What is the Flu Vaccine?

How does the flu vaccine work?

Every year we hear all the buzz about the flu shot, and how important it is to be vaccinated. We are told getting vaccinated for the flu is the number one way to prevent getting the flu. But what exactly is the flu vaccine, and why do we need to receive it every year? Read on to find out!
The flu vaccine comes in two forms: a shot and a nasal spray, and works by triggering your body's immune system response. When you get a flu vaccine, your body recognizes the flu virus as a foreign invader and produces antibodies to it. The next time your body encounters the flu virus, it will remember that it is a hostile invader and quickly send out an immune attack to kill off the virus. But if your body remembers the virus, why do you need to get a flu shot every year? First, because flu strains differ from year to year; and second, because immunity declines over time. The shot, generally given in the arm, is made up of three different viruses. The three strains are chosen by scientists working in labs around the world. They collect flu viruses and predict which strains will be most dominant in the coming flu season. The doctors tweak the vaccine based on the predictions for that year. The viruses in the shot are inactivated, or dead, which means that they can't actually give you the flu.

Flu Vaccine Nasal Spray

The nasal-spray flu vaccine is often referred to as LAIV (Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine). Unlike the flu shot, it uses a live but weakened version of the virus. Like the shot, it contains three different flu strains. When the LAIV is sprayed into the nose, it works much like the injected form of the vaccine and triggers the immune system to develop antibodies against the virus. The weakened viruses are also cold-adapted, which means they are designed to only multiply at the cooler temperatures found within the nose. The viruses cannot infect the lungs or other areas where warmer temperatures exist.
As mentioned earlier, the vaccine itself doesn't cause the flu. But it does take about two weeks to start working. Some people get it, and then catch the virus before their body is ready to fight it. So if you pick up a cold or the flu before or just after rolling up your sleeve, don't blame your runny nose and sore throat on the vaccine.
The vaccines do not work all the time. The flu vaccine is not like vaccines that protect you against measles or polio, which offer 100% protection. Usually, the flu shot is about 60 to 90% effective. But a flu shot is a success if it prevents hospitalizations and deaths, not if you sail through the season without a sniffle.
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