Flu season usually starts in November, making October the
ideal time to get the flu shot. It’s widely available now and there is plenty
of supply. Travelers should remember that the Southern hemisphere may be ahead
of the Northern hemisphere and that many new types of flu originate in the far
East.
Because the prevailing flu virus mutates, it is necessary to
get a new flu vaccine every year. People who get the flu vaccine have a lower
chance of getting the flu and a lower chance of dying from the flu as compared
to people who don’t get immunized. Flu shots cannot cause the flu since the
virus is inactivated. The inactivated virus will allow the body to make
protective antibodies. It takes about two weeks to form the protective
antibodies.
The typical flu vaccine is formulated to protect against
what is predicted to be the three most common varieties of influenza. The more
expensive quadrivalent vaccine adds another B virus. The CDC doesn’t recommend one
type over the other.
More information from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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