Thinking about getting a flu shot? You may want to think again. They may not be as effective as you might have thought. The flu shot is only effective when the correct strains are matched in the shot with the virus that is circulating. Even when the strains are matched the effectiveness is not 100%. Each year the virus changes. These changes occur in processes are known as antigenic drift or antigenic shift. (To learn more about these check out http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/viruses/change.htm). A person needs to get a flu shot every year in order to be protected. If you do choose to get vaccinated there are two ways: an injection with the killed virus, or a nasal spray that contains live viruses that are weakened. The chances that the virus a person is being injected with matched the virus of that year are slim, but if you like to be on the safe side take the chance!
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/vaccineeffect.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/vaccination/virusqa.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/flu-viruses.htm#viruschange
About Me
- Cathleen Burke
- I am currently a movement science major at WSC but am planning to transfer to HCC or AIC to pursue a nursing degree. I enjoy exercise, dancing and the outdoors.
1 comment:
that's really surprising, I thought if I missed one that something awful was going to happen; shows how much I know. I guarantee very few people know about this and are just hopping on the bandwagon, like myself. In a way its aggravating that doctors emphasize getting these shots, when really they don't do much at all. It's funny, this seems to be the pattern in the medical field; vitamins don't work, diet pills don't work, etc. Thanks for filling me in!!
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