As we know, influenza is a virus that can be prevented, or at the very least have its effects lessened, by the flu vaccine. The vaccine against the influenza virus is updated each flu season to protect against the flu strains experts believe will be the most infectious in the upcoming flu season. The flu vaccine for this season will include protection from four different strains of the virus. And now, the flu shot is not made in eggs anymore so even those with egg allergies can be safe. It is recommended that everyone get a flu vaccine before September, towards the end of October. It’s important to know that people of different age groups get different vaccines since some age groups are more vulnerable to the virus than others. For example, people above the age of 65 can be affected severely by the flu: It can even be life threatening. However, for healthy young adults, it is rarely more serious than a few days of not feeling well.
Although it is difficult to determine how effective the flu vaccine will be each season, it is definitely in everyone’s best interest to get what protection they can from the vaccine. The CDC says that the flu vaccine is generally between 40% and 60% effective in preventing illness. However, as I already said, even if you still get the flu after getting the vaccine, you’ll likely get a much milder strain and be able to recover much more quickly. Apart from calculating how many individual cases of illness the flu shot prevents, there are a few different ways to assess the effectiveness of a flu vaccine. It can be based on how many strains the vaccine protects against, how long the protection lasts, or how high of a dose the vaccine provides.
However, if you are unfortunate enough to come down with the flu, there are several antiviral drugs that can help you recover faster. The CDC approves of four different antiviral medications for the treatment of the flu. They can be ingested as pills, injected into the patient’s veins, or inhaled into the lungs. These antiviral medications can greatly lessen the effects of the virus and are extremely important for people who are at higher risk of developing complications because of the flu. These people mainly include the immunocompromised and the elderly. Some people may even be prescribed the medications before they show symptoms if they are at high risk. These medications are capable of saving lives and have made a huge impact in the treatment of the influenza virus.
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