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About 36,000 Americans die each year from complications of flu (influenza). Around 10 percent to 20 percent of U.S. residents get the flu each year, and about 114,000 people are hospitalized for flu-related complications. The flu vaccine is recommended for people who are at high risk for developing serious complications from flu infection.
When the vaccine matches the actual circulating flu strains for that season, the vaccine is 70 percent to 90 percent effective in preventing illness in healthy young adults. In the elderly and in people with certain chronic medical conditions, the vaccine may be slightly less effective. However, when people who were vaccinated get the flu, their risk of hospitalization and death from the flu is greatly reduced.
In the past, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the flu vaccine for the following people:
People ages 50 or older Persons of any age with chronic heart, lung and kidney disease or with diabetes Persons who have a suppressed immune system (such as people with HIV infection, those who have had an organ transplant and people taking medications like chemotherapy or steroids that change the immune system's response to illness.) Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities housing people of any age with chronic medical conditions Children and teenagers who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who may thus be at risk for developing Reye's syndrome following a flu infection People in close or frequent contact with those persons identified as high risk (including health care workers, nursing home employees and caretakers of people who are considered high risk.) Other persons who wish to reduce the likelihood of becoming ill with the flu.
If there isn't enough flu vaccine for all who need it, the CDC will give the following people priority for the vaccine in the 2007-2008 season:
- Persons over age 65
- Persons ages 2 to 64 with existing chronic medical conditions
- All women who will be pregnant during the flu season
- All children aged 6 months to 23 months
- Health care workers involved in direct patient care
- Out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children younger than 6 months of age
- Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities
- Children aged 6 months to18 years who are on chronic aspirin therapy
In the U.S., the flu usually occurs from about November until April. The number of flu cases is normally low until December. Peak flu activity is seen between late December and early March.
The flu vaccine is best given between September and mid-November since it takes about one to two weeks after vaccination for the body to develop antibody protection against the flu. Adults and older children are vaccinated in the upper arm muscle and young children in the thigh muscle. The benefits of the standard flu vaccine last less than one year, so people must be re-vaccinated each year.
Most people report no side effects from the flu vaccine. The most serious side effect for people getting the vaccine is an allergic reaction in those who have a serious allergy to eggs, since the viruses used in the vaccine are grown in hens' eggs. For this reason, people who have an allergy to eggs should not get the flu vaccine. Other reported side effects include some soreness at the injection site (reported in less than one third of those who get the vaccine) and mild headache or low-grade fever for about a day after getting the vaccine (reported in 5 percent to 10 percent of those who get the vaccine).
Some people do not receive the injected flu vaccine because they falsely believe that the vaccine may cause the flu. This is not possible, because the vaccine is made from killed influenza viruses, which can't cause infection.
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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