1. Latest flu vaccines
According to the US CDC, available flu vaccines include:
– Standard dose influenza vaccine produced by culturing the virus in eggs. There are several different brands of standard-dose influenza vaccine available, including afluria quadrivalent, fluarix quadrivalent, fluLaval quadrivalent and fluzone quadrivalent… These vaccines are approved for use in children as young as 6 months of age. Most flu shots are given into the arm (muscle) with a needle (Afluria quadrivalent can be given with a needle in children 6 months of age and older).
– Cell-based influenza vaccine (flucelvax quadrivalent) contains virus cultured in cells, used for people 6 months and older. This vaccine is completely egg-free.
– Recombinant influenza vaccine (flublok quadrivalent) is a completely eggless flu vaccine, produced using recombinant technology and used for people 18 years of age and older. This shot does not contain virus but contains three times more antigen than other standard-dose inactivated flu vaccines, helping to create a stronger immune response.
There are many types of flu vaccines available and are updated every year.
– High-dose egg-based influenza vaccine (fluzone high-dose quadrivalent), approved for use in people 65 years of age and older. This vaccine contains four times more antigen than other standard-dose inactivated influenza vaccines, helping to produce a stronger immune response.
– Egg-based adjuvanted influenza vaccine (fluad quadrivalent), approved for people 65 years of age and older. This vaccine is formulated with an adjuvant (an ingredient that helps create a stronger immune response).
- Attenuated influenza nasal spray vaccine made from eggs (flumist quadrivalent) is prepared from live attenuated influenza virus, approved for use in people from 2 years old to 49 years old. This vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women, immunocompromised people, or people with certain medical conditions.
2. Is there any best flu vaccine?
According to the CDC, some flu vaccines are recommended for people 65 years of age and older. This recommendation is based on a review of available studies showing that, in people over 65 years of age, these vaccines are more effective than standard-dose influenza vaccine without adjuvant. There is no preferential recommendation for people under 65 years of age. Specifically:
- For people under 65, CDC does not favorably recommend any flu vaccine. Options for this age group include inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV), recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV) or live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV)...
– For people 65 years of age and older, there are three types of flu vaccines that are recommended over the standard, unadjuvanted dose flu vaccine. These are high-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccine fluzone, quadrivalent recombinant influenza vaccine flublok and quadrivalent adjuvanted influenza vaccine fluad.
If none of the three vaccines is recommended in priority for people 65 years of age or older at the time of vaccination, then people in this age group should get any other age-appropriate influenza vaccine. for replacement.
According to VNVC Vaccination Center, the dose and schedule for influenza vaccination in children and adults are specifically as follows:
- Children 6 months and older and adults: Inject 0,5 ml dose.
- Children from 6 months old to under 9 years old, if they have not had the flu before or have never received a flu vaccine, should get 2 shots. The 2nd shot is at least 1 month after the 1st shot. Then re-inject once a year.
- Children over 9 years old and adults get 1 injection. Then re-inject once a year.
The flu vaccine does not work immediately, it takes about two weeks after vaccination for new antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against flu virus infection. That's why it's best to get vaccinated before the flu virus begins to spread in the community.
