Service Description

My job is vaccine education. Your job is to decide if you desire vaccination! Influenza vaccination is recommended typically before Oct 1st each year. It is important that you understand influenza and the vaccine. Influenza is a viral illness that typically causes an upper respiratory tract infection (URI) or "common cold." It can; however, also cause lower respiratory tract infections (LRI), secondary bacterial pneumonia, death and rarer illnesses such as encephalitis/meningitis, myocarditis, rhabdomyolysis, seizures, Guillian-Barre´ Syndrome (GBS) and multi-organ failure. Influenza is one of many causes of "colds" or URI's and LRI's. While most people do not get gravely ill, children younger than 2, adults older than 65 and people with chronic health conditions are at higher risk of complications. It is IMPORTANT to know what the vaccine can and cannot do for you. FACTS: 1. The flu vaccine saves lives, decreases illnesses and symptoms. For example, during 2017-2018, flu vaccination prevented an estimated 6.2 million influenza illnesses, 3.2 million influenza-associated medical visits, 91,000 influenza-associated hospitalizations, and 5,700 influenza-associated deaths. 2.. The flu virus has multiple strains and mutates every year. This makes a one time vaccination impossible. A new vaccine is made yearly based upon the prior year strain of flu. 3. Due to mutations, the flu vaccine prevents influenza in roughly 40% of people. The remaining 60% can still get influenza; however, the symptoms are less severe and complications/death rate decreased. My vaccinated patients with diagnosed Flu A in 2019-2020 had minor colds. My unvaccinated patients typically had high fevers, tachycardia, severe joint pain, dehydration and extreme lethargy for a week and one unvaccinated patient was hospitalized in respiratory failure. 4. The flu vaccine does NOT protect against other seasonal viral illnesses which include: adenovirus, RSV, coronavirus, human parainfluenza virus, human metapneumovirus, rhinovirus and echovirus. 5. 1 in a million patients will have a severe allergy to any vaccine. The rate of GBS; however, is higher from influenza than the vaccine. MYTHS: 1. You cannot get the flu from the injectable vaccine. In my practice, we only administer the dead vaccine: intramuscular or subcutaneous. The live attenuated (nasal) form for children is ineffective AND can cause minor illness for 1-2 days. It is NOT recommended by the CDC.