Importance of Influenza Vaccines
Influenza or flu is a potentially severe viral infection that frequently leads to hospital admission due to high fever, pneumonia or other complication and at times can be fatal.
1. How do the influenza vaccines work?
Influenza vaccines like any other vaccines cause specific antibodies to develop in our body. These antibodies protect us against specific influenza virus infections with circulating antibodies.
2. Who Should Vaccinate?
Everyone who are above 6 months should get vaccinated by the influenza vaccine every season.
3. When should I get vaccinated?
Influenza vaccine should ideally be taken 15-30 days before the flu season.
4. Where can I get a flu vaccine?
Flu vaccines are offered in many hospitals and clinics.
5. Why do I need a flu vaccine every year?
A flu vaccine is needed every year for these two reasons:
- A person’s immune protection from vaccination declines over time, so an annual flu vaccine is needed for optimal protection.
- Flu viruses constantly keep changing, the composition of flu vaccines is reviewed annually and sometimes semi-annually, and vaccines are updated to protect against the viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming flu season.
6. Does the flu vaccine work right away?
No. It takes about 14-28 days after vaccination for the antibodies to develop in our body and provide protection against influenza virus infection.
7. What protection does a flu vaccine provide if I get sick?
Even after vaccination, few people will get sick.However, the vaccination will work to reduce the severity of sickness in those people.
Vaccinations are carried out daily at Shishu Child Care Clinic. During the vaccinations visits we also provide age specific counselling, weaning and diet counselling and check-up of all our children. Dr. Ankit Agarwal (MD Paediatrics. Newborn and Child Specialist) has a Fellowship in Neonatology and is trained at Fortis La Femme, New Delhi is available and does the vaccination himself at Shishu Child Care Clinic. For more information or for appointment call 90935-90936
