What age should not get a flu vaccine?

Answer 1

Flu vaccination with a "dead"/inactivated vaccine is contraindicated in children younger than six months old due to their immature immune systems. People caring for these infants should receive an injection with the "dead" virus to vaccinate them and prevent their exposing the baby to the virus if they are infected.

The nasal mist vaccines that contain attenuated (weakened) live viruses are contraindicated in children under 2 years old.

See the related question below about others who should not receive a flu vaccination.

Answer 2

Most everyone should get a flu vaccination with few exceptions. Infants under six months old cannot be immunized for the flu because their immune systems are not mature enough to have vaccinations.

From the Product Information about the Intranasal spray flu vaccine, the following information explains who should notuse the live attenuated vaccine that is in a nasal spray (see below about the injections).

• children younger than 2 and adults 50 years and older

• pregnant women,

• anyone with a weakened immune system,

• anyone with a long-term health problem such as

- Heart disease - kidney or liver disease

- lung disease - metabolic disease such as Diabetes

- asthma - anemia and other blood disorders

• children younger than 5 years with asthma or one or more

episodes of wheezing during the past year,

• anyone with certain muscle or nerve disorders (such as

cerebral palsy) that can lead to breathing or swallowing

problems,

• anyone in close contact with a person with a severely

weakened immune system (requiring care in a protected

environment, such as a bone marrow transplant unit),

• children or adolescents on long-term aspirin treatment.

If you are moderately or severely ill [especially if you have a fever], you might be advised to wait until you recover before getting the vaccine. If you have a mild cold or other illness, there is usually no need to wait.

Tell your doctor if you ever had:

• a life-threatening allergic reaction after a dose of seasonal

flu vaccine,

• Guillain-Barré syndrome (a severe paralytic illness also

called GBS).

Some children and adolescents 2-17 years of age have

reported mild reactions, including:

• runny nose, nasal congestion or cough • fever

• headache and muscle aches • wheezing

• abdominal pain or occasional vomiting or diarrhea

Some adults 18-49 years of age have reported: • runny nose or nasal congestion • sore throat • cough, chills, tiredness/weakness • headache

• Life-threatening allergic reactions to vaccines are very rare. If they do occur, it is usually within a few minutes to a few hours after the vaccination.

• In 1976, an earlier type of inactivated Swine Flu vaccine was associated with cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). LAIV has not been linked to GBS.

Those who can not use the nasal spray will probably be able to use the injections for vaccination, but see also below for information on the contraindications for use of the flu shots.

Those who should not take the flu shots (according to the package information) are:

• Anyone with an allergy to eggs, chicken protein, or to the ingredients in the vaccines. See related question below for more information on the ingredients. In some cases an allergy to eggs does not prevent vaccination, see also the question related to this below.

• Those who have had GBS [Guillain-Barré Syndrome] within 6 weeks of taking a flu vaccine in the past.

Note:

Immunocompromised persons may have a reduced immune response to the flu vaccinations, so there may not be full immunity acquired in some people (such as those on chemotherapy, transplant anti-rejection drugs, persons with Lupus erythematosus or other auto immune diseases, HIV/AIDS, etc.) It is suggested that those people who may have a suppressed immune response continue to observe all safety precautions for avoiding infection by the flu virus even after receipt of the vaccination (such as hand washing and other preventive measures), since they may not have a proper response to become fully immune.

Answer 3

People who have had an allergiv reaction to vaccines have to consult a physician whether they should get the flu shot or not.