Written by National Wellness Institute, Wednesday October 1, 2014

‘Tis the season when we need to start thinking about getting our flu shots. But what do you need to know and what is different this year from last year?

The CDC website has extensive information about the flu shot. Some of the key points are summarized below.

 General Information:

• The flu season is generally at its peak from December through February, but it can start as early as October and last through May.
• CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older.
• Children between 6 months and 8 years may need additional doses of the vaccine. Ask your healthcare provider for details.
• Ideally people should get vaccinated starting in October.
• It takes about two weeks after getting vaccinated for the flu antibodies to develop. You are not protected right away!
• Flu vaccine is produced by private manufacturers, so supply depends on manufacturers. For this season, manufacturers have projected they will provide between 151-159 million doses of vaccine for the U.S. market.
• The effectiveness of the flu vaccine and the length of time it will protect an individual varies from year to year. For more information click visit the CDC vaccine effectiveness page.

Types of vaccinations available:

• There are several flu vaccine options for the 2014-2015 flu season.
• Traditional vaccines protect against three different types of flu viruses (a trivalent shot). There is also an option that protects against four types of viruses (a quadrivalent shot).
• Trivalent shots protect against two influenza A viruses (an H1N1 and an H3N2) and an influenza B virus.
• Trivalent shots comes in a few different shot forms and are given based on an individual’s age. An intradermal trivalent shot is injected into the skin instead of the muscle and uses a much smaller needle than the regular flu shot. It is approved for people 18 through 64 years of age. A high-dose trivalent shot is approved for people 65 and older.
• Most trivalent shot cultures are grown in eggs. There is an egg-free option called a recombinant trivalent shot that is approved for individuals 18-49.
• The quadrivalent flu vaccine protects against two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses.
• Quadrivalent flu vaccines come in both shot and nasal spray forms. The nasal spray is recommended for people 2 through 49 years of age (recommended preferentially for healthy children ages 2-8). Click here for more information about the nasal spray and children.
• The only recommendation the CDC is making this year is the preference for the quadrivalent nasal spray for healthy children ages 2-8. See above for more information.

What you can do to prevent the spread of the flu:

• Get vaccinated.
• Encourage those around you to get vaccinated.
• Stay away from sick people and encourage sick people to stay away from others until they get better.
• Wash your hands.
• Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze.