|
|
|
WHAT'S NEW
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Should you get a flu shot?
|
|
|
It's a decision every Canadian must face amid a bombardment of ads, advice and reports of an inevitable pandemic.
|
|
|
By Allan Britnell
|
|
|
|
|
How long does the shot last? do I need to get it every year?
Although the antibodies your body produces can remain in your system for up to a year, they are most effective for four to six months (less for the elderly). That's long enough to get through one flu season that, in Canada, runs from about November to March. Even if the antibodies remain, the prevalent strains may change, requiring a new shot.
Will the flu shot make me sick? Is it dangerous? What are the possible side-effects?
You cannot get the flu from a flu shot. The viruses used in the vaccine are completely dead. There are, however, potential side-effects from getting the shot, most commonly soreness around the injection site for a day or two. Some experience fever, fatigue and other flulike symptoms for up to two days after having the shot as they respond to the vaccine.
Since the vaccine is incubated in chicken eggs and a trace amount of egg proteins are present in the injection, people with egg allergies should not get the shot.
During the 2000-2001 flu season, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) confirmed nearly 1,000 reports of oculo-respiratory syndrome (ORS) brought on by the vaccination. Symptoms included red eyes, facial swelling and difficulty breathing and swallowing. Since that time, the number of ORS cases reported has dropped significantly, but PHAC continues to monitor the situation.
One extremely rare reaction, affecting about one in a million people, is called Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune disease that attacks the nervous system and causes extreme weakness and abnormal sensation for several weeks, with lingering effects potentially lasting years.
Is it safe for children? I read somewhere about flu shots causing autism and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) recommends that all children more than five months old be vaccinated, particularly those between six and 23 months of age. Children younger than six months do not develop sufficient antibodies to fight off infection, so they are not vaccinated. The CPS also recommends that parents and anyone -- including babysitters -- who come in contact with children under two be vaccinated. This also includes pregnant women who will be delivering during flu season. (The NACI says that the vaccine is safe in all stages of pregnancy and for mothers who are breast-feeding.)
Children under nine who have never been vaccinated before will require two doses of the vaccine, taken one month apart. Like adults, children who have had the vaccine before only need one annual shot.
Multidose vials of the flu vaccine contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal (in amounts of 0.01 per cent or less). Some studies did suggest a link between thimerosal and autism or ADHD, but the overwhelming consensus in the medical community is that there is no link.
In 2000 WHO concluded that while thimerosal posed a "theoretical low risk of neurodevelopmental toxicity in infants" the benefits of potentially lifesaving vaccinations "far outweigh any potential risk posed by thimerosal." That said, manufacturers are working on developing alternative preservatives, and thimerosal has been phased out of most other vaccine formulations. Autism or not, some children can have an allergic reaction to thimerosal. If you are concerned, thimerosal-free flu vaccines are available.
What do you think of this article? Click the microphone icon to submit your feedback.
Page 2 of 4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 more articles |
|
|
|
|
|
|
