The importance of flu shots

Millions of people around the world each year become ill with influenza. Thousands vaccinated, but it does not always save them from the traditional seven-day spending time in bed, surrounded by inhalers, fast-flowing antipyretics, antibiotics and mint lozenges. Do we need a flu shot? Why get vaccinated? Why vaccinated people still grasp the flu virus on a par with those who saved themselves from this procedure? These questions plagued us as soon approaching autumn-winter period.

Why vaccination

Vaccination against influenza is recommended by the World Health Organization as the only way to protect themselves from the virus and build a strong immune defense for your body. This protection is not one hundred percent. The vaccination does not protect against flu completely, but reduces the risk of catching an infection.

Cases of influenza in vaccinated individuals are not uncommon, and they explained the problem sometimes inconsistency vaccination virus.

There are several types of influenza virus, and they fit into the simple classification of types: A, B and C. Type A virus is most dangerous, poorly tolerated and covers us this pandemic or severe epidemic. Type B virus affects more localized areas on the severity of its characteristics is considered to be more lenient. Influenza type C is not well understood, it is known that it is the least dangerous, does not lead to serious consequences.

Influenza virus contains surface antigens that determine the different strains of the same virus type. Every year, these strains are changing, that is, comes to us the mutated virus which requires a vaccine designed specifically for him. In the development of a vaccine is hoped to correct the WHO projections concerning the strains that will be contained in the new virus sample. Make it as difficult as accurately as possible - change mechanism strains is not clear completely. If influenza vaccine does not contain the material against the new strain, despite the common features of all types of the virus, its effectiveness is reduced by 2-3 times.

What is the vaccine

Any flu vaccine contains a virus that enters the body, stimulate his active struggle by producing antibodies. Significant otchilie vaccine against influenza virus in this that we often grafted inactivated viruses (no live virus) or alive, but in small doses. The latter, being more efficient, can provoke more complications.

After 2 weeks after vaccination has accumulated in the body protective proteins that, when dealing with this virus come from outside, recognize it and destroy.

Who needs vaccinations

Despite the fact that the flu sick all have a group of people most in need of vaccination against the virus. These include:

• children whose immune system is still unstable, especially if they attend child care centers;
• people often carrying diseases of the upper respiratory tract;
• persons suffering from immunodeficiency;
• older people (after 50 years).

There are categories of people to whom vaccination is contraindicated because of certain conditions or may cause serious adverse reactions. These are people with chronic diseases of the nervous, urogenital system, diseases of the blood and the endocrine system, heart failure, asthma Bronchial asthma As well as pregnant women and persons with an allergy to chicken protein.

Vaccination against influenza, introducing viruses into the body, can cause adverse reactions, even in healthy people not suffering from the above contraindications.

The most common reaction to the vaccine - redness at the injection dream, which takes place in 1-2 days. More serious are considered chills and fever after 6-12 hours after administration of the vaccine. A couple of days on which no trace remains.

To do or not to get a flu shot - a rhetorical question and a clear answer to this question is no. Mindlessly resist vaccination is not necessary, but also to consider it a panacea - too. Better weighing all the pros and cons, make an informed decision.

  Eugene Zhirkina

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