INFORMATION ABOUT THE INFLUENZA VACCINE

When winter approaches we start thinking of the possibility of catching influenza - commonly called the "flu"!  As you may have seen or heard from the news media, there is a vaccine available.  This vaccine can protect you from the three most likely (and bothersome) strains of flu which could infect us this winter.  It won't protect against all cold and flu viruses.

Can you catch flu from the vaccine?  The answer is NO.  The strains in the vaccine are not "live" (injected version) and therefore cannot cause flu.  Sometimes however, you may develop a slight cold but this is more likely to be due to catching a cold virus around the time of vaccination. Influenza symptoms may be aggravated if you have a flu virus when injected.  Also, very, very rarely, the flu vaccine is thought to cause a paralysis disease known as Guillain-Barre syndrome.

You cannot have the flu vaccine if you are allergic to eggs.

Also, you cannot have it if you are allergic to gentamicin (an antibiotic).
 

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