Influenza Vaccinations

Influenza Vaccinations

Influenza is a viral infection and is something that can affect anybody. In fact, it affects all mammals and birds and can be passed on from person to person just by coughing, sneezing making it airborne. The disease itself was once known to have been responsible for millions of deaths long ago but with today’s medical technology improving each day, influenza can be treated. In fact, it can often be prevented before it happens just by taking a vaccination.

Influenza Vaccinations - What Is A Vaccination?

Basically, a vaccination is something that is created and injected into a person to make him or her immune to a particular disease. Influenza vaccinations are quite common and there are many strains of flu that we can be vaccinated against. Medically speaking, a vaccination will prevent an infection by a pathogen such as the flu or other disease like smallpox. What is interesting is that the vaccinations are actually weakened forms of the pathogens themselves or can be in the form of purified proteins. For example, to cure smallpox, you can use a weakened form of smallpox so that your body can adapt to battling it much more efficiently and so you are immune to it in the future.

Influenza Vaccinations - The Flu Vaccine

Vaccinations against flu are available in most hospitals and clinics. There are actually two types of influenza vaccinations that you can take. You can either opt for the injection which is the most common type of vaccination, or you can take a nasal spray which is painless and just as effective. It may be worth noting that there are differences in these two types of vaccines. The “flu shot” (or the injection) contains a dead virus and is given to a person through the arm. This is given to people who are older than 6 months. It doesn’t matter whether you are healthy or not, you should take the shot because everybody is vulnerable to the flu. The nasal spray is different because the vaccine is made up of weakened flu viruses that don’t cause the flu. These kinds of vaccines are recommended for anybody aged between 2 and 50 but cannot be given to pregnant women.

Influenza Vaccinations - When Should I Get Vaccinated?

The flu season begins at around October and be rampant all the way until May. This means that it is best to get a flu shot anywhere from October to early November. Keep in mind that flu strains do change and evolve rather quickly and you will have to stay updated with your family doctor on the strains that are out each year. This means that if there is a new strain of the flu, you have to take a different vaccination in order to battle it. Of course, the shots should be given only if advised by a licensed physician.

Influenza is not a disease that chooses its victims. It can infect anybody and this is why it is important that everybody be vaccinated against the disease. Encourage your family and friends to get their shots as early as possible to prevent the spread of the flu in your neighborhood.