Despite the fact that every year there is an epidemic rise in the incidence of influenza, not all citizens are in a hurry to protect themselves and their families from this disease. Sometimes complications occur after vaccination, and then some excited patient will complain that she got sick after the flu shot. This is probably why many people are sure that the flu is not a disease to worry about. It is necessary to understand why this is happening.
Statistics data
In America, about half a million people are hospitalized each year for the flu, often with serious complications. According to statistics, up to 36,000 people die from this disease in the United States during the year. This number also includes children who have never been at risk. However, it is worth noting that they have not been vaccinated against the flu.
In Russia, the situation is also quite complicated, although the disease kills up to 1,000 people a year. The differences in statistics are explained by the fact that in the United States all people who died from both the flu and complications are considered, while in Russia deaths are taken into account that only the disease itself claimed. The lethal outcome from the complicated course of the disease passes according to separate statistics.
Who needs vaccination and when?
Before deciding whether it is possible to get sick after a flu shot, it is necessary to deal with people who need to be vaccinated. To understand who needs it, you should remember the situation that every person faces every year. In the last months of autumn or at the beginning of spring, a message appears that within a few days the epidemic threshold for the incidence of influenza will be exceeded. Therefore, people should understand how important it is to get vaccinated.
Spring and autumn are characterized by cold and wet weather. While at work or at school, people are in enclosed spaces in which a large number of pathogenic viruses accumulate. This is how infection occurs, to which the following categories of citizens are most susceptible:
- People over 60 years old and infants from 6 months old. The former no longer develop antibodies to viruses, and in children this process has not yet begun. By the way, if after vaccination the child developed symptoms of the disease, then all the conditions were not met: the body weakened or the wrong dose was administered.
- Persons with chronic diseases.
- People who work in large teams(schools, kindergartens, various enterprises, etc.).
- Pregnant women in the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy.
People who have recently had SARS are not prohibited from being vaccinated, even if there are residual symptoms of the disease.
How to get vaccinated?
When asked why this or that patient fell ill after a flu shot, the following should be answered: for vaccination to be effective, it must be vaccinated no later than 2 weeks before the epidemic. And for the period while immunity is being formed, it is necessary to take preventive measures of the following nature:
- A gauze bandage should be worn.
- Refuse to visit crowded places.
- Eat a proper and balanced diet (must include greens, fresh vegetables, fruits and nuts in the diet).
- Be sure to exercise.
- Avoid stress.
A constant walk in the fresh air will have a positive effect on the body.
What does vaccination protect against, and is it possible to get sick after it?
But why did you get a headache, a fever, or other symptoms of the disease after the flu shot? This is because this procedure involves the use of two types of vaccine. One includes killed viruses, and the other contains attenuated live viruses. The type 1 vaccine is given by injection, and the second is given by nasal spray.
If vaccination was carried out by the first method, then non-living viruses got into the body, and in this case the disease is completely excluded. In the second way, illness can occur if the patient or patient is so exhausted that they cannot cope even with weakened viruses. Then there is a need to find out if you fell ill after a flu shot, how to be treated.
Vaccination cannot completely prevent infection, so complications arise in such cases:
- Vaccination was carried out for a person whose body is exhausted by chronic diseases, bad habits, malnutrition and stress. In this case, the immune system is very weak, and signs of illness may appear.
- The vaccination was done by an absolutely he althy person, but only a few days passed between the vaccination and his infection. In this case, antibodies in the body did not have time to develop in the right amount. This usually happens 2 weeks after vaccination. Therefore, if they say that they fell ill immediately after the flu shot, this does not mean that it is not effective, it just took too little time after it.
- A vaccinated he althy person was in close contact with a flu patient and became ill. In this case, a large number of influenza pathogens were present, and immunity did not completely prevent the symptoms of the disease. During an epidemic, a vaccinated person needs additional measures to protect themselves from infection and exclude any contact with a sick flu.
- A person could become infected with a virus whose antigens were not included in the vaccine. Sometimesthis happens when people travel between continents or interact with travelers. After all, vaccines in a particular country are created from those strains of influenza that are common in this territory.
Vaccinated people have a lower risk of complications, which are as follows:
- Children may experience: acute otitis media, pneumonia, croup and others.
- Older people are susceptible to complications, which include pneumonia, sometimes fatal.
- Adult patients experience: bronchitis, myocarditis, meningitis, encephalitis, and convulsions at high temperature.
Even if infection has occurred, vaccination can reduce the symptoms of the disease.
Implications of vaccination
So, if a patient complains about getting sick after a flu shot, what should I do?
There are two types of side effects after vaccination: local and general. Local redness and swelling in the injection area can be attributed. Pain occurs when the injection is placed under the skin, and not in the muscle.
Common ones include fever, weakness and loss of appetite. Sometimes after vaccination there is a cough and runny nose, which is especially common in children. According to statistics, only 4% of Russians have a fever after vaccination.
What should I do if I have a headache and a fever after a flu shot? If it has become higher than 38.5, then it is necessarydrink an antipyretic. If there is no effect, you need to call a doctor, because high temperature can provoke convulsions. You should not drink a drug to reduce fever again, because this will make it difficult to make a correct diagnosis. Take cool showers and increase your fluid intake.
You should not be afraid of this state, because the percentage of adverse reactions does not exceed 1%.
Contraindications
For each patient, there are a few tips to help avoid the situation when he gets sick after a flu shot:
- Children under 6 months of age and babies who have had a cold less than 14 days ago are not vaccinated.
- Patients who cannot tolerate chicken protein and its ingredients.
- When suffering from allergic dermatitis.
- If the person did not tolerate the previous vaccination well.
- After and during exacerbation of chronic diseases.
- If a person suffers from neurological diseases.
With existing pathologies and conditions, it is not recommended to be vaccinated so as not to cause serious complications.
Adverse reactions
But if situations still arise that people get sick after a flu shot, treatment will be symptomatic.
Many adverse reactions are due to the fact that the vaccine was given incorrectly. When the patient did not comply with contraindications before vaccination or the doctor did notpaid attention to available.
Sometimes the cause is a violation of the rules for transporting and storing the vaccine. And if the safety rules are not followed, then suppuration or allergic reactions may occur as a result. The poor quality of the vaccine may also be indicated by the fact that a group of patients vaccinated at the same time showed similar symptoms of the disease.
Conclusion
Despite possible adverse reactions or complications, the flu shot can protect the human body from serious consequences. It is especially important for people at risk. Vaccination is on a voluntary basis, so people should analyze the situation themselves and make the right decision.
