What is Seasonal Influenza?
Seasonal Influenza, or the flu, is an acute respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus. The influenza virus is mainly spread through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, and can also be transmitted through direct contact with any secretions of the patient. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle aches, fatigue, and headache; nausea and diarrhoea may also occur.
What are the consequences of getting the flu?
Healthy individuals who contract the flu typically recover within 2 to 7 days on their own. However, for individuals with weakened immune systems or the elderly, getting the flu can lead to severe illness, and complications such as bronchitis or pneumonia may arise, sometimes resulting in death.
How is the flu vaccine beneficial?
Influenza vaccines can safely and effectively prevent influenza and its complications. For high-risk individuals, such as immunocompromised patients, the flu vaccine can reduce the risk of hospitalisation or death from Influenza.
High risk groups include: pregnant women, individuals over 50 years of age, residents in nursing homes or long-term care facilities, individuals with chronic health conditions, children between ages of 6 months to 11 years, healthcare workers, poultry and pig industry workers, etc.
Who should be vaccinated?*
The Department of Health recommends that all individuals aged 6 months and above receive the flu vaccine unless they are allergic to vaccine components or have known contraindications. Influenza can cause severe illness in high-risk individuals. Healthy individuals can also develop severe symptoms from the flu, potentially transmitting it to high-risk individuals (such as pregnant women, elderly, infants at home), or becoming infected by high-risk individuals.
What type of flu vaccine does HKMC provide?
Hong Kong Medical Consultants offers a Quadrivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccine that boosts immunity against 2 strains of influenza type A, and also 2 strains of influenza type B viruses. The vaccine contains inactivated virus components that are not infectious, making it safe even for children with asthma or individuals with weakened immune systems.
Is the vaccine effective immediately after administration?
No. It takes around 2 weeks for the body to produce antibodies to prevent influenza virus after vaccination. To safeguard personal health, vaccination should be done as early as possible.
Do vaccines need to be administered repeatedly?
Yes. The circulating strains of influenza viruses can change periodically - therefore the composition of the influenza vaccine needs to be updated annually based on the prevalent virus strains to enhance protection. The immunity established after vaccination decreases over time.
To ensure sufficient immunity against seasonal influenza, children under 9 years old who have never been vaccinated against the flu are recommended to receive two doses of the flu vaccine, with at least 4 weeks between the two doses. Those who have received the flu vaccine before only need one dose (booster) this year.
What are the side effects of vaccination?
The inactivated influenza vaccine is very safe, with only minor side effects such as pain and swelling at the injection site. Some individuals may experience symptoms like fever, muscle aches, and fatigue within 6 to 12 hours after vaccination, which typically subside within two days. If fever or discomfort persists, please consult a doctor. In rare cases, severe allergic reactions such as hives, swelling of the tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing may occur, requiring immediate medical attention. Other serious reactions are very uncommon.
Who should not receive inactivated influenza vaccine? *
Individuals with a severe allergic reaction history to any vaccine component or prior influenza vaccine are not suitable to have inactivated influenza vaccination (IIV). Those with mild egg allergies considering the influenza vaccine can typically receive IIV in a primary care setting. For individuals with a history of anaphylaxis to eggs, the seasonal influenza vaccine should be administered by healthcare professionals in medical facilities equipped to manage severe allergic reactions.
Individuals with egg allergies can usually safely receive the influenza vaccine. Although the influenza vaccine contains ovalbumin (an egg protein), its manufacturing process involves extensive purification resulting in very low ovalbumin levels. even individuals with egg allergies can usually safely receive the vaccination. People with bleeding disorders or taking anticoagulants should seek advice from their doctors. If an individual experiences a fever on the vaccination day, it is advisable to postpone the vaccination until recovery.
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