How is the flu vaccine made?

Well, it's official. Flu season has hit North America. Some people are getting hit hard, while others are dodging the bullet. If you've been a regular reader here, you'll know that I support the flu vaccine and do encourage people to get it (Winter's coming...so are colds and the flu). But, it is a personal choice (thankfully!), so the best we pro-vaccination folks can do is try to encourage it.

Have you ever been curious about how the flu vaccine is made? The Government of Ontario (Canada) has put out a some videos about influenza and they've included this animated video called You and the Flu, Making the Vaccine.

What do you think about the flu vaccine debate? Did you or will you be vaccinated?

Winter is coming... so are colds and the flu

Yup, if you live in the northern parts of the world, you know that winter is coming and it seems to be coming a lot faster in some parts than in others. But even if you live in warmer areas, colds and influenza can still strike, so you're not entirely out of the woods. Sorry!

Some people still believe that getting cold or wet can make you sick, it's not true. A cold virus or influenza virus is there whether you're cold or not. But, being cooped up on a crowded bus with the windows closed and not going outside very much, spending more time indoors with people around you - that does help spread viruses. So, that is why people seem to get sicker in the winter than in the summer.

Avoiding the colds and flu:

• Wash your hands. Wash your hands. Wash your hands.

There you go. That's the secret. When someone is sick and they pull open on the door handle, borrow your pen, use your keyboard, or press an elevator button and they you touch any of those - if you don't wash your hands, the next time you bring your hands to near your face,  you just might be transferring the virus to your own body. So - wash your hands!

Don't be fooled by people who don't look sick. You can be infected with the influenza virus and not look or feel it for up to 24 hours before  you realize you're sick. So, the coworker that looks fine today? He may be flat on his back with the flu tomorrow and neither of you know it yet.

• Get vaccinated

Yes, many people feel that vaccinations are a waste of time and are dangerous. Well, they're not a waste of time and what is dangerous is getting the flu and dying. While we know that high-risk groups like the elderly and those with chronic illnesses can be hit hardest with the flu and develop severe and fatal complications, these complications can strike anyone. Just ask 24-year-old Jen Ludwin, who came down with H1N1 last year. Here is her story: Faces of Sepsis - Jen Ludwin

Of course, not everyone can be vaccinated - there are reasons why someone may not be able to, such as allergies to the vaccine. They need to be extra careful with the handwashing and avoid areas where they may be exposed to people who are already ill.

While you can get over a cold, usually pretty easily - they can also be severe. Unfortunately, we're no closer to solving the common cold problem now than we were years ago. But we can help either prevent or decrease the severity of influenza. Think about it.

It's that time of year again: vaccination time, that is

It’s time for that old annual influenza vaccination debate. There's an article in today's news picks about the pneumoccal vaccine: Patients with pneumonia who received pneumococcal vaccine have lower rate of death, ICU admission. The pneumococcal vaccine isn't the same as the influenza vaccine but the two come up at the same time of year.

The benefits of the flu vaccine are plenty. The vaccine reduces the chances of you getting the flu (Note, that I didn’t say “eliminates”); if you do get the flu, it’s likely that it will be a less virulent illness; it reduces the spread of the flu; it helps save money in the workplace by reducing absenteeism, and it reduces the cost of health care as it limits the number of people seeking medical care from the flu.

So, what to do? Opponents of the flu vaccine say that we need to fight viruses on our own, that they don’t need it because they never get sick, and when they do get sick, they don’t get that sick. The funny thing is that every person who has told me that they never get “that sick” when they get the flu – when they get the *real* flu, they’re so sick, they tell me that they never want to live through that again. To be fair though, that is only in my own experience.

We get the flu shot here in our home. I’m asthmatic, as are two of my three kids. I also am very susceptible to anything that attacks the lungs. Colds go directly to my lungs and cause great discomfort for weeks. I’m not taking a chance with the flu. If a cold can knock me off my feet, I’m afraid of what influenza can do. I had pleurisy once – never want to experience that again.

While the initial goal was to vaccinate the people who would get sickest should they get the flu (the elderly and immunocompromised), the latest push is to vaccinate those who aren't so susceptible. It seems that the vaccine isn’t as effective in the elderly but if the people around the elderly are vaccinated, they can’t pass it on to them. Makes sense to me.

But, it is a personal decision. If you don’t want to get vaccinated, that’s your choice. But, please don’t fight against those of us who do. I’ve been told I’m a sheep for following the crowd. I’ve been told that I’m weakening my family members’ immune system by getting every vaccinated – I’ve been told a lot of things. The thing is, this is my choice just as those who don’t want a vaccination are making their choice. Neither is right or wrong, but both are the best decisions for us, with the information and the knowledge that we have.

Today's News:

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Patients with pneumonia who received pneumococcal vaccine have lower rate of death, ICU admission
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