It is early autumn, the weather is getting cooler, the temperature difference between day and night is large, and respiratory infectious diseases such as influenza have entered a high incidence season. This year, some provinces in southern my country have seen a peak in summer influenza epidemic. The latest influenza weekly report of the National Influenza Center shows that the proportion of outpatient and emergency influenza-like cases monitored by sentinel hospitals in southern provinces far exceeds the level of previous years. This winter and next spring, there may be an epidemic of influenza and respiratory infectious diseases such as the new crown. Influenza vaccination is an effective means to prevent influenza and can significantly reduce the risk of severe illness and death caused by influenza and flu-related.
How to choose a vaccine?
Currently commonly used influenza vaccines include trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV3), quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV4), and trivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV3). Quadrivalent influenza vaccine includes influenza A H1H1, H3N2, Victoria B, and Yamagata, which can prevent infection of these four influenza viruses. The trivalent influenza vaccine includes one of type A H1H1, type A H3N2 and type B. For people who can receive vaccine products from different types or manufacturers, recipients with no contraindications within the appropriate age range and can voluntarily receive any influenza vaccine, and there is no priority recommendation.
Vaccination time
It takes 2-4 weeks to get vaccinated until the antibody is produced. It is recommended to start vaccination one month before the influenza epidemic season (usually from October to March of the following year) to better prevent influenza.
How often does it take to get the influenza vaccine?
Generally speaking, we need to get influenza vaccine every year. First, because the protection period of influenza vaccine is not long, generally lasts for 6 to 8 months, and will gradually weaken over time. Second, because the frequency of influenza virus mutates is very high, and the mutated influenza virus can reinfect the previously immune host, resulting in repeated epidemics of influenza. Therefore, the components of the influenza vaccine we receive every year are different, and will be adjusted accordingly accordingly according to the mutation of the influenza virus.
The flu vaccine is safe and egg allergy is not a contraindication.
Influenza vaccine originating from chicken embryos contains a small amount of egg protein. People who are allergic to eggs have a theoretical risk of causing an allergic reaction after receiving the influenza vaccine. The Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (2015 and 2020 editions) strictly restricts the content of ovalbumin inactivated and lysed vaccines for influenza viruses, and does not use egg allergies as a taboo for vaccination. The measurement of the oval protein content in commonly used influenza vaccines in my country shows that the highest content is also much lower than that of the pharmacopoeia. The U.S. Advisory Committee on Vaccine Implementation (ACIP) has recommended that people allergic to eggs also receive influenza vaccines. Therefore, it is not recommended to use egg allergy as a taboo for influenza vaccination.
Can patients with chronic diseases be vaccinated?
How to prevent babies under 6 months of age from being vaccinated?
Is it necessary for elderly people at home to be vaccinated?
People are generally susceptible to influenza virus, and people without contraindications should be vaccinated against influenza vaccine.
In particular:
Home elderly people aged 60 and above
Children 6 months-5 years old
Special chronic disease patients
Family of infants under 6 months of age for babies under 6 months of age Members and caregivers
The elderly aged 60 and above will receive the flu vaccine for free
In 2022, based on the Zhejiang Provincial Government's voluntary free influenza vaccine for the elderly over 70 years old, Huzhou City continues to receive the flu vaccine for free for free for the elderly aged 60 and above.
Source: Huzhou Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention
