Dallas County Living Well Magazine Winter 2015 | Page 30

The Flu Vaccine: It’s Worth A Shot!

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By Samantha Hartings, PharmD Candidate
magine the worst body aches you have ever experienced while sneezing, coughing, and sweating profusely followed up with chills, a fever, and vomiting. That
describes the flu. The best way to fight the flu (aka influenza) is to prevent catching it, and the flu shot does just
that. With so many options out there, which flu shot is the
best for you?
Everyone 6 months and older, the immune-compromised,
pregnant women, healthcare workers, and the elderly should
be vaccinated against the flu. Those who should not get the
flu vaccine are: those younger than 6 months, are allergic
to an ingredient in the vaccine, or are
currently ill with a fever.
The vaccines consist of three-to-four
inactive strands of flu viruses that
your body will recognize and build
an immune response to. It takes
approximately two weeks for your
body to build these antibodies. This
provides protection from the illness if
the body is exposed to the virus. It is best
to get the flu shot two-to-four weeks before flu season.
Generally speaking, flu season is from October to April.
Flu shots usually become available starting in September.
Each year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
predicts what flu viruses they believe will cause the most
infections based on the previous year. This year’s vaccine
will include: influenza A California (H1N1), influenza A
Switzerland (H3N2), and influenza B Phuket (Yamagata
lineage). Additionally, the quadrivalent will also include influenza B Brisbane (Victoria lineage).
With so many options on the market, which one is the best for
you? Listed below are the available options:
Standard dose trivalent: most common flu shot for
people 6 months to 64 years of age. It is recommended
for children between the ages of 6 months and 8 years old

to be vaccinated for influenza for the first time and receive
two flu shots at least four weeks apart.
Quadrivalent: similar to the standard dose trivalent, but
protects against an additional strand of flu.
High-dose trivalent: recommended for individuals 65
years and older due to increased risk of infection and morbidities due to infection.
Recombinant trivalent: formulated without egg product
and recommended for individuals with egg allergies.
Quadrivalent nasal spray: a live, weakened vaccine
that is administered as a spray in each nostril. NOT recommended for pregnant women, immune-compromised, children under the age of 2, or people 50 and older.
Myth vs. Fact: Can I get the flu from the vaccine?
This is a myth. You cannot get
the flu from the flu shot; however, if you were exposed to
the flu before or at the time
of the vaccination and your
body has not had adequate time
to build protection against the flu,
you may still get the flu. The flu
shot also only protects against the
three-to-four most predicted strands of flu. If you were to
become infected by a strand not covered by your administered flu vaccine, it would still be possible to get the flu.
Flu shots are available between 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday at TexasStar Pharmacy. In the
unfortunate event that you do get the flu, our compounding lab is able to compound Tamiflu for you.
TexasStar Pharmacy has many nutritional supplements
and/or homeopathic remedies to help keep you healthy
during flu season by helping boost your immune
system. Call or stop by to discuss these options with
Christina Reiter, our staff clinical nutritionist, at your
earliest convenience.

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