Getting the flu shotdoesnt mean you wont get the flu.
This is because the annual vaccine only protects against theinfluenza strainspredicted for that season.
Even so, flu vaccination may lessen the severity and duration of the flu compared to going unvaccinated.
Illustration by Joshua Seong. © Verywell, 2018.
The only exception is the Flucelax vaccine, which is grown in mammal cells.
For the recombinant flu vaccine, the host virus is thebaculovirus, which affects only insects.
Chicken eggs are not involved in the manufacturing of the vaccine.
The version used for flu is called a live-attenuated influenza vaccine, or LAIV.
This is not the case with FluMist.
This stems from the sudden activation of your immune system.
When exposed to the vaccine, the immune system will respond as if the actual virus were there.
As part of the bodys natural defense, it will release chemicals that spurinflammation.
These effects are experienced as aches, pain, and other signs and symptoms of inflammation.
At the same time, the flu vaccine is not perfect.
This can affect the vaccines effectiveness.
Are Trivalent or Quadrivalent Vaccines Better?
Trivalent and quadrivalent flu vaccines are equally effective.
Adults typically catch two to four colds per year, and young children will get six to eight.
For this reason, FluMist is contraindicated for use in households with a severely immunocompromised individual.
Flu shots should be given instead.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Key facts about seasonal flu vaccine.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How influenza (flu) vaccines are made.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Influenza vaccine.
Subbarao K.Live attenuated cold-adapted influenza vaccines.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med.
2021;11(9):a038653.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.US will transition to trivalent flu vaccines for 20242025.
American Lung Association.Facts about the common cold.
