Any vaccination, including against the flu, is a rather serious challenge to the body, because it receives a portion of the virus, albeit a weakened one. And it must give him an adequate immune response! It often happens that while immunity is developing in response to a vaccine, a person becomes ill. This is due to the fact that in the post-vaccination period the body is busy working to create immunity against influenza (rubella, measles, mumps, etc.). Naturally, he is “not distracted,” and at this moment he can easily become infected with other infections. There is no need to further aggravate the situation by overloading the body so that it completely stops coping.
Immunologist Anna Shulyaeva told AiF.ru about what can and cannot be done after vaccination, for example, against the flu .
There's no need to run away
After any vaccination - be it vaccination against the flu, or against tuberculosis, and so on, you should not immediately run away from the clinic or mobile vaccination point to go about your business. It is recommended to wait next to the doctors for about half an hour. This will minimize the risk of developing severe allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock. This is the most severe and dangerous complication. In addition, delayed reactions are possible, although they also appear during the day of vaccination (usually in the evening). This is usually a lump or redness at the injection site. There is nothing wrong with this; the reaction does not require urgent consultation with a doctor or immediate treatment. However, there are atypical reactions, such as swelling, severe pain, a sharp increase or decrease in temperature at the injection point. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Article on the topic Injected and went. You can get a flu shot right outside the metro station
Why should vaccination be done annually?
A special feature of a disease such as influenza is its great variability. Every year, the virus undergoes mutations, changing, so the vaccine that was effective a year or two ago may not work after a while.
Vaccination to prevent influenza should be carried out annually. Specialists are constantly working to develop a drug that would include the causative agents of seasonal influenza. Only a drug containing inactivated strains of a specific pathogen can guarantee the maximum degree of protection against the disease, as well as minimize the risks of complications after influenza.
Is it possible to get it wet?
The question “is it possible to wet a vaccine?” is a question that occupies a fairly large number of people. Everyone remembers from childhood that they should not expose the injection site to water for 3 days. In fact, 3 days is the period for Mantoux, which is not a vaccine. As for other vaccines - against influenza, whooping cough, tetanus, etc., you should not get the injection site wet for the first 24 hours. But in fact, if you wet the vaccine, nothing will happen. It is important not to swim (do not heat or keep the injection site under water for a long time). This will lead to negative temperature effects and secondary infection.
It is more important to remember that if itching develops under the skin in response to the injection of the vaccine, you should definitely not scratch this area. Firstly, you are unlikely to relieve these sensations. Secondly, the risk of infection in the wound and inflammation is quite high (this can be sharply limited swelling, severe pain, change in skin color at the injection site). In such a situation, you should immediately consult a doctor. The vaccination site should not be taped or covered in any way. In any case, such a reaction does not affect the effectiveness of the vaccination.
“If necessary, I’ll inject myself!” How to prepare for the flu vaccination? More details
How does the vaccine work?
Vaccination against influenza is the most effective way to prevent the massive spread of a viral disease. In recent years, there has been a tendency towards an increase in the number of people sick with influenza; some of its strains, called swine and bird flu, are considered especially dangerous.
Vaccination is a procedure for introducing viral particles (for example, protein shells) into the human body. The penetration of such pathogens is not capable of causing the development of the disease in its full form, however, the immune system, through such penetration, gains experience in combating pathogenic microorganisms, which it then applies during a real viral infection.
Vaccination against influenza allows the immune system to work to combat viral activity, which provides the following benefits:
- absence of influenza infection;
- the course of the disease is mild;
- shortening the period of illness;
- reducing the risk of complications.
There are several types of drugs used to immunize the population:
- Live vaccines: contain weakened viral strains that are not capable of causing the development of a full-blown disease, but can provoke the occurrence of ARVI symptoms. This allows the body to form immunity against the disease. Such drugs have many contraindications and are fraught with the development of complications and side effects, so they are used quite rarely.
- Inactivated vaccines: the viruses contained in these products are not active. They are grown in a special way on chicken embryos, followed by activation with ultraviolet radiation and formaldehyde (the common Grippol Plus is one of the representatives of this type of vaccine). Such vaccines cannot provoke disease, they only contribute to the formation of strong immunity.
- Split vaccines: These preparations contain protein structures of viruses produced by breaking down the viruses with chemicals. Such substances are highly safe due to additional purification, but their immunogenicity may be lower.
- Subunit vaccines: These are the latest generation of immunization medications. They are completely purified, less reactogenic, but can contain 2 viral antigens at once.
After the flu vaccine is introduced into the human body, the immune system begins active work to recognize viral activity and fight pathogens. Already 14 days after vaccination, the body accumulates antibodies against influenza, which makes a person immune to this disease. These proteins have the ability to find a virus that has penetrated the mucous membranes of the human respiratory organs, isolate and destroy it, preventing it from multiplying and developing its toxic effect on the body.
We recommend reading: Nurofen and ibuprofen - what are the similarities and differences?
Immune activity is observed for six months from the moment the vaccine is administered, which allows a person to remain protected from the disease throughout the entire epidemic period.
Temporary diet
One of the issues related to vaccination is the selection of proper nutrition. There is no need to follow any special diet. The only thing I would recommend is to temporarily exclude foods that obviously cause negative reactions - citrus fruits, packaged juices, nuts, long-aged and processed cheeses, out-of-season vegetables and fruits. And this is only because it is impossible to distinguish an allergic reaction to a drug from an allergic reaction to food. Especially if systemic anaphylaxis develops.
Article on the topic
“I’m not afraid of injections.” What should you pay attention to when choosing vaccinations?
Is it possible to give several vaccinations in a short time?
Several vaccinations can be given at the same time. However, it all depends on what drugs are used and what the immunization is for.
For example, the vaccine against tuberculosis should be given separately from other drugs, and the period between the next vaccinations before and after it should be at least a month.
On the other hand, complex vaccines have been developed that are used to vaccinate a person against several infections at once (a striking example is DPT, which works against whooping cough, diphtheria, and tetanus). However, you should not overload the body; a vaccine delivered separately from others will be more effective.
Experts, taking care of human immunity, recommend taking a month's break between each subsequent vaccination.
No shops or concerts
Vaccination is a test for the body. During the work of the immune system, it is often said that the protective forces are significantly reduced. And a person becomes vulnerable to many viruses and bacteria. This means that after vaccination it is better to try to avoid crowded places. Moreover, in most cases, vaccination is not a spontaneous event, which means you can always create your schedule so that after the injection you can go home and relax in your usual environment, incl. and from the point of view of invisible microorganisms, it is almost impossible to get infected from common bacteria and viruses.
If you go to a concert, shopping, etc., where you have to deal with an aggressive external environment, you can get quite serious consequences and a serious illness, which is often attributed to the vaccine. This is due to the fact that the body devotes all its energy to processing the antibodies contained in the vaccine and does not fight those that attack it from the outside.
Article on the topic
Do you need a flu shot? Doctor on common pros and cons
Will the flu shot protect against coronavirus?
Can you get sick from vaccination?
Any epidemiologist or virologist will tell you that it is impossible to get the flu from a vaccine under any circumstances. The fact is that the vaccine does not contain a live virus - there are only fragments of it or a killed virus, from which the human body cannot get the flu. There is nothing to reproduce there. After all, when a virus penetrates a cell, it begins to multiply there, using its entire molecular genetic economy - enzymes, ribosomes, everything... Then it synthesizes its proteins on its ribosomes, and then the assembly of viral particles begins, which destroy this cell, and then infect new cells. This is how his life goes. And if there is nothing to reproduce, then it is absolutely impossible to get the flu.
Do vaccinations cause dangerous complications?
The second myth, also quite persistent and dangerous, is that vaccinations can cause dangerous complications. This is exactly what Chervonskaya likes to talk about - she even stated that vaccinations supposedly cause autism in children. This is a very serious, incurable disease and, accordingly, an extremely loud and serious statement. All over the world, thorough studies with large statistics have been carried out, which have shown that there is no connection between childhood autism and vaccination against anything. Although world statistics record a small number of complications from vaccinations, these numbers are not hidden from anyone: this is approximately one complication in a million. What are these complications? Fever, weakness, malaise, muscle pain - in a word, some kind of individual reaction to the vaccine. But it usually goes away within the first two days, and it does not cause any consequences. The immune system still develops and protects against the flu.
Is it possible to get vaccinated against the wrong flu?
I am faced with the idea that they might give you some kind of vaccine against the wrong strain of influenza, and you could get infected. But, as I said last time, the WHO carries out epidemiological monitoring all year round around the world and issues forecasts of which strains will circulate in a given region in a given season; based on this forecast, vaccines are produced and old ones are destroyed. In addition, tri- or quadrivalent vaccines are now produced, that is, they are aimed at all strains that pose a danger this season.
Is it possible to get vaccinated against flu in November and later?
For some reason, some people believe that the flu vaccine should only be done before November, and that later it is strictly forbidden. This myth is based on what people have heard or read that full immunity after vaccination does not occur immediately - today you get an injection, and tomorrow you already have antibodies - but usually takes two to four weeks to form. Therefore, it is usually recommended to be vaccinated in September-October, before November, so that immunity has time to form by the beginning of the season. But this does not mean at all that there is no point in doing so for people who did not have time to get vaccinated in November and later. This statement has absolutely no basis.
Are vaccinations contraindicated for people with chronic diseases?
Another very harmful myth is that very elderly people, as well as those who have any chronic diseases, for example, the cardiovascular or respiratory system, should absolutely not be vaccinated. In fact, it’s the other way around: for these categories of citizens who are in special risk groups, since their body is weakened by another disease, vaccination is indicated in the first place. Because it will be more difficult for a weakened body to cope with the influenza virus than for a healthy one. And the vaccine introduces a clearly calculated amount of antigen into the body, which will cause the production of antibodies and protect it from this serious disease. Therefore, to say that people 65+ or people with heart conditions cannot be vaccinated is absolutely wrong.
What is a relative contraindication is the presence of colds at the time of vaccination. When my son, husband and I were vaccinated this year, to my great surprise, they didn’t ask us anything - they only took our temperature at the entrance, like everywhere else now, and that’s it. And they didn’t even ask if they were healthy, if they had a cough, if only they could look into the neck, especially now against the backdrop of Covid. No questions were asked about our state of health, although doctors must, before vaccinating a person, if not examine him, then at least ask him about his state of health - so that there is no fever, runny nose, cough, sore throat, or intestinal upset.
We were only asked if there was an allergy to chicken eggs - and this is true. Because the vaccine is made from chicken embryos, and people who are allergic to chicken protein really shouldn’t be given it.
Can a person with immunity carry the flu and pose a danger to other people?
A vaccinated person will no longer be a carrier of the flu, because even if a certain amount of viral particles enters the body, they will die a quiet death there: the immune system will destroy them. Therefore, he can no longer release anything into the external environment.
Is getting vaccinated every year useless or even harmful?
Due to the fact that the influenza virus mutates all the time, and the vaccine is developed based on the strains that circulate in a given season, immunity only lasts for one season, and the next year you need to be vaccinated again.
Is it possible to stumble upon a fake vaccine?
The production of vaccines, like any medicine, is controlled very strictly. I don’t think that the clinic will vaccinate you with distilled water. This is a criminal offense, and the quality of vaccines is monitored very carefully.
Scientific fact. Doesn't the infection stick to the infection?
There is now evidence that the flu shot may be somewhat effective in the fight against coronavirus. The fact is that antibodies against different viruses can provide so-called cross-protection among themselves. Let's say one virus enters the body, antibodies are developed against it, then another virus enters - and the existing antibodies may not protect the body from another virus, but they may protect (this is called cross-protection). Therefore, if we are talking about nonspecific immunity at the level of T-lymphocytes, that is, about the first level of immune protection - at the level of T-cell immunity, then such protection against coronavirus in people vaccinated against influenza is formed, that is, these cells are already in activated condition. They begin to produce interferons, and if a coronavirus enters the body, then these interferons begin to destroy it in the same way as the flu virus.
Commenting on this new observation, virologist Ancha Baranova said that the proverb “infection does not stick to infection” is justified. Because if we were vaccinated against the flu, then the coronavirus in such an organism will be much worse. You see how useful it would be for everyone to get vaccinated against the flu now, not only to create population immunity, but also to significantly reduce the risk of severe coronavirus and generally help your immune system cope with it.
Where does the temperature come from?
It is often recommended to take an antihistamine for a couple of days after vaccination. This is recommended to do in order to reduce the possibility of developing allergic reactions. Most often, such prescriptions are given to those who have a history of allergies. And, as a rule, in this case, second-generation antihistamines are offered.
It is important to consider that after vaccination a person may develop a fever. This does not always happen and not in all patients, but if this happens, there is no need to be alarmed. She says that the body develops its own immunity, fighting the introduced strain of infection and processing it. The rise can be from 37 to 40 - this is due solely to the individual characteristics of the patient. You can bring down the temperature with any antipyretic drugs.
Is it possible to get vaccinated immediately after an acute respiratory infection or do you need to wait a month?
The peculiarity of an infection such as influenza is that vaccination during the course of the disease will not have any effect. It will not increase the risk of serious complications, will not aggravate the course of the infection, but will not bring any benefit.
Also, a vaccination given immediately after an acute respiratory illness can have a fairly powerful toxic effect on the body. It can provoke the development of adverse reactions that could be avoided.
Experts recommend waiting at least 3-4 weeks after a recent respiratory illness before getting vaccinated. However, when it comes to inactivated drugs, this deadline may not be observed.
