Disease has always been a major threat to human life, but medical advancements in the last two centuries yielded such progress such as pasteurization, germ theory, penicillin, and most notably, vaccines for many different viruses and other contagions. In fact, vaccines and the diseases they prevent are locked in a constant arms race, always updating and evolving to outdo the other. For this reason and more, a flu vaccine, vaccines for seniors, and more are being kept current in labs around the world, and many millions of patients are urged to get updated vaccine shots to prevent illness such as influenza, measles, and even polio. A Seqirus flu vaccine, for example, may be up to date for a while, then the formula will be modified a few years later. A Seqirus flu vaccine and others are working to keep people safe. What are the dangers out there that vaccines prevent, and how do shots like a Seqirus flu vaccine and more keep people healthy?
The Flu and Vaccines
Millions of people every year contract the flu, but on the flip side, vaccines are available every year to keep people safe from the worst of it, and a Seqirus flu vaccine and others can drastically reduce a patient’s chances of contracting such an illness. After all, for some patients, the symptoms of the flu are relatively mild, but for others, such as babies, the elderly, pregnant women, and diabetics, the flu can even be life threatening. However, a Seqirus flu vaccine and more like it can keep not just the patient safe, but those around him or her, making vaccines a community safety feature.
The flu itself is distinguished by its symptoms. Some of them include muscle and body aches, exhaustion, fever and chills, coughs, and more. In children, especially, the flu may also cause diarrhea or vomiting. However, more serious complications include pneumonia (lung infection), inflammation in the brain or heart, or even sepsis, an inflammatory condition that can be life threatening. This virus spreads when saliva or mucus droplets from an infected person are transmitted into the air through coughing or speech, and the droplets are inhaled by another person. Even touching a surface with the flu virus on it, then touching one’s nose or mouth or eyes, can transmit it. Influenza A, another virus, may be fought off with a Seqirus vaccine or others. Multi-dose vaccines may also be received if needed.
Everyone older than six months is strongly urged to get a vaccine shot every single year to stay current with the vaccine-vs-virus arms race, and besides that, older vaccines in a person lose their effects over time. Young children, the elderly, and pregnant women are especially urged to get vaccines, since they suffer more serious symptoms from the flu. It can take up to two weeks for the vaccine to take full effect, so patients are urged to get vaccines in early October, before the main season for the flu begins. Even if that rough deadline is missed, getting a Seqirus flu vaccine or other vaccine is essential for the health of oneself and others. The vaccine does not transmit the flu, naturally, but it may cause a few side effects, such as pain or swelling where the vaccine was administered, or a fever, headache, or upset stomach. However, there is only a very small chance that a flu vaccine will cause more serious side effects, and suffering the actual flu is very likely to be worse than any vaccine side effects.
Few people are urged not to get the vaccine, and it is only for their particular health needs, not due to a problem with the vaccine itself. For example, babies under six months old should not get a vaccine, and any person who has previously suffered allergies to a flu vaccine or any of its ingredients should see their doctor before getting a vaccine or similar treatment. Also, a person with an ongoing illness should wait until recovery before getting his or her vaccine.
