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Flu and Vaccination

This page is about seasonal flu vaccination.

See also H1N1 Flu Vaccination.

We are out of injectable vaccine but we have FluMist nasal vaccine which is available by appointment: call 734-764-8325.

 Shot or FluMist? See
Which SEASONAL FLU VACCINE is Right for Me? (PDF)

 
On this page:

About flu vaccination:

How can I be vaccinated?

UHS is out of injectable vaccine.

We have FluMist nasal vaccine, which is available by appointment: call 734-764-8325. See Which SEASONAL FLU VACCINE is Right for Me? (PDF). (If you get the seasonal FluMist this year and  want to get H1N1 FluMist, you must allow 28 days between the two vaccinations, and vice versa.)

Cost is $42.

UHS will bill Premier Care, GradCare, Domestic Student Health Insurance Plan, BlueCross Blue Shield, and Medicare. (UM BlueCross BlueShield Traditional and PPO policies do not cover flu vaccine.)

A receipt for other insurance reimbursement is available upon request. (Coverage is determined by your insurance company.)

For more information, call 734-764-8325.

Why be vaccinated? Annual vaccination against seasonal flu may help to prevent illness, severity of flu and serious complications caused by flu. People who receive the vaccine miss less class or work due to illness. Also, the vaccine helps prevent others from getting the flu from you.

How effective is flu vaccine? When there is a good match between vaccine and circulating viruses, flu vaccine is at least 70% effective in preventing illness in healthy children and adults. Flu vaccine can also reduce the severity of symptoms if you get the flu. Flu vaccine affects only the influenza virus and has no effect on colds.

When is the best time to get vaccinated? Ordinarily, the best time to receive your shot is late October through December, because protection develops about 2 weeks after vaccination. Flu is typically seasonal, appearing December through March in Michigan. A flu shot is needed each year before the winter season because immunity lasts only 3-6 months and because the strains of influenza change from year to year.

(If you get the seasonal FluMist this year and  want to get H1N1 FluMist, you must allow 28 days between the two vaccinations, and vice versa.)

Who should be vaccinated? Anyone who wants to reduce their chances of getting the flu can be vaccinated. However, certain people should get vaccinated each year. They are either people who are at high risk of having serious flu complications or people who live with or care for those at high risk for serious complications. See the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for recommendations.

FluMist is approved for ages 2-49, but it's not recommended for everyone (read the next section). See Which SEASONAL FLU VACCINE is Right for Me? (PDF)

(If you get the seasonal FluMist this year and  want to get H1N1 FluMist, you must allow 28 days between the two vaccinations, and vice versa.)

Who should NOT be vaccinated?

  • People who have a life-threatening allergy to eggs or other vaccine ingredients
  • People with life-threatening reaction to any previoius vacciine
  • People who have had Guillain-Barre syndome

FluMist has additional restrictions. If you get the seasonal FluMist this year and  want to get H1N1 FluMist, you must allow 28 days between the two vaccinations, and vice versa. See also Which SEASONAL FLU VACCINE is Right for Me? (PDF)

Side effects

Minor side effects include:

  • For shots, soreness, redness and swelling at site of injection; mild fever, mild headache/muscle ache, nausea
  • For FluMist, runny/stuffy nose, cough, wheezing, sore throat, mild headache/muscle ache, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea

The 1976 swine flu vaccine was associated with an increased risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome. Subsequent flu vaccines have not had causal relationships demonstrated. If risk exists, it would be less than one to two cases per million vaccines, which is much less than the risk of flu complications.

About flu:

What is flu? Flu (short for influenza) is a viral infection of the nose, throat, bronchial tubes and lungs. It is much like a chest cold but usually more severe. There are two main types of virus: A and B. Each type includes many different strains which tend to change each year.

Transmission: Influenza is highly contagious and is easily transmitted through contact with droplets from the nose and throat of an infected person during coughing and sneezing. Flu may be transmitted one day before symptoms develop and up to five days after you get sick.

Symptoms:

  • Rapid onset of symptoms
  • Fever (greater than 100.4 degrees or 38 degrees C)
  • Headache and/or body aches
  • Tiredness (can be extreme)
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Diarrhea and vomiting (more common among children than adults)

Acute symptoms usually last 3-5 days, although a cough may linger for up to three weeks.

Complications are rare in young, otherwise healthy adults, but the elderly and persons with underlying health problems are at increased risk for complications such as pneumonia.

See a clinician if you experience these complications:

  • Earache
  • Cough that is severe and persistent or produces bloody phlegm
  • Sore throat that lasts longer than 10 days
  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
  • Sudden dizziness
  • Confusion
  • Severe or persistent vomiting

In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

  • Fast breathing or trouble breathing
  • Bluish skin color
  • Not drinking enough fluids
  • Not waking up or not interacting
  • Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
  • Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
  • Fever with a rash

You can print a poster of When to Seek Medical Care (PDF).

Does past flu infection make a person immune? Generally, no. The viruses that cause flu change frequently, so people who have been infected or had a flu shot in previous years may become infected with a new strain. Because of this, and because any immunity produced by the flu shot will decrease in the year after vaccination, people should get vaccinated every year in order to be protected.

Treatment usually consists of resting, drinking fluids and taking non-prescription medicine. For fever and pain, take Tylenol (acetaminophen), two 325mg tablets every 4 hours for adults. (People under age 19 should not take aspirin due to the association with Reye's syndrome.) For cough relief, take Robitussin DM. For multiple symptoms, take NyQuil or DayQuil. Generic medicines are available. Follow package directions.

Antibiotics are ineffective against flu because it is a viral (not bacterial) infection. However, antibiotics may be used to treat flu complications, such as pneumonia or middle ear infection.

Antiviral drugs (e.g. Tamiflu) are available to high-risk patients by prescription and may decrease severity and duration of illness if taken within 48 hours of symptoms onset. To consider antiviral treatment, contact UHS (see Appointment or Walk-in) or your health care provider as soon as possible after symptoms begin.

<Prevention: 

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • When you are sick, keep your distance from others and if possible, stay at home.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hand) when coughing or sneezing.
  • Clean your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based cleanser.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

You can print free materials:

See also How is Flu Treated? for information about the use of antiviral drugs in flu prevention.

For more information: