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Vaccinations
A vaccine is the preparation of dead microorganisms, living weakened microorganisms or inactivated toxins. Its administration induces the development of immunity and protection against a pathogen or toxin and is called a vaccination.
1,376 Questions
Is there another form of flu vaccines other than nose spray and IM injections?
Yes, there is a new intradermal (ID) form of flu vaccine that is available [along with the usual intramuscular (IM) vaccines and the intranasal (nasal mist) spray vaccines] in the 2011-2012 flu season in the Northern Hemisphere. It is called Fluzone in the US. It is licensed for use in the US for adults aged 18 - 64 and includes flu vaccine for both Type A and Type B influenza viruses.
Intradermal means in the skin. It is administered with an ultra short and thin needle between the layers of the skin using what is called a microinjection system, an individual syringe ready for one time use.
Sanofi Pasteur is also making it under the names Intanza or ID flu in the Northern Hemisphere outside the US. It will be available in 40 countries during the 2011-2012 flu season, including Australia, Canada and European Countries. In the Southern Hemisphere it is marketed under the brand name Instivac.
More facts about the ID flu vaccine:
- Approved for use in adults only (ages 18 - 64), given in a single dose
- Inactivated type of vaccine ("dead" virus particles used)
- May provide increased immunity over other types of flu vaccines due to the reactions of specialized immune system cells available in the skin
- Preservative free
- Injected into the skin layers, usually in the upper arm (deltoid) area
- Microinjection system provides:
- Improved acceptance by needle-averse individuals
- Needle is not readily visible to the patient
- Needle size 90% smaller than IM needles, 30 gauge
- Needle depth 1.5 mm
- Smaller amount of vaccine solution injected 0.1 mL
- Less antigen per injection, 27 mcg compared to 45 mcg IM
- Trials indicate less pain with injections
- Can cause more local injection site symptoms of mild to moderate redness, swelling, and other site reactions than IM, for 3-7 days
- Fewer systemic reactions (fever, headaches, muscle aches, etc.)
- 75% of trial participants were very satisfied
- 96% of clinicians giving the ID vaccines would recommend
See related questions and links below.
What should you do if you received your third dose of Hep B vaccination before you are 6 months old?
If you got your third dose of hepatitis B before you were six months old, it makes sense to repeat that third dose at your convenience. There is no need to restart the entire series.
Yes, a large percentage of vaccines are for viral infections, there are not many vaccines for bacterial infections but there are a few.
The flu is caused by a virus, vaccinations against the flu work very well, for example.
There are 2 types of vaccines:
(1) Live ("attenuated", or bred to be harmless)
(2) Killed (dead disease-causing particles)
Live vaccines can be more effective, don't usually need 'booster' shots later to make them work better, but are less able to be given to immunocompromised or pregnant people as they are still alive.
Killed vaccines are less effective, often requiring boosters, but can be given to immunocompromised people and (often) pregnant ladies. They are used with an "adjuvant", or a substance that helps them work better (makes your body more able to make antibodies to them faster).
Both types of vaccines have 'epitopes', or molecules that your body recognises. These epitopes are the SAME as what is on the actual disease-causing particles. This is why they work - your body sees the "HARMLESS" particles and learns to recognise them, or creates "antibodies" that help your body respond to the actual thing when it appears.
It takes time to create these antibodies, so if you can make them BEFORE the actual disease finds its way into your body, you can respond much faster and destroy the virus particles before they can cause you harm.
The type of vaccine depends on what has been developed. There are benefits of both ways, but it is not always easy to do both.
Side note: occasionally, you will hear about how "vaccines are horrible, and cause more harm than good". Most of the time, people use multi-resistant organisms as examples, however, these organisms become resistant to ANTIBIOTICS, and NOT vaccines! Having antibodies is natural, unlike many antibiotics! They are NOT comparable! Antibodies are a post-infection method of disease control, whereas vaccines prevent the disease from establishing. Thus, vaccines have in the past been used rather successfully to rid the world of several diseases! (Which we can ALL be extremely grateful for!!!!!)
Another poorly-used example was that of the smallpox vaccine causing many deaths. Reasons why this example is tragically misused is that it was the first-ever attempt at vaccination in recorded history (we no longer live in such an age where we must rely on random human-testing of live NON-attenuated pathogen injection!). Smallpox protection included injecting pus from the lesions of an infected person (or another vaccinated person) to create antibodies.
Case in point: we no longer inject pus into people... it's a good way to spread other infections, and is less reliable in results. We no longer live in the 'dark ages' of immunology. The first attempts at reaching space failed badly, and yet nobody seems to be boycotting space travel now that science and technology has improved, so please be open-minded if anyone ever tells you that in vaccines, in general, are "bad". Okay? :)
How many people survived the Swine Flu by using taking the shot?
"The shot" is a vaccine for the swine flu. If you get the vaccine, then, in theory, you don't get the swine flu. If you didn't get it, then you didn't "survive" it, because "surviving" it means that you got the disease but didn't die from it. So, zero is the answer. On the other hand, the swine flu is no more deadly than the common flu, so the vast majority of the people who got the swine flu survived it.
How many teaspoons is a milliliter?
A teaspoon is a cooking measure for a volume. It is equal to 4.92892159 milliliters or 4.92892159 cubic centimeters.
Will the flu shot prevent the norovirus?
No. The influenza vaccine is only for preventing respiratory influenza (flu).
The norovirus ("Norwalk Flu") is one of the viruses that cause the "stomach flu", more correctly called viral gastroenteritis, since it is actually not the flu. There is no available vaccine yet, but one is in clinical trials, so it could be licensed for use in the US in a relatively short time.
Polio
What is the earlier and latest that a baby can safely have the booster to the flu vaccine?
If you are asking at what age a child can be vaccinated for the flu, as a rule of thumb, babies under six months old are not able to be given flu vaccines because their immune systems are too immature. Those who live with and care for these unvaccinated infants should get their vaccinations to help prevent taking the flu home to the baby. They should also practice preventive measures, such as good hand hygiene covering their mouths when sneezing or coughing, etc. After that, like all of us, infants should have an annual flu vaccination. Until they are 10, they will require an initial vaccination followed by a "booster" in a month after the first one, again because their immune systems are still not able to produce antibodies as well as someone older, unless they receive these two doses.
If you are asking how early or late flu vaccines are used in the flu seasons, in the US as soon as vaccines are available in the fall (usually September or early October) is the best time to get a vaccination so you will have produced the antibodies by the time the flu is circulating in your part of the world. It usually takes adults around 2 weeks to develop the antibodies that protect them from the disease. You can still benefit from a flu vaccination any time during flu season up through February. After that, it may not help in time to prevent infection before the flu season ends, but if you are at high risk, then your physician may think it is still worthwhile at that time.
When is flu season in the western hemisphere?
In the Northern portion of the Hemisphere, it is October through March (some say through April) for the "seasonal flu".
In the Southern Hemisphere, it happens in the opposite time of year from the Northern Hemisphere. It is in the Southern Hemisphere's winter (during the US summer) from April through September.
Seasonal flu vaccinations should be obtained any time beginning in September through March to be effective for that season in the Northern Hemisphere.
There can be differences between climates in each of the hemispheres, too. For example, in the US in Texas, flu season is from November to to April, while in Iowa, flu season is from December to April.
What does the triple antigen vaccine prevent?
There are different kinds of triple antigen vaccines. A triple antigen vaccine is one made with three different antigens (often three virus strains). The seasonal flu vaccines are examples of triple antigen vaccines, because they contain vaccines against the three influenza viruses most prominent and most likely to spread that season. These are also called Triple Valent or Trivalent vaccines. Another example is the MMR trivalent vaccine made to vaccinate against Measles, Mumps, and Rubella. Several of the childhood vaccinations are this type of trivalent vaccine.
In most of the world, the term "DT shot" referrs to a vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus. You will more likely likely come across a "DPT" or "DPaT" vaccine. These vaccines are aimed at diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.
In the Netherlands, "DTP" refers to a combination vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, and poliomyelitis (rather than pertussis).
What injections do 0 to 1 year olds need?
Recommended Immunizations for children from birth to age one: At birth the baby gets a HepB shot. At 1 month is once again gets a HepB shot. At two months the baby gets HepB, RV, DTaP, HIB, PCV and IPV shot. At four months the baby gets RV,DTaP, Hib, PCV and IPV shots. At six months the baby gets the HepB, RV, DTap, Hib and PCV shot and at a year old the baby gets the HepB, Hip, PCV, Influenza, MMR ,Varicella dn HepA shot.
What symptoms could occur if a patient were to experience an adverse reaction to an injection?
Many symptoms can occur when a person gets a medical injection. Rashes, swelling, and death are possible adverse side effects.
