Flu Shot Facts & Side Effects (Updated for 2019-2020)

Now is the time to get your flu shot!

Flu Shot Facts & Side Effects (Updated for 2019-2020)
By Rachael Rettner, LiveScience 24 days ago

The seasonal flu shot is a yearly vaccine administered to protect against the flu, or influenza.

In the United States, flu shots are recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The composition of the 2019-2020 flu shot will be slightly different from last season's flu shot. Specifically, there will be a different strain of the H1N1 virus and a different strain of the H2N3 virus in this season's flu shot, compared with last season's shot.

The CDC is once again recommending the spray during the 2019-2020 flu season, after not recommending the nasal spray in some previous seasons.

Exactly when the flu season starts and ends is unpredictable, so health officials recommend that people get their flu shot in early fall, preferably by the end of October, the CDC says. Flu activity typically peaks in January or February.

November 4, 2019
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JCPH workforce gets vaccinated against the flu, encourages public to do the same

Jefferson County, Colo. — Flu season is here, and Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) is encouraging everyone to get their annual flu vaccine as soon as possible. But the organization isn’t just telling community members to take action — county public health employees are getting vaccinated, too. By getting vaccinated against the flu, JCPH workforce members are helping to protect coworkers, clients who come through our doors for services and the communities in which we live and visit.

“Getting the flu vaccine is one of the most important things we can to do help keep ourselves and those we come in contact with healthy,” said Gwyn Rodman-Rice, who supervises a team of public health nurses at JCPH. “As nurses, we hope to set an example for our community, and to be a resource for anyone who has questions or would like to know more about the flu vaccine.”

Even though it is early in the 2019-2020 flu season, 27 people in Colorado have already been hospitalized due to the flu, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. During the 2018-2019 flu season, there were 367 hospitalizations due to the flu in Jefferson County alone.

Public health officials recommend that everyone 6 months and older receive a flu vaccine. Vaccination is particularly important for people who are at high risk of getting the flu or experiencing serious complications from the virus, including people 65 and older, young children, pregnant women and people with certain chronic medical conditions.

Additional recommendations include:

• There are two flu vaccines specifically for persons 65 and older; people should talk to their healthcare provider about which vaccine is best for them.
• Children who are younger than 9 years who are getting the flu vaccine for the first time, and those under 9 who have only previously gotten one dose of the vaccine, should get two doses of the vaccine. They should receive their first dose as soon as vaccine becomes available and the second dose at least 28 days after the first dose.
• Pregnant women have more serious complications if they get the flu and should be vaccinated as soon as possible. A flu shot given during pregnancy has been shown to not only protect the mother from flu, but also to help protect the baby from flu infection for several months after birth, before he or she is old enough to be vaccinated.

“We see firsthand the toll flu season takes on our community every year,” said Rodman-Rice. “It’s really up to all of us to do our part — if you can, get vaccinated to protect yourself, your family, your neighbors. Together we can protect our community from the flu and its potentially serious complications.”

Community members can visit www.vaccinefinder.org to find a nearby location to get the vaccine. JCPH’s Immunization Clinic located at 645 Parfet St. in Lakewood provides low- or no-cost flu vaccinations for anyone who needs help paying for the vaccine. Call 303-239-7078 to make an appointment.

For additional information about the flu, please visit www.jeffco.us/2143/Influenza .

About Jefferson County Public Health

Public health is what we as a society do collectively to prevent illness and premature death and promote health in our neighborhoods and communities. Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) is a nationally accredited health department committed to promoting and protecting health across the lifespan for all people through prevention, education and partnerships. To learn more about JCPH visit www.jeffco.us/public-health . You can also follow JCPH on Twitter @JeffcoPH, Instagram @JeffcoPH and Facebook @jeffcopublichealth.