Important Facts And Side Effects Of Flu Vaccinations Last

Flu vaccines are becoming more important each flu season. You can get your shot from corporate flu vaccinations on The Gold Coast at any time to ensure you are protected. They have the latest matched vaccines for this season.

But just what is vaccine matched or a good match?

A good vaccine match happens when the type of flu that is circulating in the community is closely related to the antibodies that are produced by the vaccination giving you the best possible protection against the influenza infection.

So what happens if the vaccine viruses and the viruses in the flu strain that is circulating in the local community are different?

Sometimes there is more than one strain of virus’s in circulation; they can combine into a new strain so your resistance may be reduced so you could still catch a mild form of the flu.

How is it possible that sometimes the vaccine is not a good match for the viruses that are circulating?

The experts that make the vaccines are trained to anticipate which types of viruses they will include in each vaccine to give you the best cover. This is done in advance so there’s enough vaccine ready on time. Because of this antigenic drift (the mutation of the virus), there is always a slight chance that the strain of the virus you encounter will not be an optimal match for the vaccine you have had.

Is this coming season’s vaccine going to be a good match for the viruses that are circulating?

It is not possible to be 100% certain that the flu vaccine will be a good match for all the different flu viruses, but you will still have a reasonable cover.

What to Expect and the Possible Side Effects of Vaccinations

Can I get the Flu from Having a Flu Vaccination?

No, you cannot get the flu from a flu vaccination. There are three types of flu vaccines now available from corporate flu vaccinations on The Gold Coast. Two of these are administered using an injection and one with a nasal spray. One is made with a dead (inactivate) virus and the others are made using proteins from vaccine virus that is weakened or attenuated as well as being cold adapted so it can only survive in the nose and not spread about the warmer parts of the body.

What Side Effect Could I Experience From Having a Flu Shot?

Although you cannot get the flu you may experience some mild flu like symptoms that will not last long and are nowhere near a sever as the flu would be.

• A small amount of tenderness or swelling where you received the shot
• A low grade fever
• A Mild aches
• Sore muscles
• A Runny nose
• Wheezing
• A Mild headache
• Vomiting
• A Cough

Having your seasonal flu shot is the best way to protect yourself and family from the unpleasant infection. Some people can experience some mild reactions to the vaccinations, but these symptoms do not, as a rule, last long and are nowhere near as severe as getting the flu could be.

The benefits of looking after your workplace with vaccinations

A responsible company and their management team will have the best interest of its employees at heart because healthy, happy employees are the backbone of every successful business.

There has been lots of controversy over flu vaccinations and most of this is myth and misinformation from people who do not bother to find out the facts. It has constantly been shown that having a workforce that is vaccinated reduces the downtime of any business and therefore increases profitability.

• By encouraging a healthy and more productive workplace you are investing in your employees and at the same time your business
• You and your employees will benefit from a reduction in lost work days so increased income
• Your other employees will not have to work harder to compensate for absent workmates because of the flu or other illnesses so your staff will be happier
• Offering vaccinations during work time shows that you are committed to the wellbeing of your employees
• You will have an improved business reputation, because your business is stable
• If your employees travel to other states or countries is estimated that 50% of them will experience some health issues. Being vaccinated can dramatically decrease their chances of becoming ill while traveling. Routine vaccinations should be carried out every year to ensure they are properly covered
• Many diseases that have been eliminated in Australia are still present in many other countries and international travelers are at greater risk because they have no natural immunity in foreign lands
• Offering educational programs to employees so they are aware of the benefits to themselves and their families is a good business strategy. Once you have them interested offer their immediate family vaccinations
• Flu vaccinations can help stop the spread of the flu, which is easily transmitted in a family settings
• Encourage healthy eating habits and a healthy lifestyle with all your employees

Arrange events to help encourage their healthy lifestyle, such as:

1. Have walking staff and company meeting where the whole meeting walks together in outside
2. Install employee showers and a mini gym at work or make a place where employees can keep their bike if they ride to work
3. Create a lunch time exercise group
4. Organise fun runs and competitions with other businesses

Have a healthy staff Cafeteria

1. Provide healthy cafeteria meals
2. Only have healthy snacks available in vending machines
3. Provide a staff kitchen where your employees can cook their own healthy meals

Encourage proper hygiene and ensure there is always proper garbage bins available as well as having the rest rooms regularly cleaned and maintained.

Encourage mental health by giving proper breaks and trying to reduce employee stress levels.

Every business, no matter what size they are, can benefit if their employees regularly get their flu vaccinations on the Gold Coast. It is also a good opportunity to introduce a healthy regime throughout the workplace and also have your staff vaccinated for any other recommended health issues.

Five Myths and Facts about the Flu Shot

There are many myths and misconceptions surrounding the flu shot and the flu or influenza. Our local Corporate Flu Shot Providers on The Gold Coast explain why the top five of them that have been discredited:

1. Myth- The flu is not that serious, it’s just a bad cold

Incorrect: The fact is that the influenza is an often severe and a potentially life threatening disease that is known to kill over half a million people around the world each year. It is responsible for hundreds and thousands of sick days and places many thousands of people in the hospital each year. This resulting in the loss of millions of dollars worth of lost work and income.

Influenza is a highly contagious viral infection that affects the respiratory tract and if not treated can attack other organs in the body causing severe complications.

2. Myth- The flu is a normal and natural condition, most people can expect to get the flu each year, so healthy people do not need a flu shot.

Incorrect: Most people can easily avoid getting the flu by having an annual flu Vaccination the best time is May to June, but the flu is active year round so it is never too late to have your flu shot.

3. Myth- Having a flu shot can cause a person to get the flu

Incorrect: The flu shots administered by corporate flu shot providers on The Gold Coast do not contain any living viruses, so it is impossible for them to cause the flu. What the vaccine contains stimulates the immune system which in some people can cause some temporary mild flu like symptoms.

4. Myth- The flu shot is only necessary for high risk and elderly patients.

Incorrect: Influenza affects people of all ages and levels of health, it does not discriminate between young or old people, it poses a real risk to everyone. Any person who does not want to become affected by the flu is advised to get a flu shot every year.

5. Myth- Because a person was vaccinated last year they are ok and do not need to be vaccinated this year

Incorrect: Every year, influenza changes or mutates so there are different types or strains circulating every flu season. Every flu season a new vaccine is manufactured so that it is up to date and provides the best possible cover for those vaccinated. It is important that everyone who is six months or older gets a flu shot each year to help stop the spread of this virus in the community.

Once vaccinated, it takes two weeks before full immunity develops and then the protection declines over time, so a yearly flu shot is needed for a person to have the optimum available protection.

Having your annual flu shot helps prevent the spread of this nasty virus in our community. Everyone from 6 months old including the elderly and pregnant or expectant mothers are strongly advised to have their flu shots. There is no factual evidence to show it has any detrimental effect at all.

Why A Corporate Flu Shot Is Important

Having a flu shot is the best way to avoid the flu. Studies have revealed that vaccinated workers on average require under half the amount of sick days required each year by those who are unvaccinated. Many Australian companies from areas such as Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and on the Gold Coast use flu shots as an effective strategy that helps to reduce incidents of sick leave as well as helping to increase productivity as a result.

• Many employees ask why get a flu shot? The answer is, of course, so you don’t get the flu! A corporate flu shot, even with very healthy people will stimulate your body to build up your immunity against the flu.

• Influenza is always very contagious and with new strains developing each year, it is always around, but seems to be more prevalent in the winter months.

• Corporate flu shot providers on the Gold Coast can help to protect you and your family as epidemics break out every year and often occur in workplaces. The virus is quickly spreading, especially with the way most workers are very mobile, moving around in the Australian population.

• Having the flu is an awful feeling that can lead to serious complications if not treated So seeing a corporate flu shot providers will help in minimizing the risk and therefore is a sensible precaution.

• During the flu season between 5 to 20% of the population will contract influenza and thousands of people are hospitalized because of complications associated with it.

• Each year it is estimated the flu cost over 110million work days or about $7 billion sick days and lost productivity which makes flu season a corporate concern.

• Corporate flu shot providers can be found in most health care providers and doctors rooms around the Gold Coast. Having a yearly flu shot means you are always protected.

• Having all employees vaccinated with a corporate flu shot in the workplace is convenient and effective as well as a valid corporate wellness program strategy, as it helps to relieve the stress flu season can have on many companies and their workers.

• There are many misconceptions about flu shots and their effectiveness, but the anti-vax myths all lack any valid scientific evidence. There is plenty of evidence that shows that the flu shot from corporate flu shot providers has helped save thousands of people from complications caused by the influenza virus.

• Apart from the benefit of not getting the flu, vaccination education helps to introduce people to better hygienic practices and presents a unique opportunity to introduce employees to ideas on healthy diets, exercise and how to relieve work and other types of stress.

Those employees who decide to participate in vaccine related education programs often have a positive attitude to other corporate wellness activities that can be sponsored as well as or alongside the programs.

Having your annual flu shot is an almost painless, sensible and inexpensive measure that can not only prevent you from getting the flu, but can help stop the spread of it to others. The benefits to everyone are a huge saving in personal health lost wages and production.

Does Your Child Need a Flu Shot?

There are a lot of people asking if their children are generally healthy, do they really need a flu shot and the short answer is yes, they do! Not having your child vaccinated could potentially place them in real danger. It is estimated that over 20,000 children under the age of five years are hospitalized each flu season.

This is because children are at a greater risk of catching the flu and having complications than any other group. This is especially so in school or childcare where a flu shot is very important to protect your child and any other children they come into contact with.

•   Children between 6 months and 18 years should be vaccinated each year.
•   Parents and all the people who have close contact with children should also be vaccinated, including all  child workers school teachers and those in the public service. This is especially important for people who care for children under 6 months old.
•   Children between 6 months and 9 years old who are having a flu shot for the first time will need to have two doses, one month apart. The first of the doses introduces the virus into the child’s system and the second dose gives them the immunity they need.

    Kids that are at the greatest risk and need to be vaccinated include any children with the following chronic health conditions:

•    Asthma or any other type of lung or allergic conditions
•    Any condition that affects their breathing
•    Those with a weakened immune system
•    Those with a kidney problem or disease
•    Those suffering from high blood pressure or Heart Disease
•    HIV/AIDS
•    Any diabetic condition
• ·  Any long term medications like aspirin

Every year the flu virus mutates and there is a different strain, so each year new enhanced vaccines that are developed to target the new strain that you are likely to encounter which is why it is important to have a new flu shot at the start of every flu season. This is at the end of April to the end of May, but this can vary so even if you are late getting the family flu shots it is still important to have that protection.

Unborn and pregnant women are also considered to have a high risk of developing severe complications so are advised to have an early vaccination and those women who are likely to become pregnant during the flu season are also advised to become covered by having a flu shot.

Once your child is vaccinated, it will take 2 weeks before they are fully protected from influenza so consult your child’s doctor if you suspect there are any complications such as your child not feeling well or if they have an egg allergy or any other condition that you think may affect them.

If you do not have your child vaccinated:

•   Your children aged between 2 to 5 years old are more likely to need urgent medical attention from a doctor or emergency room
•   Children are by far the biggest spreaders of influenza. This is because often they forget to practice good hand hygiene and are usually exposed to a lot of other people. Children are more susceptible to the flu virus than adults and share it more readily.

Why Do You Need Flu Vaccinations?

In recent times there has been a bit of a debate about whether or not there is a need for flu vaccinations and much of the discussion is emotive rather than factual.

Even very healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it too many other people. Influenza is a serious disease that millions of people get every season, thousands of people are hospitalized each year and hundreds of people die from flu related causes. Every season the flu virus is different and can affect people in different ways.

Influenza vaccines will cause antibodies to develop within a vaccinated person’s body about 2 weeks after they are vaccinated to give protection against infection.

Dr Michael Gannon the president of the AMA says that “It is no exaggeration to say that you’re potentially risking the like of yourself and your baby if you don’t get the vaccine” when asked about the need for vaccination among small children and pregnant women. Getting flu vaccinations every year is important as the most common strains of the influenza virus changes every year. Professor Raina MacIntyre from the University of New South Wales said that “the vaccine that you get this year won’t necessarily be a protection for you against the different virus that may be circulating next year.

The new enhanced vaccines are specifically made to target the strains of influenza that were prevalent in last year’s deadly flu outbreak. Having flu vaccinations is especially important for those who are at high risk of getting the flu.

Several Australian state and territory governments, including New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and the ACT are now offering free flu jabs for children between six months and five years old.

Most local GP’s have the new flu vaccines and the government immunization services are available through all community health clinics, school based immunization programs, Aboriginal Medical Services, some local pharmacies and work places.

Professor MacIntyre also said that “The best time to get your flu jab can be difficult to predict because the peak period of flu activity can vary year by year”. “Generally though the peak flu season is around July and August but it is variable, sometimes it can start in may and sometimes it does not start until September”. It has been suggested that research has shown that the effectiveness of the flu vaccinations may begin to wane after about three to four months. Professor MacIntyre said “It’s really a trade off between getting the ideal immunity early and not missing the peak activity time”.

The Department of Health the AMA and RACGP say that the best times for getting your flu vaccinations is about the end of April to the beginning of May. RACGP President Dr Basyian Seidel said “This should really cover the vast majority of Australians”.

The President of the AMA, Dr Michael Gannon agreed as added that “Healthy people should get vaccinated at the same time as those eligible for a free flu vaccination” he added that “There is no question that the optimal time to receive the influenza vaccination is in late April and early May”.

People with cancer and those having cancer treatments are recommended to have seasonal flu vaccinations as they are particularly vulnerable to acute respiratory infections and complications such as influenza.