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If you’re like many people, your “to do” list is growing longer and longer now that the warm months are behind us. Maybe your list involves packing away the beach supplies, pulling out your warmer clothes, or doing yard work to prepare for that dreaded white stuff. Does your list of to dos also include getting a flu shot?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone 6 months of age or older be vaccinated annually against influenza. Mayo Clinic recommends annual influenza vaccination to all transplant candidates, transplant recipients, their caregivers and other close contacts. As a transplant patient, you should not receive the FluMist, nor should any of your caregivers or close contacts. The FluMist is a live virus vaccine and could cause you to become ill. The flu mist has also officially been determined to be less effective than the vaccine for the 2017-18 flu season. Although not 100% effective, getting a flu shot is worth the needle stick. Flu shots are the most effective way to prevent influenza and its complications.
If you are a transplant patient at another facility, contact your care team to ask about their recommendations for the flu season.
What you can do
In addition to getting your flu shot, remember to practice good hygiene as another safeguard against flu season.
- Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water
- Use an alcohol-based sanitizer on your hands if soap and water aren't available
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth whenever possible
- Avoid crowds when the flu is most prevalent in your area
- Get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, drink plenty of fluids, eat a nutritious diet, and manage your stress
Do you get your flu shot every year? Tell us about your experience.
HELPFUL LINKS
- Learn more about the flu vaccine and flu season
- Explore Mayo's Transplant Center
- Request an appointment
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@rosemarya - Thank you. The links were good to reread. I laughed at you saying I will be the best informed transplant patient. I don't have a great memory and I expect it might get worse once I'm a patient but at least I know where to look for answers (I'm referring to Connect). In fact, the other week I contacted the transplant team with questions about my husband being able to be my donor (he has some health issues) and I didn't think I could do that until my GFR was 20 and I had contacted the transplant team - so clearly I still have a lot to learn. Thanks for coaching me along!
Lynn
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1 Reaction@lcamino thanks for the info. I will try to gently broach the subject to him. I think I will first ask my team whether or not that is recommended.
Regarding your question about high risk areas, I believe that would be an area with many people who are in close contact with each other, particularly if it is indoors. I think I just described my daughters wedding reception in December. ☹️
The infrequency of my participation recently is due to some really bad pain from my knee surgery. I know when I had the other knee done I was not in nearly as much pain as I am now, but I am also pushing myself a lot harder this time too. I don’t want this knee to lack flex like the prior knee does, but oweee, do I hurt.
JK
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1 Reaction@contentandwell - I think it is wise to speak with your transplant team re the flue vaccine for your husband.
I'm sorry to hear that you are still in a lot of pain from your knee replacement. Are you doing more than your physical therapist recommends? I totally forgot that this was your second replacement - man you have endured some major surgeries! Don't push yourself so much that you cause too much swelling and slow down your healing. I'm sure it's a balancing act.
Lynn
@lcamino, the comment about remembering rings too true with me. I take notes at the doctor’s office but occasionally don’t bother with something and sure enough I don’t remember it afterwards. I read somewhere that one of the biggest lies we tell ourselves is that we will remember something.
JK
@lcamino it is a balancing act and I typically overdo. So far that has usually worked for me. It actually does seem as if the pain started before I started working so hard. I was told that the more exercise I got before the surgery the better I would be recuperating but I am wondering if muscle takes longer to heal than flab. I am presuming they cut through muscle to get to the knee. I saw my surgeon for a post-op visit this past week and he did confirm that my bruising and swelling is worse than typical.
JK
@contentandwell
It must be hard to argue with his success 🙂
My mom is 91 and never has a flu shot or pneumonia shot and only occasionally gets an upper respiratory infection or a cold and manages to take care of it with OTC products and I faithfully get every vaccination possible and still get some form of the flu towards Feb. or March of each year.
Go figure!
Teresa
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2 Reactions@hopeful33250 Teresa, it is very hard! He switched oncologists from one in Boston to one up here who I go to for hematology. I accompanied him to his appointment and as the doctor went over his medical history he almost fell off his stool. Then he went on about how young my husband looks for being 82! He really does look a lot younger than that. I tell him it’s his Italian heritage that keeps him young, and I do think that helps!
JK
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1 Reaction@contentandwell
Yes, Italian blood must be the key 🙂
I get a flu shot every year, but it is a fight to get the "right" one. As I understand it, there are at least eight types of flu shots this year: regular, regular recombinant, high dose, high dose recombinant and all of these are available in trivalent or quadrivalent. This makes it difficult for pharmacies and doctors and the CDC doesn't seem to make a recommendation. Why does this have to be so complicated and how do I get a recommendation form Mayo for me?
@howard_newkirk, Hi, Howard, and Welcome. This is a very good question! I did not realize that there were so many options.
Since my transplant, I have always been given the high dose (for seniors) as an extra protection due to my immunosuppression; I qualify for it now because of age.
Are you a transplant patient? What does your transplant provider recommend?
Rosemary
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