Influenza, the hateful winter virus we all call “the flu” is a serious disease which can lead to time spent in a hospital or even death in certain victims. Each flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect different people in different ways. The only clear-cut method for prevention of influenza is an annual vaccination for three strains of the virus which are expected to be the most prevalent.
Are there different kinds of flu vaccines that are currently available?
There are several types of flu vaccine options available for the current flu season.
Traditional flu vaccines are available, and should be marketed to a patient under the name “trivalent” vaccines. In addition, this season there is a “quadrivalent” vaccine available and it protects against four different flu viruses.
Trivalent vaccines are available in the following formats:
- Standard dose trivalent shots.
- Standard dose trivalent shots containing viruses grown in cell structure.
- Standard dose trivalent shots that are egg-free.
- High dose trivalent shots, which are only approved for anyone sixty-five or older.
- A standard dose trivalent shot which is injected inter the skin instead of the muscle.
Quadrivalent flu vaccines are available in the following formats:
- Standard dose quadrivalent shots.
- Standard dose quadrivalent nasal spray.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not make a habit of recommending one flu vaccine over the other each year. The important thing is to get a flu shot or nasal spray vaccination each year!
The blogging team from http://www.drsmartphonemd.com is unable to make direct recommendations regarding the best flu vaccination, aside from stating that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We believe that readers should use our articles as the starting point in developing their own plan of action, moving forward to look at information on appropriate professional medical website. If a reader has specific questions or concerns, we do recommend reaching out to a physician as soon as possible.
