Flu Virus - to vaccinate or not?

So you know by now every year when flu season is about to start,  (roughly a 13 weeks duration spanning from March to July) the influenza vaccine gets promoted through advertisement everywhere! So is this a sales gimmick or is there some real benefit to it?

Well it depends! Who's asking?

Young children (from 12months), pregnant mothers up to 2 weeks post partum, the elderly or the immuno-compromised ( esp HIV/TB), lung/chronic disease and co morbid patients, certainly will benefit from it. The advantage isn't as directly observable as one would think (not catching any virus/not getting sick for the entire season etc). It is more of a "lessening of risk" , or aversion of exacerbation from a viral infection, which is key! After vaccination, the special groups (those mentioned above) patient drastically reduces their risk of landing up in hospital due to severe infection and secondary complications (cardiovascular, pulmonary, etc). The burden of the influenza related hospitalizations depends on the transmission and virulence of the strain each year.

Let's mention the three strains which cause illness. Influenza A - most usual cause of epidemics or yearly outbreaks, Influenza B - less severe outbreaks and illness, mostly burdensome on children and the immuno-compromised individuals. Lastly, Influenza C - which caused minor respiratory illnesses.

However the influenza virus (including all infectious strains) is not the only flu-like virus in the air.
Rhinoviruses which cause the common cold are another huge culprit; the adenovirus, coronavirus and other viruses all thrive during the colder months as indoor ventilation decreases and human clusters (viral harbouring and sharing) increase. So you may still get a cold, or another viral infection or even allergies, which all involve sneezing, rhinorea and sinus congestion among others. NB: the flu has a sudden onset of symptoms, includes fever and body aches, git disturbances in children, sore throat, and running nose as differential.

The question remains, do you vaccinate or not?

Considering the above information. If you fall within this special group, the safe advise to receive is: vaccinate.

If you live or work (especially health care workers) with this special group including newborns/infants, avoid becoming a source of infection to them: vaccinate

If you fall outside of this group, are a healthy individual and have no additional risk: you can skip the vaccine

The trivalent vaccine (TIV) in itself is not a live attenuated strain (it contains three dead/inactivated strains of 2 different A strains & 1 B strain) , therefore the rumors of it causing the flu or other diseases are unfounded/unrelated. However, after vaccination, a mild localized irritation might occur which clears quickly.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning that since the flu vaccine is not long lasting (6 months longevity), it should be re-administered annually at the start of flu season (in SA it's March/April). This also means that if you've had the flu at the beginning of the season, you may still get it again towards the end even if you vaccinate.

Look at this table which shows reduction in severity of disease and morbidity in those who vaccinate vs not:

Heads up, Now you know.

ALWAYS ask your pharmacist for sound pharmacy related advise.

Happy flu aversion