Tag: flu vaccine

Also known as flu shots or flu jabs, are vaccines that protect against infection by influenza viruses. New versions of the vaccines are developed twice a year, as the influenza virus rapidly changes. While their effectiveness varies from year to year, most provide modest to high protection against influenza. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that vaccination against influenza reduces sickness, medical visits, hospitalizations, and deaths. Influenza is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently, but millions of people get flu every year, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and thousands to tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes every year. Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are used to make the vaccine. As per Dr. Albert Ko, a professor and department chair at the Yale School of Public Health, he says immunizing people against influenza has an indirect effect on COVID-19. President Trump has taken the advice positively. Indeed, a simple flu shot won't prevent coronavirus, but it could help our response to the outbreak. That being said, we should always be ready for every possibility of looking for an alternative while waiting for the actual COVID-19 vaccine that would probably take about 1-2 years before it is made available to everyone, after all the clinical trials and stuff.