Is it necessary to get a flu shot?

The flu that people often talk about is also the influenza, which is a viral cold. As we all know, viral diseases usually have an incubation period, and the same is true for influenza. The incubation period of this disease is generally 2 to 4 days, and then the disease will occur. The patient will have fever, dizziness, headache, cough and many other symptoms. Some people will frequently have influenza, so they will choose to get a flu shot. Is it necessary to get this shot?

Is it necessary to get a flu shot?

When some flu occurs in life, you need to get a flu vaccine. There are many groups of people who are very suitable for the flu vaccine, including the elderly, children, and people with weaker constitutions. So, is it necessary to get the flu vaccine? What are the side effects of the flu vaccine? Who are the target groups for influenza vaccination? Let’s find out together.

Is it necessary to get the flu vaccine?

The answer is of course yes. The flu vaccine is actually influenza virus with reduced toxicity, or certain components of the influenza virus. After the human body receives the influenza vaccine, it will produce certain immune antibodies against the small amount of attenuated influenza virus that enters the human body. When the human body is attacked by influenza virus on a large scale, the antibodies produced by the human body after the influenza vaccine will quickly start to produce a large number of antibodies and play a role in resisting influenza virus, thereby killing the virus and resisting influenza.

The human body that has not received the flu vaccine does not have antibodies to resist the flu virus. Once infected with the flu virus, the human body will activate the immune system and produce antibodies against the flu virus. People who have received the flu vaccine save the time of producing antibodies, and the human body responds to the flu virus more quickly.

Flu vaccine side effects:

1. Local reaction

In placebo-controlled double-blind trials, the most common side effect of vaccination was pain at the injection site (affecting 10-64% of patients); this could last up to two days after the flu shot was given. Within 24 hours after vaccination, recipients may feel pain and tenderness at the injection site. These reactions are generally mild and short-lived. In most cases, they disappear on their own within 2 to 3 days and do not require further medical attention.

2. Mild adverse events

Overall, the influenza vaccine was well tolerated by recipients. These vaccines are inactivated, meaning they contain only inactivated viruses that are apparently incapable of causing disease. Therefore, respiratory illness after vaccination is an incidental illness unrelated to the influenza vaccine. Fourteen studies that analyzed by sex showed that women (both young and old) reported significantly more local reactions.

3. Systemic reactions

Mild systemic reactions may also occur. People who have not been previously exposed to the antigens in the vaccine (eg, children) may develop fever, malaise, and myalgias. These reactions occur within 6-12 hours after vaccination and generally last 1-2 days.