This year, you have more choices than ever for flu vaccines.
The newest available option, the quadrivalent vaccine, offers protection against four strains of flu virus and can be given as a traditional shot or a nasal spray.
With so many varieties of vaccines on the market, it can be difficult to determine which one will work best for you or your workplace.
Here are the available trivalent flu vaccines, which protect against two influenza A viruses and an influenza B virus:
- A standard dose trivalent shot (the “regular flu shot” and the most commonly ordered version). There are countless brands that offer the traditional trivalent vaccine, but most of these specify that they are approved for children as young as 6 months. It’s less expensive than the new quadrivalent vaccine, although some experts suggest the quadrivalent version will eventually replace this one.
- An egg-free trivalent shot, approved for individuals 18 and older and developed for people with an allergy to eggs
- A high-dose trivalent shot, approved for people 65 and older who may not receive enough protection from the traditional vaccine
- A needle-free trivalent shot. Although not technically needle-free (it just uses smaller micro-needles rather than a single large one), this is typically the option for anyone nervous about receiving traditional shots.
The quadrivalent flu vaccine protects against two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses. The following quadrivalent flu vaccines will be available this year:
- A standard dose quadrivalent shot, offering protection against four strains of the influenza virus
- A nasal spray quadrivalent flu vaccine, standard dosage, approved for healthy people 2 through 49 years of age
Most varieties of the flu shot were developed to provide an option for a specific subset of the population; for example, the high-dose vaccine was developed to address worries that the standard-dose shot doesn't work very well in people 65 and older. In 2013, the CDC reported that season's trivalent vaccine lowered an older person's risk of flu by just 27 percent, a surprisingly low level of efficacy when compared with a 63 percent reduction for people between 50 and 64. Since this is the group most likely to be hospitalized or die from flu complications, the high-dose shot is an excellent response to this concern.
The only other major difference between the standard quadrivalent needle shot and the nasal spray are the side effects. Where these do occur, they are often short-lived and mild compared to the symptoms of the influenza virus itself.
Some minor side effects that could occur from the needle shot are soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given, low-grade fever, and/or muscle and body aches.
In children, side effects from the nasal spray can include runny nose, wheezing, headache, vomiting, muscle aches, and fever. In adults, side effects from the nasal spray vaccine can include runny nose, headache, sore throat, and cough.
If you’re a healthy adult, there really isn’t one vaccine that’s particularly recommended over the other, though we expect the standard quadrivalent vaccine to be very popular this year. ( The most important thing is just to get a vaccine each year and avoid the common excuses and misconceptions surrounding the flu shot.
Have you gotten a shot other than the standard trivalent flu vaccine? What did you think of it? Comment below.
