Question about flu vaccine?
Question:
Im thinking about getting a flu injection as I am a student teacher and I go on prac for three weeks at the end of the semester for three weeks. I am only 20. The reason I want to get the vaccine is because I seem to get sick every time I go on prac. But I have also been told that they dont work very well.
Is it worth it? How long does it last for? How long before my prac should I wait to get it?
Answers:
The flu injections work pretty well, supposedly about 80% of the time, but it varies year-to-year depending upon how well they predict ("guess") which strains will be going around in the upcoming flu season. The strains going around change every year, so that's why you need to get a new shot every year to be protected. People typically get flu shots 4-6 weeks before the winter flu season - it takes a few weeks for your body to build immunity. They are usually available beginning in late October or November. It won't do you any good to get one after January, as flu season is almost over. Anyone who is very young, very old, has chronic health problems, or works in close contact with any of those should get a flu shot every year.
do not get a vaccination beacause when you get sick it is considered as a vaccination cuz your organizme knows the sort of the disease that is infecting you. i suggest, when you get sick,get a serotherapi injection
A flu vaccine isn't necessarily going to protect you from every type of flu or general illness. However, since you're a teacher and are exposed to many different people I would recommend it. I think that the flu vaccines are typically available in the Fall and are quite cheap. If you're teaching through a school they'll typically let you get one for free.
They upgrade the flu vaccine every year to protect against new strains of influenza. Here's a pretty good URL which may answer most of your questions:
http://www.pimahealth.org/disease/flufaq...
Of course the flu vaccine works, and quite well. It wouldn't be offered if it didn't. Like any medical treatment, it's not 100% effective. But it has been 100% effective for me. I have never had the flu in any year I have had the vaccine.
But I question if you would get the flu even if you don't get the vaccine. Flu is just about unheard of in the United States this time of year. Or are you teaching in the far east? If so, you probably should get the vaccine. Otherwise, I would wait for next year's vaccine to come out and be the first in line for it in September.
Keep in mind, you can still get sick, even if you get the vaccine. You can still catch all kinds of nasty things in a school that are not the flu. When I was cooped up in close contact with adults who all had small children at home, I was sick nearly constantly. I didn't even have contact with the kids. Just the parents! But I had my flu vaccine, so I never got the flu.
The flu vaccine is around 75 - 80% effective against the standard influenza b strain, but would not give you protection against newer or evolved influenza strains. Those most at rick are the elderly or those with underlying conditions such as asthma, diabetes etc, so if you fit in to those classifications then it would be recommended.
The best time to get the vaccine is during the winter months. It is not that long lasting, you need to be reimmunised on a yearly basis.
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