened immunity. But consider the spray if you’re overweight, since excess fat can make it hard for the needle to reach the necessary depth, or if excessive fear of shots keeps you from getting vaccinated.

Are mercury-free shots better?
There is no convincing evidence linking the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal with autism or other health problems, though research continues. If you’re concerned, ask for a preservative-free vaccine, such as Fluzone. What about the risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome? Roughly one out of every 1 million people vaccinated may develop that neurological disorder. But the shot’s protection against illness, hospitalization, and death far outweighs the risk. Still, if you’ve had Guillain-Barré syndrome, avoid the spray vaccine and discuss with your doctor whether to get a shot.

Does it matter when you are vaccinated?
Try to get your shot by December, when the flu virus usually arrives. But the disease can peak as late as April or May, so even a January shot can help.Don’t get vaccinated while you have a moderate or severe fever, and don’t take the nasalspray vaccine if you have a cold.

What should I do if I already have the flu?
Over-the-counter pain relievers can ease the fever, chills,muscle aches, sore throat, and other symptoms associated with the flu. And if your doctor diagnoses the illness within two days of the onset of symptoms, the antiviral drugs oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) can shorten its duration and possibly prevent complications.

Should I keep a supply of antiviral drugs on hand?
No. Stockpiling depletes the antiviral supply that health officials count on in case of a pandemic, and encourages needless use. Experts worry that excessive antiviral use may fuel the emergence of drug-resistant flu strains, much as the misuse of antibiotics leads to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Research suggests that up to 18 percent of children treated with oseltamivir now harbor drug-resistant variants. And a 2006 study found that certain resistant flu strains could be passed from person to person, something researchers had considered unlikely. So get a prescription for antivirals only when you have the flu, and take the full course, since stopping early can allow germs to survive and adapt.

Comments

[Amy]

No, not every adult should get the flu shot. Some people are allergic to the ingredients in the shot, for instance. Some people have had a bad reaction to the shot in the past. For those people, and for others for other reasons, it may be medically advisable to not get the shot.

[Carol Rogovin]

I would like some statistics on the incidence of the flu during that year of low immunizations due to shortages, compared with the incidence of flu during an ordinary year when there was no shortage of shots.

[Bill Watson]

Last year I had the flu during Thanksgiving week. I wound up buying drugs described in the article, getting IV fluids in the emergency room on Thanksgiving evening and, the only good thing, losing 10 pounds because I didn't eat for a week.

Trust me, getting a flu shot is much easier and a whole lot cheaper!

[Jack Whittington]

I am 81 years old. I have read that the flu shot is not beneficial to those in my age range. I'd be glad to hear any informed discussion on this. I haven't had the flu for over 30 years and get colds only about every two years.

[Parker]

Statistically, it would not alter the incidence of the flu because flu vaccines do not efficiently confer immunity.

[Taryn]

Last year my husband, my mother-in-law, and I all received the flu shot to protect my 6 month old from getting sick. Unfortunately we all got horribly sick, twice! The three of us never previously got flu shots and all rarely get sick. The only person who did not get sick was my father in law, who did not have the flu shot. We should really consider the theory that flu vaccinations and some immunizations are pushed by pharmaceutical companies purely for profit!

[Hank Jarvis]

I am 73 and have gotten a flu shot in October for each of the past 3 years. I don't know if the shot helps but I have not been sick in any of these years. I will continue to get a flu shot every October.

[Stewart]

After reading a number of posted comments regarding the flu-shot, I felt that it was important to clarify a few things:

Influenza vaccines are designed to address the most prevalent influenza strains circulating in the community each year and can prevent influenza illness in about 70% to 90% of healthy children and adults (2007-2008 NACI Statement on Influenza). People who receive the vaccine can still get influenza, but if they do, it is usually milder. However, the vaccine will not protect against colds and other respiratory illnesses that may be mistaken for influenza, but are not caused by the influenza virus.
Can the influenza vaccine cause the flu? No; the vaccine does not contain live virus so you cannot get the flu from the vaccine. The influenza vaccine, like any medicine, is capable of causing side effects, which can be either mild or, occasionally, severe. The risk of the vaccine causing serious harm is extremely small. Most people who get the vaccine have either no side effects or mild side effects such as soreness, redness or swelling at the injection site.

Therefore, given the obvious benefits of the flu vaccine - even life saving for some - as well as the fact that it is endorsed by a multitude of health care professionals, institutions, academics, and government regulatory bodies, it is proposerous to think that the flu-shot does little more than to give people adverse reactions and line the pockets of research-based pharmaceutical companies.

[Flu spreads around the world in seasonal epidemics, killing millions of people in pandemic years and hundreds of thousands in non-pandemic years. Three influenza pandemics occurred in the 20th century and killed tens of millions of people, with each of these pandemics being caused by the appearance of a new strain of the virus in humans.]

[Trish]

I believe everyone should read this website about the flu vaccine. Did all of you know it contains mercury and that mercury causes alscheimers. There also is embalming fluid in it. Read the site and learn alot. I have never gotton a flu shot and I do not get sick very often