Flu vaccinations

What is influenza?

Influenza is a viral infection that affects your respiratory system. The respiratory system includes the nose, throat and lungs. Unlike a cold, flu symptoms usually come on fairly quickly.

Symptoms of influenza

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Vomiting or diarrhoea - more common in children than adults

While most people can recover from the flu alone, influenza kills between 6000 - 11 000 people in South Africa every year.

Who should get the vaccine?

People who are at higher risk of developing severe flu complications and should consider getting the flu vaccine include:

  • Young children between the age of 6 months and 5 years old
  • Adults older than age 65
  • Individuals living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities
  • Pregnant women and women up to two weeks postpartum
  • People with weakened immune systems
  • People with chronic illnesses, such as asthma, heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes
  • People who are very obese

Why do I need to get the vaccine every year?

The best defence against the flu for everyone and not just individuals who are more at risk is the flu vaccine. While the flu vaccination isn’t 100%, it could prevent you from getting severely ill, hospitalised, or dying.

It is essential that you get vaccinated every year. Why? Because flu viruses evolve rather quickly, the previous year’s vaccine may not protect you from the strain of flu that is going around this year. In addition, your immune system produces antibodies that protect you from the strain of viruses included in the vaccine. Over time, these antibodies will decrease, so to maintain these antibodies, you need to get vaccinated annually.

Will the vaccine give the flu or other respiratory diseases?

No, the flu vaccine does not give you the flu. However, you may develop flu-like symptoms for a variety of reasons, including:

  • Reaction to the vaccine - you may experience muscle aches and a fever for a day or two after receiving the vaccine. This could be your body’s response to producing protective antibodies, and it is nothing to be concerned about.
  • The two-week window - It generally takes around two weeks for the vaccine to take full effect. If you were exposed to the influenza virus before or during the vaccine, you might catch the flu.
  • Mismatched flu viruses - Occasionally, the strain of influenza viruses used in the vaccine might not match up with the viruses circulating during flu season. The flu shot will be less effective but still provide some protection.
  • Other illnesses - Many other illnesses may produce flu symptoms, so while you think you have the flu, you don’t. If you have flu-like symptoms that persist long after taking the flu vaccine, you should schedule an appointment with your GP.