How Do They Make The Flu Vaccine – We’ve all heard that we should get the flu shot every year, but what does it contain? And how does it work? Read to find out.
A yearly flu shot is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older. Why? Because it’s the best way to protect yourself from the flu—it can help prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and even death.
How Do They Make The Flu Vaccine
“The vaccine works by injecting a small protein from the virus into your body. This causes your body to produce antibodies to fight the disease and then build up a level of immunity when you are exposed to the real virus,” said Stanley Martin. MD, director, MD. It takes two weeks for the vaccine to be most effective, so it is recommended to get the vaccine in the fall before flu season begins.
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What if it’s too late and you still haven’t gotten your shot? Don’t worry – you still have time. “I always recommend getting a flu shot before March,” said Dr. Martin. “And as the spread of COVID-19 continues, getting vaccinated against both viruses is important again. You don’t want to get both at once. Protect yourself as much as you can.”
Each year, researchers determine which strains of the flu virus are most likely to emerge in the coming season, and vaccines are developed accordingly. “Most flu vaccines protect against four types of virus,” explains Dr. Martin. “One influenza A (H1N1) virus, one influenza A (H3N2) virus, and two influenza B viruses.”
A vaccine can be made with an inactivated virus – meaning that the particles have been grown in culture and have lost their ability to cause disease. A vaccine can also come from a recombinant virus, which means it has been created synthetically so that it cannot replicate and cause disease. A third option is a live (but weakened) virus used in a nasal spray vaccine. “All options work equally well,” explains Dr. According to Martin, “but the live virus is not recommended for people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women or people with other medical conditions.”
I am allergic to eggs. Can I get the flu shot? Most flu shots, whether given by hand or by nasal spray, are made using an egg-based process. The virus is injected into a fertilized chicken egg, where it incubates and multiplies for several days. This means that a small amount of egg protein may be in the vaccine. But the amount is so small that most people with egg allergies don’t care and can still get the flu shot. In fact, the flu vaccine protects many people with egg allergies without serious adverse reactions. Only in cases where a person has a history of severe anaphylaxis – a type of allergic reaction requiring hospitalization – eggs should cause concern as a response. If you are one of those few people, don’t worry: the egg-free flu vaccine is limited to those with a history of anaphylaxis.
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Other ways to prevent the flu “A flu vaccine is your best defense against the flu,” said Dr. Martin. “Other precautions we must take are the same as we take to protect ourselves from COVID-19. Avoid close contact with others, stay home if you are sick, wear a mask when in public, and use hand sanitizer.
Every year, we make it as easy as possible to get the flu shot. You can make an appointment, go to a clinic or provider’s office, or visit a drive-through. The flu shot is the “best shot” against the flu. That’s why we do everything we can to protect you and the rest of the community. Check out all the ways to get the flu shot.
Can you get the flu and COVID-19 at the same time? Determination. 4 Reasons to Get the Flu Vaccine Last year’s flu season was the best it’s ever been. Positive flu tests are rare, only 0.2%. In an average year, about 30 percent of the tests are positive. In the fall of 2020, COVID-19 is still a focus for many of us, and we are all hiding and maintaining social distance.
This flu season may be different as COVID-19 restrictions are eased and people socialize more often. While the flu and COVID-19 together are a “twin epidemic” circulating out of control, there are vaccines that protect us from both infections.
Fight The Flu. Get Vaccinated
Influenza and COVID-19 are both infectious respiratory diseases with similar symptoms. Vaccines use different technologies against the two unique viruses, but they have the same job of training our immune system to recognize and attack the virus, so we don’t get sick or reduce the severity of the disease.
Dr. Kathy Taylor, medical director of infection prevention at Lake Regional Medical Center and associate professor of clinical medicine at LSU, helps us understand the science behind flu and COVID-19 vaccines. The end game for both is to introduce a viral protein to your immune system so that it recognizes the virus when you are exposed to it later.
The flu shot contains a small viral protein from an inactivated virus or a synthetic virus. The protein causes antibodies to form after about two weeks, which protect against infection when you encounter the circulating flu virus. Vaccination also reduces the severity of the disease in people who have been exposed to the flu. The flu shot won’t give you the flu because it doesn’t contain all of the flu’s viral mechanisms.
Seasonal flu vaccines are designed to protect against the flu virus that research shows. This year, all flu shots protect against four different strains of flu, two types A and two types B. A high-dose option and a booster option are available for people age 65 and older whose immune systems may not respond. as well as regular vaccinations.
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Flu shots are recommended and available for everyone over six months of age. Children are protected by those around them who are vaccinated.
Learn more about the science of the flu vaccine at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Like the flu vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine helps our body develop immunity to the virus by activating antibodies. Different types of COVID-19 vaccines work in different ways to offer this protection, but all let the body remember how to fight the virus in the future.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use mRNA to give your body a set of instructions on how to make the viral protein. Once your body accumulates such a small amount, it starts an immune response. The mRNA instructions are not preserved and nothing changes in your body.
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Johnson & Johnson is a vector vaccine that contains a modified version of another virus, and its envelope contains the genetic material of the virus that causes COVID-19. This viral vector instructs your cells to make the viral protein, and your cells copy it, prompting your body to remember how to fight the virus in the future.
Want to save time and get a flu shot and a COVID-19 vaccine or booster at the same time? We have answers to frequently asked questions about how safe it is to get your flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine in one visit.
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is a personal choice, but it’s a safe one. Schedule a vaccination or booster. #InItToEndIt
“You will be a doctor” was the career advice MD Adaora Uzodi was given by her father while growing up in Nigeria….
The Science Behind The Flu Shot
You don’t have to wait for the new year to make resolutions to improve yourself. In general, each ingredient used to make a vaccine has its own purpose. Vaccines contain substances that protect against the current disease or provide immunity. Vaccines also contain ingredients that prevent contamination and keep vaccines safe. Some important ingredients used to make vaccines may remain in the vaccine in small, safe amounts.
Adjuvants improve the body’s response to the vaccine, which improves the vaccine. Aluminum salts are common excipients and are also found in deodorants or antacids (such as Tums).
Stabilizers help keep it effective after vaccination. Gelatin is an example of a stabilizer. It is present in our body and can be found in foods like JELL-O
Preservatives are used in small amounts after vaccination to prevent bacterial or fungal contamination. They are also used in products such as hand soap.
Can The Flu Shot Hurt My Immune Response?
Before vaccines are approved for use in the United States, they are tested to make sure they work and are safe. After approval, the CDC and FDA will continue to monitor the safety of the vaccine.
This resource is supported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As part of a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cooperative agreement. The content belongs to the author(s), but not
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