When to get the flu vaccine

With the cold comes respiratory illness, which is why health authorities recommend getting a flu shot or influenza Between September and October, It’s never too late to get immunized though.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that if a vaccine is not available within these months, It pays to do it later.

“The ideal situation would be to get vaccinated by the end of October. However, even if you cannot get vaccinated until November or later, it is still recommended because The month with the highest incidence of influenza is usually February The CDC says its incidence may continue into May.

Read here: Home Remedies That Effectively Fight Colds and Flu

Some issues to consider regarding vaccination timing also depend on the person’s age:

• It is not recommended that adults, especially those 65 and older, get vaccinated before the start of the season (between July or August) because protection wanes over time, when disease incidence is high , they will not receive the same protection.
• Some children need two doses of the flu vaccine. For these minors, the CDC recommends waiting at least four weeks after the first dose before getting the second dose. Children who need only one dose can be vaccinated in July or August.
• Pregnant women can be vaccinated at any time, and those in late pregnancy may even consider getting vaccinated as early as possible, as this will help protect the baby in the first few months of life when the baby is still too young to be vaccinated.

Also read: What is hypothermia: How to avoid the effects of the cold in winter

Influenza is a disease that has killed dozens of people in Dallas County in recent years.

The county has not had a single death during the 2022-2023 flu season. In the 2021-2022 season, only 2 deaths were recorded; in 2019-2020, 22 people died; between 2018 and 2019, 21 people lost their lives; and between 2017 and 2018, 79 people died from the disease.

The CDC says it’s important to get vaccinated every year because the ingredients in the vaccine are updated as the virus changes.

Questions about the flu vaccine

North Texas health staff answer some questions about the flu vaccine.

Is it recommended that people who received the flu vaccine at the beginning of the season get vaccinated again? Is the efficacy of the vaccine so low that a second dose is required?

In almost all cases, health authorities do not recommend revaccination, even for people who were vaccinated at the beginning of the season.

Children’s Health pediatrician LeAnn Kridelbaugh says the only people who should get two flu shots are young children getting their first shot.

Creedbo said the children will need two doses, one month apart.

But for others, a single dose is recommended.

Is swine flu or H1N1 still circulating?

Yes, swine flu continues to spread, although it is not the dominant strain.

When people talk about swine flu, they are referring to the H1N1 influenza virus. We call it swine flu because the strain that caused the epidemic in 2009 came from pigs.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), another H1N1 strain had previously circulated in humans but was replaced by what we know as “swine flu.”

Susana Lazarte, an infectious disease specialist at Parkland Hospital and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, said the vaccine has so far been most effective against H1N1 (swine flu).

Given the risks that arise every year, why don’t school districts require flu shots like they require other immunizations?

This is a matter for the state legislature.

School district immunization policies are the responsibility of the state, so it is up to our elected representatives to decide which vaccines children in our schools need to receive.

In Texas, children must receive certain vaccinations before they can attend a public or private school or child care center.

For example, children must receive two doses of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine before they can attend school in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Flu vaccine not on list of required immunizations in Texas — in most states, for that matter.

Connecticut and New Jersey are the only two states that require children in preschool and day care to receive the flu vaccine, according to the CDC.

In January 2014, New York became the first local government to pass a flu vaccine mandate, which was later overturned in court.

The CDC website says: “Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated by germs such as influenza.” What are best practices?

“First of all, washing your hands makes everything cleaner,” Lazarte said.

“Most commercial disinfectants kill influenza viruses; but if you want assurance, nothing beats chlorine.”

The CDC makes a distinction between cleaning and disinfecting.

Cleaning involves removing germs with soap and water. It doesn’t necessarily kill bacteria, but it removes them and reduces their numbers, which helps prevent the spread of disease.

I was previously diagnosed with influenza B and my doctor told me that from that point on, I would become immune to the virus. This is real?

not completely. You may be considered immune to a strain of influenza virus you contract during a particular season, but this does not mean you are “immune” to influenza B viruses.

There are several strains of influenza B: Yamagata and Victoria. Different strains of these two flus circulate every year.

But even if you’re considered immune to one strain of flu for a year, unfortunately, that doesn’t happen forever.

“Immunity decreases over time. That’s why we get the flu shot every year,” Creedbo said.

An unpleasant fact: A person can get the flu twice in one season.

Creedbo remembers many patients who came in early in the flu season with influenza A and later contracted influenza B.

Is there any point in getting vaccinated at the beginning of flu season and again at the end of flu season? is it safe?

That certainly won’t have an impact, Creedbo said. But health officials don’t recommend getting a second flu shot, even if you were vaccinated at the beginning of the season.

“There’s no harm in getting a second vaccine, but I don’t know of any experts who recommend it,” Creedbo said.

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