Afraid of getting the flu? Then you should consider getting vaccinated. Thanks to this event, a person will maintain his he alth, not get sick with the flu or get sick, but in a mild form. Immunization is the right thing to do, especially when it comes to our kids. Therefore, today we will consider what the Influvac flu vaccine is, as well as Vaxigripp. These are common drugs used in Russia and Ukraine. They can prevent influenza infection. Below we consider the composition of both vaccines, their dosages. We will also determine which of them will be better than the other.
Composition, release form of the Influvac vaccine
This drug is sold as a suspension that is injected subcutaneously or intramuscularly. The vaccine "Influvac" is sold in syringes, which should be disposed of after the injection. Needles are also included with the preparation.
The composition of this vaccine is as follows:
- Hemagglutinin and neuraminidase of viral strain types: A(H3N2), A(H1N1), B.
- Auxiliaryelements: sodium phosphate dihydrate, potassium, calcium and magnesium chloride, hydrogen phosphate, water for injection.
Influvac vaccine dosage
- Adults and children from 3 to 14 years old - 0.5 ml once.
- Babies from 6 months to 3 years - 0.25 ml once.
For children who have never been vaccinated before, it is advisable to administer the drug twice with an interval of 4 weeks.
Immunization should be carried out once a year in autumn.
Side effects after vaccination with Influvac
Use of this product may cause the following side effects:
- From the side of the central nervous system: often - headache; rarely - neuritis, convulsions, neuralgia, encephalomyelitis, paresthesia.
- From the side of the heart and blood vessels: rarely - vasculitis (immunopathological inflammation of the vessels).
- From the musculoskeletal system: often - arthralgia (joint pain), myalgia (pain in the muscle area).
- General disorders: often - fatigue, fever, muscle and joint pain, malaise, trembling, chills.
- Other manifestations: often - severe sweating; rarely - skin manifestations (itching, urticaria, nonspecific rash).
- Local reactions: swelling, induration, soreness, redness.
Composition, release form of the Vaxigripp vaccine
This drug is also a suspension for injection under the skin or intramuscularly.
Vaxigripp vaccine is available in syringes or ampoules.
The composition of the drug is as follows:
- Active elements - hemagglutinin and neuraminidase of such virus strains as A(H3N2), A(H1N1), B.
- Auxiliary components - sodium, as well as potassium chloride and dihydrophosphate, hydrogen phosphate dihydrate, water for injection.
Immunization rules and dosage of the drug "Vaxigripp"
This flu vaccine can be given:
- Subcutaneously in the upper part of the front side of the shoulder.
- Intramuscularly into the deltoid muscle.
- For small children - in the anterolateral region of the thigh.
The dosage of the drug is as follows:
- Adults and children from 3 years old - 0.5 ml once.
- Babies from six months to 3 years - 0.25 ml of the drug.
- People who have not been vaccinated before, as well as those who have not had the flu at all, should be given this vaccine 2 times with an interval of 4 weeks. That is, one dose should be divided equally.
- Patients with immunodeficiency should also be given the drug twice - 0.25 ml with an interval of 1 month.
Side effects after vaccination with Vaxigripp
This remedy also has negative effects. How to understand which vaccine - "Vaxigripp" or "Influvac" - is better? To do this, you can see a list of side effects of each drug. So, for the “Vaxigripp” tool, it is like this:
- Often - headache, malaise, sweating, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, neuralgia.
- Rarely - convulsions, paresthesia, neuritis, encephalomyelitis.
- Very rare –allergic manifestations on the body, vasculitis.
- Local reactions - induration, soreness, swelling at the injection site.
Cost of vaccines
Vaxigripp, the price of which varies in different pharmacies, can be purchased on average for 400 rubles. A person will have to pay such an amount for 1 dose of this remedy. I wonder how much then the drug "Influvac" costs? The price of this drug ranges from 520-570 rubles.
So what to choose?
Today, both vaccines are considered the most common flu vaccines for children and adults. Both drugs give the same result. However, parents do not stop terrorizing pharmacists and family doctors to advise which of the two vaccines - Vaxigripp or Influvac - will be better. The fact is that both drugs are almost indistinguishable from each other. Indications for use, form of release and even their composition is similar. But here in such a point as side effects, there is a difference. So, the Influvac remedy has a much larger list of possible negative manifestations, while the Vaxigripp drug has a much shorter list. If we consider the cost of these vaccines, then there is also something to cling to. The drug "Influvac" is somewhat more expensive than its competitor. Therefore, if you choose from these two criteria, then you should make a choice in favor of the Vaxigripp tool. The price is lower, and there are fewer side effects. But it's still better to find out what people think about these two vaccines, and based on their feedback, decide for yourself what to choose.
Influvac drug: reviews
On this tool, Internet users write mostly only positive opinions. So, those patients who were vaccinated with this drug note that the injection itself is painless, because the needle in the syringe is very thin. It is also rare that anyone notes that after vaccination with this remedy, problems arose. People, on the contrary, praise the Influvac drug for the fact that it almost never causes unwanted reactions in the body. Also, women and men choose this particular vaccine, because it is imported, which means that it is better purified than domestic. In addition, the composition of the drug is improved every year, because new flu strains appear, so the developed immunity may not work.
There are, however, negative responses from people. The first thing parents pay attention to is that Influvac is sold in a standard dosage. That is, it turns out that syringes are the same for both adults and children. This is very inconvenient, because if you make a vaccine for children, then the excess amount of the drug must be drained. It turns out that it is inefficiently spent. There are also people who note that after vaccination with Influvac, their he alth has deteriorated greatly. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to inject only when the person is completely he althy. That is, he should not have any colds. And if a person listens to the doctor and follows all his recommendations regarding vaccination, then the drug "Influvac" will receive reviewsonly positive. As for the cost of this tool, people note that its price is quite adequate, and it suits many.
Vaxigripp: reviews
This vaccine has positive feedback from patients. Some get an injection with this drug for free, others buy it at their own expense. However, both those and others note the effectiveness of this vaccine: during the year, people do not get the flu. True, there are exceptions when a person nevertheless catches this virus, but the disease proceeds much easier. Also, people note that although the drug "Vaxigripp" is not the best of the existing ones, it is affordable. And this is an important factor. After all, often all family members have to be vaccinated, and this can hit the family budget hard. Therefore, people choose a cheaper remedy - Vaxigripp. Positive reviews are also written by parents who are satisfied that the drug is sold separately for children, that is, in special 0.25 mg syringes. And no need to pour out excess liquid, as the dosage is accurate.
Expert Opinion
What do immunologists and pediatricians say about these vaccines? Which is better: Vaxigripp or Influvac? Doctors in this regard are unanimous. They believe that these drugs are approximately the same in their properties and effect. They do not single out any of them specifically. And the fact that the supposedly Influvac remedy is purer, then this, according to doctors, is an insignificant sign that does not affect the development of immunity, butalso on the perception of it by the body. Therefore, if at work they offer to carry out free vaccination, for example, with Vaxigripp, then it is advisable to agree. Since it is stupid to look for the Influvac drug in pharmacies, because these vaccines will be the same in terms of effectiveness. Well, if you do not have such an advantage, then indeed, you can purchase any of these two funds yourself. The main thing is to pay attention to the expiration date of the drug, as well as follow all recommendations for proper storage and transportation.
Now you know which of the two remedies - "Vaxigripp" or "Influvac" - is better. And they realized that in fact there is no difference in them. The nuance is that the first remedy can be sold in a special small dosage (for children). While part of the Influvac preparation will have to be poured out, since the children need to inject only 0.25 mg, and 0.5 mg is in the syringe. Also, another point is that the Vaxigripp suspension is a little cheaper. Well, doctors do not allocate these funds, believing that they are approximately the same in terms of effectiveness.
