Should you get vaccinated against the flu? Everything about the flu shot. Flu vaccination at school

Want to forget about the flu for the entire season? The best way to protect yourself is vaccination. Candidate of Medical Sciences, teacher of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Military Medical Academy in St. Petersburg, infectious disease doctor Sergei Mikhailovich ZAKHARENKO talks about different flu vaccinations.

Influenza viruses are known to be very variable. Do you get vaccinated against one type of flu, but end up getting sick with a completely different one?

In fact, the likelihood of such a development of events is negligible and here's why. Indeed, one of the features of the influenza virus is its high variability. Every year, a flu virus that is slightly different from last year’s solemnly marches across the planet. Therefore, in order to provide people with maximum protection, scientists change the composition of vaccines every year.

The World Health Organization predicts what type of virus will circulate next season. All vaccine producing companies receive this information from WHO and prepare new vaccines for new viruses. Thanks to this, the vaccinated person is able to create immunity to those viruses that he is most likely to encounter. For this reason, you should not be vaccinated with last year’s vaccines, which have lost their “relevance”.

- Who needs vaccination first?

To avoid a tedious listing of all categories of people who need preventive vaccination, you can answer this question in two words - almost all. But since young children and people of the older age group, as well as those who have chronic diseases, suffer most from the flu, they need vaccination first of all. Many modern vaccines can be vaccinated even in children as young as 6 months of age.

- In medical centers they are now vaccinated with various vaccines. Please tell me how they differ?

The Ministry of Health has approved 9 different influenza vaccines for use, which have significant differences. It is especially important to find out their contraindications before going to the clinic for an injection.

To make vaccines, chicken embryos are used, which are infected with special vaccine strains of the virus.

Russia produces three live influenza vaccine preparations. The first is produced in Irkutsk by JSC Immunopreparat and is used to vaccinate children from 3 to 14 years old. The second, also from Irkutsk, is intended for children from 7 years old, teenagers and adults. The third, purified, is used for adults over 16 years of age and is produced by the St. Petersburg Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums. These "old" vaccines have their advantages.

First of all, they are cheap. Secondly, they can be instilled into the nose instead of injections. But today this type of vaccine still has a number of contraindications for use.

They cannot be used in case of acute illness and allergy to chicken protein, bronchial asthma and connective tissue diseases. Diseases of the kidneys, adrenal glands, lungs and upper respiratory tract, diseases of the blood, nervous and endocrine systems are also contraindications for “live” vaccination. It is prohibited to give such vaccinations to hypertensive patients, people with vascular pathology and heart failure, as well as pregnant women.

First, second and third generation vaccines are inactivated. These are highly purified vaccines that contain killed, destroyed viruses or their particles. This makes it possible to significantly reduce the frequency of adverse reactions while maintaining the high effectiveness of vaccination. There are three types of inactivated vaccines - whole virion, split and subunit. The first type contains whole influenza viruses, which are more “neutralized” and purified compared to their living “brothers.” In Russia they are produced by JSC Immunopreparat in Ufa, the Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums and the NIIEM named after. Pasteur in St. Petersburg.

These vaccines differ in the production method, but have virtually no significant differences. Thanks to modern technologies, they are almost completely free of harmful impurities. But some components of the influenza virus that cause reactions when injected into humans cannot be removed. Therefore, the Ministry of Health allows the use of whole-virion inactivated vaccines in children from the age of 7 and only by instillation into the nose, and in adults over 18 years of age the vaccine can already be administered intramuscularly.

Split and subunit vaccines are safer. They are approved for use to prevent influenza in very young children. Digested vaccines contain influenza viruses that have been destroyed and further purified. As a result of special processing, influenza virus particles that cause unnecessary reactions are removed from them, and the main components are preserved, which provide, on the one hand, long-term protection and, on the other hand, protection against different variants of the influenza virus. There are no domestic split vaccines yet, but foreign drugs Vaxigrip, Fluarix and Vegrivac are widely used and are used to vaccinate people in many medical institutions.

- Which of the following vaccines should you prefer?

These vaccines have practically no differences, only the manufacturing companies differ: Fluarix is ​​produced by SmithKline Beecham, Vaxigrip is owned by the French company Pasteur-Merieux, and Begrivak is supplied by Chiron Behring. For adults and children over 6 years of age, the same dosages, route of administration, and strain composition are indicated. If you are in this category, you will need a single intramuscular injection of one of these vaccines. But if you want to vaccinate a small child against the flu, keep in mind that Fluarix can be used in children from 1 year of age, and other vaccines - from 6 months, and children will need a two-time low-dose vaccination given at intervals of 4-6 weeks

- What are the benefits of the third type of vaccines you mentioned?

Subunit vaccines are representatives of the third generation. The first such vaccine appeared in 1980. It is maximally purified from harmful impurities and chicken protein, so it is well tolerated by all categories. Due to its high effectiveness and low number of side effects, this vaccine can be used in children from 6 months of age. In medical centers you can most often find the Dutch drug "Influvac". It is used in the same way as split vaccines. Adults need one such vaccination, children from 6 months to 3 years old need two injections.

All imported vaccines are offered in a ready-to-use form - a syringe dose, which guarantees sterility, adherence to the exact dosage and painless injection thanks to a thin needle covered with a special coating. In addition to imported vaccines, you can also find a domestic drug - the Grippol vaccine, manufactured by the Ufa JSC Immunopreparat. True, "Grippol" is only allowed to be used from 3 years of age.

- When should you get a flu shot?

Calculation of the optimal time for vaccination is based on the following figures. Firstly, to create full protection, the body needs from 14 to 30 days after vaccination. During this period, a fairly large number of protective antibodies accumulate. Secondly, this protective level of antibodies lasts from several months to six months. Then their number gradually decreases.

The rise in the incidence of influenza in our country occurs around the winter season. In this regard, it is advisable to visit the vaccination office 2-4 weeks before the predicted influenza outbreak. But if vaccination was not carried out, and “thunder struck” - the epidemic began, as always, without prior notification to you personally? You can still get vaccinated even during this period. You just need to use subunit or split vaccines - any of the above.

- What side effects can you experience after vaccination?

As a rule, people tolerate vaccination well, especially if they are vaccinated with second and third generation vaccines. Occasionally, minor reactions may occur, which are not to be feared. This is a short-term ailment: a feeling of fatigue, increased body temperature, chills, sweating, mild muscle pain. These symptoms usually disappear after 1-2 days.

- Where is the best place to get a flu shot?

The safest thing to do is go to a good medical center, where you will be offered not only a high-quality vaccine, but also a preliminary consultation with a doctor who will take into account your individual characteristics and warn you about possible reactions. The whole procedure will take no more than half an hour. But some people prefer to purchase influenza vaccines themselves - in pharmacies. However, the administration of the drug should still be entrusted to a professional - go to the clinic.

Natalia DALNEVA
"Women Health"

Do I need to get a flu shot? In most cases, specialists: therapists, immunologists, virologists and research scientists agree on one opinion: flu vaccination helps to avoid, if not the disease itself, then its severe forms and the development of complications that have a detrimental effect on the entire body. Influenza is considered one of the most dangerous diseases because of its prevalence: seasonal “outbreaks” of a viral disease quickly cross the epidemiological threshold and become epidemics and even pandemics.

Preventive vaccination of at least part of the population, especially from the most vulnerable groups, helps to significantly reduce the number of cases and reduce the number of deaths from the disease. However, not all people are willing to get a flu shot, even if it is offered free of charge, and some experts also have doubts about the need for annual vaccination. What are the pros and cons of influenza vaccination?

Who should be vaccinated against influenza?

The World Health Organization has identified several groups with different age and physiological characteristics, the vaccination of which should be considered mandatory. Among these groups:

• young children, since their immune system is still developing and needs to be supported by inactivated vaccines to develop temporary specific immunity to various strains of influenza. Due to the formation of the protective system, influenza in childhood is difficult to tolerate, complications and dysfunction of various organs often occur;
• age group over 50 years: natural decline of immunity, the presence of chronic diseases make people in this age period vulnerable to the influenza virus and the development of serious complications of the cardiovascular system and respiratory system. Fatal outcomes are also monitored with high frequency at this age;
• women planning pregnancy or during gestation (not earlier than the second trimester): bearing a child is accompanied by a natural decrease in the body's defenses, as a result of which pregnant women become more seriously ill, and the virus itself in the first trimester can affect the development of the fetus, having a teratogenic effect, causing miscarriage, in the later stages - infect the child and create a threat of premature birth. Vaccination is recommended one month before the planned conception or at 12 obstetric weeks and later;
• people with diseases of the immune system or other diseases and pathologies accompanied by a decrease in the body's defenses, as well as patients with chronic forms of respiratory diseases (in remission);
• groups of professions that, of necessity, come into contact with a large number of infected people and are at increased risk of disease, or are in close contact with vulnerable groups of the population: doctors, pharmacists and pharmacists, social workers, teachers, kindergarten teachers, etc.

Why don't vaccinations always work?

One of the arguments against getting vaccinated against influenza is the likelihood of becoming infected and getting sick, even if you have been vaccinated on time. Why is this happening?
Every year, flu strains change and mutate. Before each epidemic season, researchers predict the most likely types of viruses, and vaccines are created based on the forecast. However, there is a chance of getting a different type of flu.

The second reason is an insufficiently formed immune response of the body, when the immune system, for one reason or another, does not produce enough antibodies to protect against an infectious agent.
The third reason is vaccination with the wrong type of composition due to incorrect selection or incorrect prediction by researchers. Every year, virus strains mutate, change localization, and it is incredibly difficult, and sometimes impossible, to take into account all factors. An inaccurate forecast reduces the effectiveness of the vaccine by 3 times.
However, in all such cases, due to the activation of specific immunity to the combined composition of vaccines, the disease itself is much easier, complications are extremely rare. In some situations, patients do not distinguish between influenza and acute respiratory viral infection, and consider ARVI to be influenza, for which vaccination “did not work.”

What does the vaccine contain?

Depending on the manufacturer and target group, vaccines can be divided into the following groups:

• inactivated and “live”, that is, not containing a virus or containing a weakened influenza strain;
• containing and not containing preservatives.

It is better to select the necessary vaccine together with specialists: a therapist who will take into account all age indicators, the presence of diseases, changes in physiological conditions, and so on, and will advise the best option with the highest efficiency and low probability of complications. Selecting a vaccine on your own can lead not only to an insufficient level of protection, but also cause unnecessary consequences.

What are the benefits of getting a flu vaccine?

Vaccination in adults and children significantly reduces the likelihood of getting sick. Thus, among older people, a group of vaccinated patients not only become less likely to become infected with influenza and recover faster, but are also less likely to suffer from seasonal respiratory viral infections.
In the general population, vaccination is able to protect 80% of all age groups; in addition to this figure, increasing the number of vaccinated people reduces the pace and level of the epidemic, limiting the infection to a part of unvaccinated people.

In childhood, a correctly selected vaccine protects a child in 92% of cases of contact with the virus, that is, among vaccinated children, 92 out of 100 will not get the flu in a given season. A common complication of influenza in childhood - inflammation of the middle ear or - after vaccination is observed 30% less often among the group of those who have recovered from the disease, it occurs more easily and is cured faster, without becoming chronic.

Vaccination before pregnancy or directly during pregnancy (in the 2nd-3rd trimester) helps not only expectant mothers to stay healthy. Antibodies to influenza viruses produced by the mother's body are transferred to the child during pregnancy and lactation and help avoid infection for up to 6 months or more after birth.

Disadvantages of the flu shot

Proponents of a negative attitude towards influenza vaccination identify the following reasons for refusing annual preventive vaccination:

• the likelihood of a mismatch between the forecast of the most active strains and the real “culprit” of the influenza epidemic;
• additional load on the immune system during the autumn vaccination period, with the onset of hypovitaminosis and exacerbation of chronic diseases due to climate change, daylight hours, and the beginning of the spread of other infections;
• possible allergic reactions of the body both to chicken protein, on the basis of which viral cultures are grown, and to preservatives in vaccines;
• lack of 100% protection against infection even when vaccinated with a composition that corresponds to the seasonal specifics of viral types.

Who does the flu vaccination not help but harm?

There are contraindications to vaccination, in which the possible harm becomes greater than the benefits of immunizing the body. Such contraindications include the following conditions and characteristics of a person:

• allergic reactions to chicken egg whites, meat;
• diseases and pathologies of the nervous system, hematopoietic organs, endocrine system, urinary organs and tracts, heart, respiratory organs (in particular). In some cases, vaccination is strictly contraindicated: if the disease occurs in an acute form or the pathology has a significant effect on the body. With remission and a predicted stable condition, the issue of vaccination is resolved positively in most cases;
• pregnancy period up to 12 weeks for an inactivated vaccine, until the beginning of the third trimester for a weakened form;
• people with an individual negative reaction to a previous influenza vaccination.

The composition of the vaccine may have unexpected negative effects in the above cases. Some conditions and diseases, such as allergies to chicken protein or severe heart failure, are a complete indication for refusing vaccination; in other cases, the decision about the need for vaccination can be made individually.

Vaccination is not a 100% method of protection, but the flu shot has proven effective both in protecting against infection and in reducing the severity of the body’s reaction to the development of an invading pathogen. Regardless of the presence or absence of antibodies in the body, it is necessary to remember other preventive measures: frequent hand washing, taking multivitamins, including foods rich in vitamin C in the diet, drinking plenty of warm drinks, and a healthy lifestyle.

It is so dangerous for people that it ranks third among the most treacherous diseases of our time. Therefore, doctors recommend vaccination to avoid influenza and its complications. Meanwhile, up to 80% of the US population, about 10% of the Russian population, and in Ukraine – up to 1% prefer to take the vaccine. There are many rumors about vaccinations - some true and some not so true. Do I need to get a flu shot?

Who needs a flu shot?

The WHO says that while everyone gets the flu, not everyone needs to be vaccinated. But there are groups of people who simply need flu vaccinations. This:

• Children from six months of age who have not yet acquired immunity to colds and whose immune system is still very weak

• People with chronic diseases of the respiratory system (but not in acute condition and without fever)
• Those who are immunocompromised
• People who have crossed the threshold of 50 years

Why is it so difficult to get a flu shot?

The influenza virus contains special antigens, the formula and type of which form varieties of the same viruses. These varieties, unfortunately, change their composition every year, which makes it quite difficult to find a valid flu vaccine.

Who is the flu vaccine contraindicated for?

There are people who should not get a flu shot because it can cause a number of complications.

• These are people with chronic diseases of the nervous system
• Those who have problems with the genitourinary system (ureter, bladder, kidneys, etc.)
• People suffering from diseases of the endocrine organs (thyroid, adrenal glands, pituitary gland)
• Those who have heart failure, and clearly expressed
• People with bronchial asthma
• Patients with blood diseases of any age

We'll tell you why it's easy to get sick after vaccination and whether vaccination is an effective way to protect against the virus.

– The kindergarten asked me to fill out a consent form for a flu shot. Some parents signed, and some wrote a refusal. But I still doubt whether to do it for my daughter or not. They say that people often get sick after vaccination, and the vaccination itself does not always help, because the virus mutates. Who to listen to?

Typically, during the autumn-winter season, there are two increases in the incidence of influenza and ARVI: the first - in late November - early December, during which children primarily get sick, and the next - in the second half of January, after the New Year holidays.

Doctors consider vaccination the most effective way to prevent influenza. Vaccinations need to be done every year, because, firstly, the vaccine provides immunity for 7-9 months, and a person can acquire lifelong immunity to the influenza virus only after having had it. Secondly, immunity to influenza occurs to a specific strain and its subtype, so the composition of the vaccine must be adjusted annually.

This year, according to the head of the epidemiological surveillance department of the Rospotrebnadzor Office for the Kirov Region, Lyubov Oparina, the arrival of influenza of mixed etiology is predicted, in which influenza viruses of type “A” - H3N2, H1N1 - and influenza “B” virus will be present.

– We cannot predict what strain of influenza will be widespread, how it will change and what features it will have. We can only talk about what type of pathogen will circulate,” says Lyubov Oparina. – Every year we use updated strains for the vaccine. This is done taking into account the fact that influenza viruses are changeable, so all changes are recorded and taken into account when creating a vaccine. If the vaccine is not constantly changed, part of the population will no longer “recognize” the influenza virus and the incidence will be higher. There is a cumulative effect here. A simple example: if you get the flu every year, then your immunological memory will accumulate changes and will be resistant to the flu. But if, for example, a child has only been ill once, and then his body encounters a modified virus, he may get sick again. Children generally get sick more often than adults.

Vaccinations do not provide a 100% guarantee that you will not catch the virus during an epidemic, but even if you do become infected, you will get over the flu easier and without complications.

Can you get sick from vaccination?

No you can not. The vaccine contains neither live nor inactivated viruses, but only their protein particles. But within a few days after vaccination, a person’s immunity is weakened, so he can easily catch ARVI. The complaints of Kirov residents may be related to this: “I got a flu shot and immediately fell ill.”

Where can I get vaccinated?

For the last three years, government clinics and mobile vaccination teams traveling around Kirov have been using the domestic Sovigripp vaccine.

– No complications or severe course of the post-vaccination period were registered with this vaccine during all three years of use. It very rarely gives a sharp temperature or allergic reaction to the skin. There have been no complaints about the vaccine. In general, 46% of the population in the Russian Federation were vaccinated last year, and we have never heard a sharply negative review of the vaccine. Rospotrebnadzor collected data on the effectiveness of immunization, they, of course, fluctuate, but the guaranteed effect for adults is somewhere around 80%, says Lyubov Oparina.

at the Regional Philharmonic Society Lenin, 102b (10:00 - 16:00);

at the Antey shopping center on Leps, 54 (10:00 - 16:00);

on Marshal Konev Square (10:00 - 18:00).

Vaccinations can also be done at a local clinic. It is enough to simply contact a medical institution with a compulsory medical insurance policy.

About the main thing - briefly:

The rise in the incidence of influenza and ARVI usually occurs at the end of November and the second half of January.

Vaccination does not provide a 100% guarantee against infection with the virus, but if you get sick, the disease will proceed without complications.

You cannot get the flu from the vaccine. Vaccination can weaken the immune system, leading to colds.

For the last three years, the Sovigripp vaccine has been used in Kirov.

Vaccinations can be done in mobile vaccination teams or at a local clinic.

If you have questions that you cannot find answers to, send them to us, and we will definitely take them into development.

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Every year in the fall, parents are asked to vaccinate their children and themselves against the flu. At the same time, many doubt whether such vaccination is necessary, because it is not on the list of mandatory ones and causes very controversial opinions.

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Pros

• Vaccination will help protect against a dangerous disease, which is especially valuable during epidemics. The effectiveness of modern anti-influenza vaccines is estimated at 70-90%.
• For a child, this is doubly important, since in young children the flu is often accompanied by severe complications and hospitalization.
• Getting vaccinated is cheaper than treating the flu. In addition, the mother will not have to take sick leave, which also affects the family budget.
• By vaccinating a large number of people, herd immunity can be achieved.
• Modern vaccines have an improved composition - they have a reduced dosage of antigens while maintaining effectiveness, and there are no preservatives containing mercury.
• Vaccines are released in syringe doses, which prevents mistakes during injection.
• Thanks to the vaccine, the number of complications from influenza is reduced by 30%, and deaths by 50%.
• Flu vaccination is 50-60% effective against other acute respiratory infections.
• Because influenza vaccines have few side effects, they can be given at the same time as other vaccines.

How dangerous is the disease?

Influenza in children often occurs in a severe form - the temperature rises to 39-40 degrees, febrile convulsions are possible, children complain of headaches, their condition is greatly deteriorated.

The danger lies mainly in the fact that the virus greatly weakens the immune system, so a child with the flu becomes defenseless against bacteria that constantly attack our respiratory tract. This causes complications of influenza such as pneumonia, otitis media and meningitis.

In addition, if the baby has chronic diseases, the influenza virus causes their exacerbation. It especially harms the nervous and cardiovascular systems of children.

The cons and is it worth getting this vaccine?

There is a lot of debate about the advisability of influenza vaccination. The arguments of opponents of such vaccination are as follows:

1. The vaccine only works for a few months. This is true, because the drug is created on the basis of circulating viruses, and by the end of winter new strains may appear, so the risk of infection remains.
2. Anti-influenza vaccines are rare, but still give a vaccination reaction in the form of a short-term increase in temperature, as well as swelling at the injection site.

Vaccination will not protect against infection. A vaccinated child can get the flu, but the purpose of administering the vaccine is not to prevent infection. Vaccination will help avoid progression to a severe form and serious complications of the infection.

Indications for vaccination

• Frequently ill children.
• Children who have chronic diseases, as well as developmental defects of the respiratory system.
• Children with heart and central nervous system diseases, including congenital defects.
• Children who have blood diseases, kidney pathologies, endocrine diseases.
• Children attending child care institutions.
• Children with immunodeficiencies, including those caused by medications.

Contraindications

You cannot get vaccinated against influenza if:

• Allergies to chicken eggs (vaccines against this infection are created on their basis);
• Exacerbation of a chronic or allergic disease (vaccination is recommended only 2 weeks after recovery);
• ARVI and elevated body temperature;
• Serious reactions to influenza vaccine in the past.

Possible complications and can they be prevented?

In most cases, influenza vaccines do not cause any complications that are dangerous for the child. However, in order for the vaccination to be well tolerated, to be effective and not to cause adverse reactions, it is important to vaccinate the child before the outbreak of the epidemic, then his immunity will not be overly stressed. It is also recommended to take an antihistamine the day before the procedure, on the day of vaccination and the next day.

Opinion of E. Komarovsky

A well-known pediatrician says that flu vaccines really work, so it's worth getting vaccinated. However, in young children such vaccination has its own characteristics. If the baby has not had the flu before and has not been vaccinated against this disease, he needs two doses of the vaccine with an interval of about a month.

For those parents who doubt whether to vaccinate their child with such a volatile virus, Komarovsky reminds that there are many virology laboratories around the world that determine the types of viruses that circulate among people. Every year, at the end of spring, they make a forecast of which flu viruses people will encounter in the fall, after which they begin to produce a vaccine. By September, all major vaccine manufacturers are providing drugs that include several variants of the virus that people are most likely to encounter this year.

Preparation before vaccination

You should consult with your child’s pediatrician about the need for flu vaccination. He will take into account the characteristics of the child’s body and draw conclusions about how the baby will tolerate the vaccination. Also, those who want to be confident in the health of the baby and prevent possible complications should take a blood and urine test. In some cases, it makes sense to consult an immunologist.

Minimum child age and vaccination frequency

The flu vaccine can be given to infants older than 6 months. If children have not previously had the flu and have never been vaccinated against the disease, they should receive the vaccine twice. In this case, two injections of 1/2 adult dose of the vaccine are given with a break of a month. The injection is often carried out intramuscularly, but the drug can also be injected deep under the skin.