Flu vaccine 流感疫苗

Why should you get vaccinated against the flu?

Influenza/the flu is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, millions of people get the flu every year, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and thousands or tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes every year.

Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others.

An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to reduce your risk of getting the flu and spreading it to others.

When more people get vaccinated against the flu, less flu can spread through that community.

Who should get vaccinated?

The latest guideline suggest everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every season.

It is even more important for people who are 65 years old and above, children below 5, or for people who has asthma, chronic lung condition like COPD, heart condition, diabetes, kidney disease or liver disease.

Pregnant lady should also go for flu vaccination.

Who should not get the flu vaccine?

Children younger than 6 months are too young to get a flu shot.

People with severe, life-threatening allergies to flu vaccine or any ingredient in the vaccine.

How about egg allergy?

If you have an allergy to eggs or any of the ingredients in the vaccine. Talk to your doctor about your allergy. The recommendations for vaccination of people with egg allergies have changed for 2016-2017. Most people with mild-moderate allergy reaction to egg can still get the vaccination but those with severe egg allergies should be vaccinated in a medical setting and be supervised by a health care provider.

Why do I need a flu vaccine every year?

A flu vaccine is needed every season for two reasons. First, the body’s immune response from vaccination declines over time, so an annual vaccine is needed for optimal protection. Second, because flu viruses are constantly changing, the formulation of the flu vaccine is reviewed each year and sometimes updated to keep up with changing flu viruses.

Can I get seasonal flu even though I got a flu vaccine this year?

Yes you still can get the seasonal flu. The ability of flu vaccine to protect a person depends on various factors, including the age and health status of the person being vaccinated, and also the similarity or “match” between the viruses used to make the vaccine and those circulating in the community.

However, it’s important to remember that even when the viruses are not closely matched, the vaccine can still protect many people and prevent flu complications.

Vaccine Side Effects (flu shot)?

Flu vaccine is safe. The viruses in the flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. Some minor side effects that may occur are:Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given and low grade fever and aches.

为什么要流感疫苗接种？

流行性感冒（Influenza），通常簡稱為流感, 是一种严重的疾病，可导致严重肺炎，有时甚至死亡。

每年流感季节的病毒都不一样，有数百万人感染流感，其中有成千上万的人因感染流感而死亡。即使健康的人也可以感染病毒，并将其传播给他人。

流感疫苗是减少流感几率，减轻流感症状， 并防止传播给他人的最佳办法。

谁应该接种疫苗？

每只年龄6个月以上，都应该得到流感疫苗。

当然抵抗力较低的人群如：65岁以上的老年人 和5岁以下的儿童或患有哮喘，慢性肺疾病如COPD，心脏病，糖尿病，肾脏疾病或肝脏疾病的病患，流感疫苗接种更为重要。

孕妇也应该去接种流感疫苗。

谁不适合流感疫苗接种？

6个月以下的儿童或对流感疫苗或疫苗中任何成分有过敏的人群。

为什么每年需要重复流感疫苗接种？

每个季节都需要重复流感疫苗接种有两个原因。首先，身体免疫反应随着时间的推移而下降，所以需要每年一次的疫苗接种才能获得最佳保护。第二，由于流感病毒不断变化，每年更新以跟上流感病毒的变化。

疫苗副作用？

流感疫苗是安全的。流感疫苗中的病毒已经被处理了 ，所以您不能感染流感疫苗。可能发生的是一些轻微的副作用如：接种处酸痛，发红或肿胀，低发烧和身体酸痛，不过都是轻微的。

(Dr Lee Chong Han )