Medical Health Encyclopedia

Flu Vaccines. Vaccines against the flu currently employ inactivated (not live) viruses to produce an immune response that will then attack the active virus. Vaccines are given by injection, usually between October and December. Antibodies to the influenza virus usually develop within 2 weeks of vaccination, and immunity peaks within 4 to 6 weeks, then gradually wanes. A live but weakened intranasal vaccine called FluMist is approved for children ages 5 and older.

In general, experts recommend that the flu vaccine be given to all children over 6 months with a condition that requires regular medical care. Children who are susceptible to recurrent ear infections should probably be given vaccinations against influenza viruses. In fact, in 2003 the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the CDC encourages vaccination in all children, including healthy children, between 6 months and 2 years of age. This recommendation may vary from year to year depending on the supply of the vaccine.

Possible negative side effects include the following:

• Allergic Reaction. Newer vaccines contain very little egg protein, but an allergic reaction still may occur in people with strong allergies to eggs.
• Soreness at the Injection Site. Up to two-thirds of people who receive the influenza vaccine develop redness or soreness at the injection site for 1 or 2 days afterward.
• Flu-like Symptoms. Other side effects include mild fatigue and muscle aches and pains. They tend to occur between 6 and 12 hours after the vaccination and last up to 2 days. These symptoms are not influenza itself but an immune response to the virus proteins in the vaccine. Anyone with a fever, however, should not be vaccinated until the ailment has subsided.

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Antiviral Drugs. Antiviral drugs have now been developed to treat influenza. One such drug, oseltamivir (Tamiflu), is approved for use in children age 1 year and older. Studies report significant reduction in symptoms and in the incidence of ear infections with this drug. In another study, when the antiviral drug, zanamivir (Relenza), was administered in the nasal passages of adults with influenza, middle ear abnormalities were reduced from 73 - 32%. This drug is available for children older than 7 years for treatment of influenza, but no research has determined it value for preventing or treating otitis media in children.

Preventing Bacterial Infections