The influenza vaccine is both reliable and safe.
- Reliable – The vaccine is 70–90 per cent effective in preventing influenza in healthy adults—you can greatly lower the chances of taking it home to your children, family and friends.
- Safe – Because it is made from inactivated (dead) viruses, it is impossible to get the virus from the vaccine. Most people experience no side effects after being vaccinated, or if they do, it is a mild reaction, such as a temporary soreness or swelling at the injection site.
The influenza vaccine protects...
You, your family, your colleagues and your patients.
Why get vaccinated?
The flu shot is proven to significantly reduce the risk of influenza infection in healthy adults and children. This means that vaccination protects you and everyone with whom you come in contact. By getting vaccinated, you lower the chances that you will get sick and unknowingly pass the contagion on to the people who depend on you: your children, your family, your friends and loved ones and your patients.
Why worry about influenza?
Influenza is a serious, acute respiratory illness that can affect anyone, including children, healthy adults, the elderly and the immuno-compromised. It can lead to serious complications, hospitalization and death.
Why is it vital for health-care workers to be vaccinated?
As a health-care worker, you take pride in the work you do, but it is that very thing—working in a health-care setting—that puts you at greater risk of coming into contact with the virus. Not only could you be infected, you could also infect your children, your family and your patients—even if you are not exhibiting symptoms.
"I get the flu shot because the numbers are clear. The more people you're in contact with, the higher your chances of contracting the flu and spreading it to others. In my job I see a lot of people. If I'm not protected, I'm putting them at increased risk for contracting a potentially deadly disease and that is simply not acceptable."
—Dr. Robert Cushman
Chief Executive Officer
Champlain LHIN
What is the best way to protect against becoming infected?
The best way to protect yourself is by getting vaccinated. While proper hand washing is critical, studies have shown that health-care workers wash their hands between patients only 5 to 30 percent of the time. And since people may not exhibit signs of influenza even though they are contagious, you may not always know when you have been around someone who is sick.
How effective is the vaccine?
The influenza vaccine has been shown to be 70 to 90 percent effective in preventing influenza in healthy adults and children. However, it is not as effective in the elderly or the immuno-compromised, and it is not administered to children under the age of six months old. These groups need to be surrounded by people who have been vaccinated to limit their exposure.
Are there side effects from the vaccine?
Soreness at the injection site lasting up to two days is common in adults, although children under the age of five may run a fever. According to Public Health Agency of Canada, allergic responses to the influenza vaccine are rare and are probably a consequence of hypersensitivity to some vaccine component, such as residual egg protein, which is present in minute quantities.
"I get vaccinated because the medical research is irrefutable—the flu shot works. It saves lives and reduces illness in our communities. As doctors, we need to lead by example. Getting vaccinated is simple and convenient. There's no excuse. We owe it to our patients, our families and ourselves."
—Dr. Andrew Padmos, MD, FRCPC
Chief Executive Officer
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Can you contract Guillain-Barré syndrome from the vaccine?
The chances of contracting Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) from the influenza vaccine are roughly one in a million. That, according to Time magazine, is about the same chance that you have of drowning while taking a bath this year.
A recent study looked at cases of GBS across Ontario since 1991. The study found there was no statistically significant increase in hospital admissions due to GBS since the province introduced its mass influenza immunization program in 2000 (see chart). What many people don't know is that having influenza itself is also likely a risk factor for GBS, though it is difficult to measure that connection.
Why does the vaccine contain thimerosal?
Thimerosal is a preservative used in very minute quantities in certain vaccines. It is also present in some pharmaceutical and other consumer products, such as cosmetics.
Thimerosal helps to keep vaccines free of inadvertent microbial contamination, which in itself can result in illness and death. This is of particular concern with multi-dose vials, where multiple entries into the vial to retrieve the vaccine can result in bacterial or fungal contamination if proper technique is not strictly followed.
According to Public Health Agency of Canada, millions of vaccines containing preservatives such as thimerosal have been administered since the 1930s, and there have been no common adverse effects observed.
Should you get vaccinated if you are pregnant or nursing?
Yes! It is highly recommended that pregnant and nursing women get vaccinated against influenza to protect themselves and their children. Studies show that healthy pregnant women have higher influenza-associated respiratory hospitalization and more related medical visits than non-pregnant women.
When should I get vaccinated?
Since your body can take up to two weeks to produce the antibodies that guard against influenza, it is recommended that you get vaccinated in the fall, before the influenza season is fully underway. However, the vaccine is still effective at any point during the influenza season, which typically runs October through April.
