The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expects that drug companies have produced enough flu vaccine to meet the typical USA demand, between 157 million and 168 million shot doses. “So it’s not being recommended for anybody this year”, said Dr. Gregory Mosteller, who is emergency physician at REX Hospital.
Advertisement
“We get vaccinated not just for ourselves but for people who are around us in the community, because there are people who are at high risk”, she said.
Health officials in the Kansas City area say it is time to get a flu shot.
Other non-CDC studies also supported the conclusion that the nasal spray did not work as well as the inactivated vaccine given through a flu shot, which had a 63 percent effective rate.
Why is it important to get a flu shot? “The influenza shot is your family’s most effective tool for protection from the flu”.
The flu season on Long Island starts in mid-November, so doctors are urging people to get vaccinated now. Consult your health care provider before getting the shot if you have a serious allergic reaction to eggs or a previous dose of the flu vaccine, a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, or you are ill with a fever.
At a medical meeting in February 2015, FluMist makers AstraZeneca concluded that the swine flu part of the vaccine is unusually sensitive to heat and often loses its potency if left out at room temperature on warmer days.
Flu usually kills more than 24,000 Americans every year including approximately 100 children. Flu vaccines protect against the three or four viruses that research suggests will be most common.
What viruses do 2016-2017 flu vaccines protect against?
People who have experienced only hives after exposure to egg can get any licensed flu vaccine that is otherwise appropriate for their age and health.
Tell us in the comments section below if you got the FluMist last season.
Advertisement
“That is a big difference, and that is why they made that recommendation”, said Rich Lakin, the Utah Department of Health’s Immunization Program Manager.
