Can you develop Flu like symptoms after a flu shot?

Answer 1

I got a flu shot early this afternoon, and tonight my head aches, my joints ache, and I'm feeling chilled. I don't believe I actually have the flu, it is a dead virus in the injection but, like you, I'm trying to find out if flu-like symptoms can occur. I found this site: http:/heartspring.net/flu_shot_side_effects.html that says yeah, you can get mild symptoms, or worse if there's an allergy.

Answer 2

The vaccine is made either out of influenza virus that is weakened so that it can not cause disease in those patients for whom it is approved (this is only in the nasal spray type of vaccinations), or it is an inactivated ("dead") virus in the flu shot that only contains fragments of "killed" influenza virus. They are enough to trigger your body into making antibodies, but not enough to give you the flu.

You may experience mild side effects such as a low grade fever or aches at the site of the injection and in rare cases there can be aching in joints and minor fever which are just reactions mostly to your own immune system reacting to the antigen to make antibodies, but these should only last a day or maybe two. But, if you actually get the full blown flu symptoms, it will be because you had it already before you got the vaccine and just had not shown symptoms yet; or between the time you took the vaccination and when your body developed the full immunity, you could have caught the flu (this can take as long as two weeks), or, you may have caught a strain of flu that was not included in the vaccine and so the vaccination would not provide immunity to that other strain which the vaccine did not include.

Answer 3

Yes, as long as you aren't having a fever or haven't had one in the past few days. It will not help you with the current symptoms, but if they are due to a flu that is not in the flu shot, you'll get the immunity for the other 3 expected flu season types of flu so you don't also get them. If your symptoms are due to one of those 3 flu viruses, it won't hurt to have the vaccine for it, too. Tell the clinician who is giving the flu vaccine about your symptoms before getting the shot (they should ask, but tell them if they don't).

One concern would be whether you should be out in public if you have symptoms of the flu. You should not go out until a full 24 hour period has passed without a fever (when not using fever reducers). Check your temperature often to be sure before you go out, so you do not spread the virus to others.

Answer 4

It is possible, but not common, for people to have mild symptoms of achy muscles and even a low grade temperature from a flu vaccination. If that occurs, it should be gone within a few days. If it continues and if symptoms worsen, you could actually have the flu. Even when you have a vaccination you can get the flu if you were exposed before the vaccination had time to create your immunity, which for those over age 10 is usually within a couple of weeks after the vaccination. [Children 10 and under need a series of two vaccinations for full immunity to develop. They get the second one approximately a month after the first one and then in 2-4 weeks after the second vaccination, they should have immunity.]

A more common reaction to the injected flu vaccination is local soreness and redness at the site of the vaccination. This is usually gone after a couple of days, too. It seems counter-intuitive and will be uncomfortable at first, but you should use the sore arm, if that is where you got an injection of the vaccine, since using the muscle will speed up the healing and help the soreness go away faster. Warm compresses on the area will also help soothe.

The injectable vaccines (both IM and the new Intradermal) for the flu contain inert "dead" virus particles which can not give you the flu. The nasal mist type of flu vaccine is made from "live" viruses, but they have been chemically weakened so that an otherwise healthy person will not get the flu from it.

Answer 5

Yes, however it is less likely, and if you do get the flu, your illness will usually be less severe.