Getting a Flu Shot

Overview

The seasonal flu can slow you down for weeks. Especially during the winter, the flu can spread quickly throughout companies, households, and schools. A sneezing coworker, child, or teacher can leave anyone feeling a little nervous.

Chances are, the flu won't kill you, but without a doubt, you do not want to fall sick. The best way to protect yourself is to wash your hands frequently and to avoid heavily populated spaces.

However, you might also want to consider getting a flu shot for an added layer of protection. Flu shots are available for both the swine flu and seasonal flu, and you can choose to get vaccinated for one or both. Flu vaccines also come in several forms, and you can choose from an injection or nasal spray.

Luckily, Symptom Find is here to help you make the decision that is best for you and your family.

Benefits

It is important to realize that the flu shot is not 100% effective. Many people who end up getting a flu shot will still fall sick with a cold or unprotected strain of the flu. Nevertheless, the flu shot provides an added layer of protection with minimal complications. Your chances of getting the flu will be dramatically reduced. Children, teenagers, and adults who are at risk for serious complications will benefit most from the seasonal flu shot.

Comparing Prices

Getting a flu shot varies in price by where you live and what type of clinic you visit. Some insurance companies cover the seasonal flu or swine flu vaccine, while others do not. Some clinics provide flu and swine flu vaccines for free. For example, in the fall of 2009, Los Angeles County provided no cost swine flu vaccines at local clinics.

Prices tend to range between $5 and $30. If you go to a doctor's office and have health insurance, you might only need to pay a co-payment between $10 and $30. If you haven't met your deductible, you will need to cover the cost of the shot or nasal spray. These costs could reach or exceed $50. If you go to a drug store, getting a flu shot will cost about $25. Many drugstores will provide charitable services. For example, CVS provided $3 Million in free flu shots to the unemployed in 2009.

Who Should Get a Flu Shot?

Children, teenagers, and adults who are at risk for serious complications should get the seasonal flu and swine flu shot. The flu shot is available to anyone who wants an added layer of protection.

You should consider getting the swine flu and seasonal flu vaccines if you

• Live in a densely populated area
• Have a chronic condition like asthma, liver disease, kidney disease, or diabetes
• Are pregnant
• Are a child between six months or two years of age
• Are a child or teenager
• Are over fifty years old
• Work in the medical profession

Talk to a doctor if you have had an allergy to the flu shot or if you have certain autoimmune problems. You should also hold off on getting a flu shot if you are sick. Wait until you start to feel healthier. Talk to a doctor if you have any uncertainties or if you are prone to any kind of allergies. You want to keep yourself and your family as safe as possible.

How It Works

You can choose between a shot or nasal spray for both the H1N1 swine flu and seasonal flu. The shot tends to be more common and readily available for both vaccines. You should talk to a doctor about which vaccine is best for you.

Seasonal Flu

The shot delivers a dead virus. After receiving the shot, you won't get the flu, but you will start to feel flu-like symptoms for a day or so. Your arm might be sore, and you might experience a slight fever. Children are more likely to experience reactions than adults. The shot contains three strains of the flu virus.

The nasal spray is called FluMist and has a live virus. The live virus is in a very low dose, and most likely, your body will experience a reaction as it develops antibodies against the flu. The nasal spray should not be used for very young children or elderly adults. Some say that the nasal spray is more effective than the shot.

H1N1 Swine Flu

The swine flu shot also contains three strains of the dead virus, and the swine flu nasal spray contains a live virus. The swine flu vaccine is separate from the seasonal flu vaccine, but the two are very similar.

Timing

For total protection, you need to get the flu vaccine every year. The biology of the flu virus changes every year, and pharmaceutical companies will create a new vaccine to ensure maximum protection. Each year, the flu shot will become available in the fall, around September. The flu shot is available until December or until quantities run out. In general, there tends to be a flu shot shortage that starts at the end of October. Make sure that you get your flu shot as soon as possible. A flu shot requires two weeks to build up your system and become 100% effective.

Side Effects

Side effects will last for two days at most and are more common among children. Side effects of the flu shot and swine flu shot include muscle soreness, body aches, and a slight fever. If you experience extreme side effects and if your side effects last for more than two days, you should contact a doctor immediately. You might be experiencing an allergic reaction.

Flu Symptoms

A person who is sneezing, coughing, and feeling sick either has the cold or flu. In addition, the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic opens new doors for illness. Unfortunately, it's difficult to tell the cold, seasonal flu, and swine flu apart. In general, a cold tends to be less severe than the flu. People with the flu will experience headaches, intense fevers, chills, a sore throat, fatigue, body aches, a runny nose, and nausea, and people with a cold will experience subtle symptoms. Only a doctor can confirm whether you are sick with the swine flu, seasonal flu, or a cold.

Most people recover from the flu without medical attention or any kind of treatment. On the other hand, people with severely weakened immune systems and people in unsanitary conditions can actually die from the flu. Believe it or not, the swine flu and seasonal flu are each responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths per year.