Before we discuss the facts surrounding flu shots, perhaps we ought to be clear what flu (influenza) actually is? The flu is an infection of the air waves. Typical symptoms range from fever, sore throat, aching muscles and a cough. Any combination of these symptoms can last for a week or more. Whilst the flu is a manageable disease for most people in society, some people are particularly vulnerable. Those particularly at risk are the elderly and people with weak immune systems. Diabetes sufferers, those with kidney problems and heart disease sufferers are also high on the risk list. Many people die from flu each year; mostly from within the high risk groups.
So, what is the flu vaccine? The flu vaccine is usually prepared from chick embryos, which have been inoculated with a flu virus. Formaldehyde is used to deactivate the flu virus, which is then preserved with a mercury derivative called thimerosal.
In the States, the health authorities try and guess which three flu strains are most likely to cause problems in the coming year (it doesn’t sound very scientific, does it!). Those flu strains deemed to be likely to cause problems are those that are included in the flu vaccine. If the guess is good, the vaccine is thought to be between 70% and 80% effective in preventing the flu in healthy people outside of the high risk groups; particularly the elderly (over 65). If however health officials do not predict which flu strains will be most prevalent, the effectiveness of the vaccine will be lower.
The annual flu shot is designed to counter one of the flu strains contained in the vaccine and nothing else. Any malady’s that are not part of the flu strains will not be effected by the vaccine. So a sore throat, for example, which is not caused by flu, will not be helped by a shot of the flu vaccine.
The question is often asked as to why flu shots are necessary every year. One of the reasons for this is that the prevalent strains of flu change every year, so the vaccine will need to change. To stand a chance of being safe from the most likely suspects of flue virus, you would need to get a shot every year.
Many people are concerned about reactions to flu vaccine. The most common reactions, which begin within 12 hours or so of the vaccination, are symptoms of the flu itself, such as fever, tiredness, headaches etc. However, there are more serious reactions, which are known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). These usually occur within two to four weeks of the shot. GBS is an nerve disorder, with symptoms such as muscle weakness, unsteadiness, numbness, tingling and pain. In extreme cases, paralysis of a limb or of the face can occur. It can take several months to recover, but it is not uncommon for some disability to remain. Having said that, less than 5 percent of GBS cases end in death.
The flu vaccine has never been recommended for healthy children. Some flu vaccine contain mercury as a preservative (as mentioned earlier). In the summer of 1999, the FDA, CDC and EPA directed the vaccine manufacturers to remove mercury (which is known as a neuro toxin) as a preservative in childhood vaccines, so no flu vaccine containing mercury should ever be used with children.
