1. What is the flu?

Influenza is an acute respiratory viral disease caused by influenza viruses. In most cases, influenza affects the upper respiratory tract and is characterized by general intoxication. Influenza spreads rapidly and widely and can cause serious complications, especially among children under 5 years of age, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with certain chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes. Influenza is a potentially serious illness that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Millions of people get sick with influenza, hundreds of thousands are hospitalized, and thousands to tens of thousands die from complications of influenza worldwide.

2. How does influenza spread?

Influenza is spread mainly by airborne droplets when people with influenza talk, cough, or sneeze, and these droplets fall into the mouths or noses of people nearby or are inhaled. Less commonly, a person can catch the flu by touching a surface or object that has the flu virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose, or possibly eyes. People can transmit the flu to others from one day before symptoms appear to 5-7 days after they become ill.

3. What are the complications of having the flu?

The most common complications of influenza are bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, and worsening of chronic conditions such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.

4. When is the best time to get a flu shot?

The best time to get vaccinated is in September-November, before the start of the epidemiological season. After all, protective antibodies begin to form about 2 weeks after vaccination, which ensures the duration of protection against infection for up to 6-12 months. It makes sense to get vaccinated during the entire period from September to May.

5. Who needs to be vaccinated against influenza?

All citizens aged 6 months and older should receive the flu vaccine every season, with rare exceptions if they have an allergic reaction to one of the vaccine components.

Influenza vaccination is especially important for people who are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications.

6. Which flu vaccine is better to choose?

There are 2 flu vaccines registered in Ukraine:

JICY FLU QUADRIVALENT (Korea) and VAXIGRIP TETRA (France).

Both vaccines are safe and effective!

Who is at risk for flu complications?

Adults aged 60 years and older;  
Children under 5 years of age (especially under 2 years of age, who account for the majority of hospitalizations due to flu complications)  
people with certain chronic diseases;  
pregnant women;
healthcare workers
education workers;
people with disabilities;  
people with a weakened immune system due to illness, such as people with HIV or AIDS, or certain types of cancer, or people with chronic illnesses that require constant use of corticosteroids or other immune suppressant medications;
people living in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
7. Is it better to get sick and gain natural immunity than to be vaccinated?

Keep in mind that influenza can cause mild to severe illness with hospitalization and can sometimes lead to death. Anyone can get the flu, and serious flu-related problems can occur at any age, especially in people at risk. Therefore, the best way to reduce the risk of getting the flu and its potentially serious complications is to get vaccinated annually. It should be borne in mind that once you have had one strain of influenza, you remain vulnerable to other strains. Also, you need to consider the economic part and compare how much the flu vaccine costs with how much it costs to treat the flu, as well as the treatment of flu complications (including pneumonia and hospitalization).

8. Why do I need to get the flu vaccine every year?

The flu vaccine is needed every year for two reasons. Firstly, a person's immune defenses against vaccination decline over time, so annual flu vaccination is necessary for optimal protection. Secondly, because flu virus strains are constantly changing, the composition of flu vaccines is reviewed annually and vaccines are updated to protect against the viruses that WHO research suggests will be most prevalent during the upcoming flu season. Therefore, for the best protection, everyone over the age of 6 months should be vaccinated annually.

9. How can we talk about the effectiveness of vaccinations if there are so many flu viruses and strains?

Every year, the WHO conducts research on these types and the likelihood of their spread during the epidemic season and updates the recommendations on the composition of vaccines. This allows you to get vaccinated with the drugs that will be most effective this year.

10. My child is 3 years old, does not go to kindergarten, and therefore does not communicate or have contact with anyone other than his family.  Why should I get a flu shot?

You and your child are not always at home, but continue to walk in the park, on playgrounds, and go to the store, so your communication is not limited to your family, one of your relatives can also infect your child with influenza, so all family members must be vaccinated against influenza and are protected and healthy! Your child is at risk, as children under 5 years of age are at higher risk of developing serious flu-related complications. Vaccination is important for your child because: it reduces the risk of flu and hospitalisation; it will alleviate the disease even if you have flu but are vaccinated; thanks to vaccination, your child does not miss playgrounds and you do not miss work/household chores.

Also, thanks to the vaccination, your child will avoid the following complications from influenza:

✓ Pneumonia: a disease in which the lungs become infected and inflamed;

Dehydration: when a child's body loses too much water and salts, often because fluid loss is greater than fluid intake;

✓ Worsening of long-term medical problems, such as heart disease or asthma;

✓ Impaired brain function, such as encephalopathy

Sinus problems and ear infections;

✓ In rare cases, flu complications can lead to death.

11. Should I get the vaccine if I am pregnant, or will it harm my baby?

Yes, you should get a flu shot, as you are at risk of complications from flu. Changes in your immune system, heart, and lung function during pregnancy increase your chances of getting seriously ill with the flu. The CDC/WHO recommends that pregnant women get the seasonal flu vaccine in any trimester of pregnancy, so the vaccine does not affect or harm the baby. Vaccination will also help protect your baby from influenza after birth (the mother passes antibodies to the developing baby during pregnancy).

12. Can I or my child get the flu from the flu vaccine?

The flu vaccine protects you and your child. However, flu shots can sometimes cause mild post-vaccination reactions that can be mistaken for the flu. Keep in mind that it will take about 2 weeks for you or your child to develop protection against the flu after receiving the vaccine.

13. Can I get the flu even if I have already been vaccinated?

Yes. You can get the flu even if you have been vaccinated (although you won't know for sure unless you have a flu test). This is possible for the following reasons:

You can get the flu shortly before the vaccination or during the period it takes your body to protect itself after the vaccination (i.e. 2 weeks while antibodies are being produced). This may cause you to get the flu before the vaccine starts to protect you, but the illness will be mild and without complications. Unfortunately, some people may contract the influenza virus against which the vaccine is designed despite being vaccinated. The protection provided by the flu vaccine can vary considerably, depending in part on the age and health of the person receiving the vaccine. Some older people and some people with certain chronic conditions may develop less immunity after getting the vaccine, but studies have shown that vaccination reduces the severity of illness.

You can get a flu virus that is not included in the seasonal flu vaccine. Many different flu viruses circulate every year. The flu vaccine is designed to protect against the four flu viruses that research shows are the most common!

14. Can I get the flu vaccine if I have hypertension and take medication?

Yes, you should be vaccinated against influenza, as you are at risk and influenza can lead to complications. The flu vaccination reduces the risk of getting the flu and also reduces the risk of serious consequences of the flu, such as a hospital stay or even hospitalization.

15. Should people with cancer get the flu shot?

Yes. Injectable influenza vaccines are approved for use in people with cancer. Flu shots have a long track record of safety for these people. It is also important for people living with or caring for people with cancer to be vaccinated against influenza.

16. My baby is 9 months old, but our doctor doesn't recommend getting a flu shot for a baby under one year old!

Then you should think about changing your doctor! Because a doctor should be guided only by evidence-based medicine, and not make decisions at his or her discretion. It is infants and young children who are most vulnerable to influenza.

17. When should my child get the flu vaccine?

It is recommended to vaccinate your child against influenza every year in autumn, starting at 6 months of age. Children aged 6 months to 9 years may need 2 doses 4 weeks apart.

It is recommended to get the flu vaccine before the end of October before the flu starts to spread in your area. However, getting the vaccine later may be beneficial, and vaccination should continue throughout the flu season, even into May.

Children 6 months to 9 years of age who are getting the flu vaccine for the first time should get two doses.

If your child has received two doses of flu vaccine in the past, they only need one dose this season.

18. I am allergic to eggs, can I still get the flu vaccine?

Yes, you can get vaccinated! There are recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States that state that

Everyone over the age of 6 months with an egg allergy should get the flu vaccine. Any influenza vaccine (egg-based or egg-free) that is appropriate for the patient's age and health status can be used.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/acip/summary/summary-recommendations.htm#personscovid

19. Who shouldn't be vaccinated against influenza at all, who is contraindicated?

Children under 6 months of age.

People with a severe, life-threatening allergy to any vaccine ingredient, including influenza vaccine (except egg white), should not receive the vaccine. This may include gelatin, antibiotics, or other ingredients.

People who have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock) to a dose of influenza vaccine should not get the flu shot again and may not be able to get other influenza vaccines.

20. Is it safe to get the flu and COVID-19 vaccine at the same time?

Yes, it is safe to get both influenza and COVID-19 vaccines at the same visit if you are due for both vaccines. Studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic show that it is safe to get the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine in the same visit, the study is available here: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2794318 Firstly, you protect yourself from 2 diseases at once, and secondly, it is convenient, everything is done during one visit to the doctor.

21. Can the influenza vaccine be administered simultaneously with other vaccines, for example, my child needs to have MMR (measles, rubella, mumps) and influenza vaccine.

Yes, they can be given on the same day or at any interval. It is safe for your child, reduces visits to the doctor, and thus you protect your child from unnecessary contact with sick patients in the clinic.

22. What are the benefits of flu vaccination?

1. Influenza vaccination can protect you from getting the flu.

2. Several studies have shown that influenza vaccination reduces the severity of illness in people who have been vaccinated but still get sick.

3. Influenza vaccination may reduce the risk of flu-related hospitalization.

4. Influenza vaccination is an important preventive measure for people with certain chronic conditions.

5. Influenza vaccination during pregnancy helps protect pregnant women from influenza during and after pregnancy and helps protect their babies from influenza in the first few months of life.

6. The flu vaccine can save the lives of children.

7. Vaccination can also protect people around you.

23. What are the preventive measures to stop the spread of the flu virus?

1. Take daily preventive measures that are recommended to reduce the spread of influenza.

2. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

3. If you are sick, limit your contact with others as much as possible to avoid infecting them.

4. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after use.

5. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

6. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. This is how germs are spread.

7. Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with viruses that cause flu.

8. Ventilate regularly and do wet cleaning - both in your home and workplace.

9. In case of flu, it is recommended that people stay at home for at least 24 hours after the fever has subsided, unless they are seeking medical attention or other necessary items.

24. Can a patient from the age of 14 independently give consent for vaccination?

23. What are the preventive measures to stop the spread of the influenza virus?

1. Take the daily preventive measures recommended to reduce the spread of influenza.

2. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

3. If you are sick, limit your contact with others as much as possible to avoid infecting them.

4. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after use.

5. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

6. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. This is how germs are spread.

7. Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with viruses that cause flu.

8. Ventilate regularly and do wet cleaning - both in your home and workplace.

9. In case of flu, it is recommended that people stay at home for at least 24 hours after the fever has subsided, unless they are seeking medical attention or other necessary items.

24. Can a patient from the age of 14 independently give consent for vaccination?

Following part one of Article 43 of the Law of Ukraine "Fundamentals of the Legislation of Ukraine on Health Care", the consent of a patient informed by Article 39 of these Fundamentals is required for the application of diagnostic, preventive, and treatment methods. In the case of a patient under the age of 14 (a minor patient), as well as a patient declared legally incapacitated following the procedure established by law, medical intervention is carried out with the consent of their legal representatives. In addition, Article 284 of the Civil Code of Ukraine states that an individual who has reached the age of fourteen and has applied for medical care has the right to choose a doctor and to choose treatment methods following his or her recommendations. The provision of medical care to an individual who has reached the age of fourteen is carried out with his or her consent.