Q: It is that time again: my employer is suggesting I get the influenza vaccine and my doctor recommends my kids do too. Will this year’s vaccine “work”?
A: Manufacturers do their best to match the vaccine based on the influenza patterns seen in the southern hemisphere. Sometimes there is little genetic shift in the strains circulating and the vaccine match is very good. Sometimes we are not as fortunate. Think of it as making a batch of chili. Do you ever get it to match exactly to the perfect chili?
But get the vaccine because your risk – and the risk you will pass it on to others – will be decreased. You can get the vaccine at your physician’s office, FastCare or other walk in clinics, and at special flu clinics, like those offered by ThedaCare At Home.
And as a side note, this year the vaccine manufacturer has created a vaccine that is non-egg based, so more people can get vaccinated.
Today’s expert is Miki Gould, infection preventionist, ThedaCare, Appleton.
