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Safeguard Your Health This Flu Season Nov 12, 2017 | By Mayo Clinic Transplant Staff (@mayoclinictransplantstaff)Comment receiving replies
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?
Replies to "I get a flu shot every year, but it is a fight to get the "right"..."
Kristin, Thank you for explaining this in understandable language:-)
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@howard_newkirk, @rosemarya
Hello everyone! Thanks for the flu questions. As Rosemary and others already responded, I will add just a few more thoughts about this topic. After speaking with our physician’s assistant from our Infectious Disease Department, I learned a few more details about the flu vaccines.
Flu vaccines can be very confusing as there are twelve approved seasonal inactivated influenza vaccines available for the 2017-2018 flu season. They differ by whether or not they are trivalent or quadrivalent, recombinant (produced without the use of influenza virus or chicken eggs) and high-dose formulation for older age individuals only. A specific vaccine formulation should be chosen based upon recommended age. Please note, that live attenuated influenza vaccine is not recommended for use by anyone during the 2017-2018 flu season because of concerns regarding its lack of effectiveness in preventing influenza in prior years.
Routine annual influenza vaccination is recommended for ALL persons aged 6 months or greater who do not have a contraindication to the vaccine. The CDC does NOT give any preference for one influenza vaccine over another as long as the vaccine given is age appropriate and licensed. Several of the vaccines have specific age groups that the vaccine is licensed for and they should not be given outside of those age groups.
Our recommendation for most patients is to just get a flu vaccine and do not wait for a specific formulation to become available in your area or with your provider. We don’t want people not getting vaccinated at all because they were waiting for their provider to get a specific formulation that never arrives.
The final take home message from our infectious disease team is this - people can receive ANY licensed, recommended, age-appropriate influenza vaccine. Unless your physician tells your otherwise or you have had an adverse reaction in the past, ALL persons 6 months of age and older should receive a seasonal inactivated influenza vaccine. Do not take the live attenuated (Flumist) vaccine.
I hope this information is useful for everyone. Have a wonderful Thursday!
-Kristin