October has been unseasonably warm, but the Frederick County Health Department is already prepared for the next season: influenza season.
The health department will start its clinics for the flu shot, which they will provide for children, at the end of the month, but healthcare providers want people in the county to know it’s not too early to get a flu shot.
And despite myths, “you can’t get the flu from the vaccine,” said Dr. Rachel Mandel, the vice president of medical affairs at Frederick Memorial Hospital.
The flu vaccine is grown, often in eggs, although there is a cell-based method, Mandel said. From the grown virus, immunologists will find the antigen, the part that will activate a person’s immune system to create antibodies in response, and use the antigen to create the shot.
When a person is given the vaccine, their body will recognize the antigen and create the necessary antibodies. That way, if the person become infected with that strain of the flu, their body will already have warriors ready to destroy it, Mandel said.
There are two categories of flu vaccines this year, in addition to the flu mist, which is being offered this year. The first type of shot is trivalent, meaning it will cover three strains, including H1N1. The second type is quadrivalent, which will cover an additional strain.
The flu shot is usually made six months in advance, based on the flu season in the southern hemisphere, Mandel said. While it is unclear how well the flu vaccine will match the types of flu, it is predicted to have better coverage than last year. But it is still an educated guess, Smith said.
“It’s tricky. Influenza is a virus. That’s why it’s so tricky. It’s very smart,” she said.
The flu is always changing and can mutate over a season, which explains why a person can still catch the flu even if they were vaccinated, Smith said.
“It’s better to have the vaccine than not have the vaccine,” she said.
A good coverage year means about 60 percent of the flu viruses are covered, according to documents provided by Mandel. Last year’s coverage was 36 percent.
While people can’t contract the flu from the vaccine, people might react to the preservatives that are in some of the shots, said Kelley Smith, a nurse and immunization coordinator at the Frederick County Health Department.
If a person is sensitive to the preservatives, they can ask their doctors for a single-dose vaccine, which won’t have the same preservatives in it, Smith said.
Other people might think they’ve gotten sick from the vaccine because they were already sick but hadn’t become symptomatic, she said.
For those who are allergic to eggs, they should talk with their doctor before getting the vaccine, said Kathryn Landis-Bogush, a nurse and infection preventionist at FMH. There are some variations of the shot that weren’t cultivated with an egg, and in some cases, they might still be able to get the regular shot.
Getting the flu shot also helps those who can’t get it, like babies, Mandel said.
“So why not do something that’s easy to do, that’s readily available, that can help protect you from getting an illness, that not only can make you feel poorly, keep you out of work or keep you out of school, but potentially make you critically ill,” she said.
And even with the vaccine, people should be practicing good hand hygiene and covering their coughs and sneezes, the healthcare providers said. People should avoid touching their eyes, noses and mouth, as well as use hand sanitizer or wash their hands.
If someone does contract the flu, they should stay home and stay hydrated. They can call their doctor, and if they are vomiting to a point where they can’t keep things down, are having trouble breathing or are not getting better, they should consider going to the emergency department.
The health department will take appointments for their clinic. For adults, there are multiple places, like doctor offices, grocery stores and pharmacies, that are offering the shot. People can visit vaccinefinder.org to find a place to get a shot.
“Everybody should get it. Six months and up, everybody should get it,” Smith said.
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