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Safeguard Your Health This Flu Season

Oct 24, 2017 | Mayo Clinic Transplant Staff | @mayoclinictransplantstaff | Comments (28)

2017-10-24 Flu shot blogIf 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

3 Reactions

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howard_newkirk | @howard_newkirk | Nov 8, 2017
In reply to @rosemarya "@howard_newkirk, Hi, Howard, and Welcome. This is a very good question! I did not realize that..." + (show)
@rosemarya

@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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I am not a transplant patient, but I do have stents and a pacemaker. So far doctors all seem to say just take whatever you are offered and even at Mayo they don't know which one the clinic is using this year. I did the high does, non-recominant, trivalent. Quadravalent wasn't available where I live.

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Mentor
Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Nov 8, 2017
In reply to @rosemarya "@howard_newkirk, Hi, Howard, and Welcome. This is a very good question! I did not realize that..." + (show)
@rosemarya

@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

Jump to this post

@howard_newkirk, You made me curious! And on top of that, there was an article in our local paper today about flu shots. I found the following information that I want to share with you. This link to the CDC tells about the different flu vaccines. I think this will help to sort out your confusion.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season-2017-2018.htm
Rosemary

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Kristin Eggebraaten | @keggebraaten | Nov 9, 2017
In reply to @howard_newkirk "I get a flu shot every year, but it is a fight to get the "right"..." + (show)
@howard_newkirk

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?

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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

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Mentor
Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Nov 9, 2017
In reply to @howard_newkirk "I get a flu shot every year, but it is a fight to get the "right"..." + (show)
@howard_newkirk

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?

Jump to this post

Kristin, Thank you for explaining this in understandable language:-)

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IWantToBelieve | @IWantToBelieve | Nov 9, 2017
In reply to @rosemarya "@howard_newkirk, Hi, Howard, and Welcome. This is a very good question! I did not realize that..." + (show)
@rosemarya

@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

Jump to this post

@rosemarya - very informative! I have only gone to the CDC website when traveling out of the country but I might need to use it as a reference more often. Thanks for being our sleuth!

Lynn

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Mentor
Cheryl, Volunteer Mentor | @cehunt57 | Nov 10, 2017

Hi all. I rarely post, but I thought I'd weigh in on this thread. I'm post pancreas transplant 2005. Now I'm a future kidney transplant candidate. I have gotten every vaccine recommended by my transplant team since the first transplant. My husband usually never did and also claimed that he was more likely to get sick if he was vaccinated. One year I came down with the flu despite my vaccination. Our primary physician examined and treated both me and my husband. He told us my vaccination would likely shorten the duration of my case and make it less severe. He told my husband that he should definitely get vaccinated each year for himself and to help prevent exposing me to anything. My husband has gotten his vaccination ever since. Our doctor also reviewed the difference between flu and other bacterial/viral ailments. He sent us home with info on prevention and care tips.

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2 replies
Mentor
Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Nov 10, 2017
In reply to @cehunt57 "Hi all. I rarely post, but I thought I'd weigh in on this thread. I'm post..." + (show)
@cehunt57

Hi all. I rarely post, but I thought I'd weigh in on this thread. I'm post pancreas transplant 2005. Now I'm a future kidney transplant candidate. I have gotten every vaccine recommended by my transplant team since the first transplant. My husband usually never did and also claimed that he was more likely to get sick if he was vaccinated. One year I came down with the flu despite my vaccination. Our primary physician examined and treated both me and my husband. He told us my vaccination would likely shorten the duration of my case and make it less severe. He told my husband that he should definitely get vaccinated each year for himself and to help prevent exposing me to anything. My husband has gotten his vaccination ever since. Our doctor also reviewed the difference between flu and other bacterial/viral ailments. He sent us home with info on prevention and care tips.

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@cehunt57, It is good to hear your (virtual) voice.
You mentioned that your PCP gave you info on prevention and care tips. There are 5 prevention tips listed in the beginning of this discussion. Did your PCP provide you with any additional care tips that might be helpful to us?
Rosemary

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JK | @contentandwell | Nov 12, 2017
In reply to @cehunt57 "Hi all. I rarely post, but I thought I'd weigh in on this thread. I'm post..." + (show)
@cehunt57

Hi all. I rarely post, but I thought I'd weigh in on this thread. I'm post pancreas transplant 2005. Now I'm a future kidney transplant candidate. I have gotten every vaccine recommended by my transplant team since the first transplant. My husband usually never did and also claimed that he was more likely to get sick if he was vaccinated. One year I came down with the flu despite my vaccination. Our primary physician examined and treated both me and my husband. He told us my vaccination would likely shorten the duration of my case and make it less severe. He told my husband that he should definitely get vaccinated each year for himself and to help prevent exposing me to anything. My husband has gotten his vaccination ever since. Our doctor also reviewed the difference between flu and other bacterial/viral ailments. He sent us home with info on prevention and care tips.

Jump to this post

@cehunt57 Are we married to the same man? My husband says the exact same thing but I know if he felt it could benefit me would get the shot. I will have to check with my transplant team and see if they share the view that it would benefit me.
JK

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