Published: 20 October 2023
Latimer and Health Commissioner Urge All Residents to Schedule Vaccine Appointments As Soon as Possible
Watch the full news conference.
County Executive George Latimer rolled up his sleeves for a flu shot and an updated COVID-19 vaccine at the Westchester County Department of Health clinic in White Plains.
Urging residents to follow his lead, Latimer said: Schedule your flu and COVID-19 shots today, for yourself and your children. The flu can be miserable, and this vaccine offers the best protection we have throughout flu season.
Flu and COVID-19 vaccines are available for a fee for people with insurance at many pharmacists and medical offices. To find a vaccine near you, go to https://www.vaccines.gov.
Vaccines are also available for uninsured and underinsured adults and children through the Vaccines for Adults and Vaccines for Children programs at Health Department clinics by appointment. Call 914-995-5800 weekdays before 4:30 p.m. to discuss eligibility. To reach residents who have difficulty accessing flu shots, the Health Department is holding clinics at some soup kitchens and homeless shelters.
Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler, MD, said: I urge everyone six months and older to get both these vaccines, and the sooner the better. Both flu and COVID-19 cases tick up as it gets colder and we spend more time indoors. Knowing this, I urge you to schedule flu shots for all your children and yourself as soon as possible. Vaccination protects you and it protects those around you who are more vulnerable to complications, such as infants too young to be vaccinated, seniors and people with chronic health conditions.
In the U.S., there are usually more flu cases between December and February, but flu can linger into May. One flu vaccine now provides protection all season long and can prevent illness or reduce the severity of flu symptoms. The vaccine becomes fully effective after about two weeks.
Dr. Amler said that anyone who does get a respiratory infection should consider COVID/influenza testing. To avoid spreading germs to others, the CDC recommends residents wear a mask; cough or sneeze into their elbow; wash their hands frequently with soap and water. Those with flu should stay home for 24 hours after their fever subsides. Those who test positive for COVID should stay home for five days to avoid spreading germs and then wear a mask in public for another five days; clean surfaces they touch frequently, such as doorknobs, water faucets, refrigerator handles and telephones; and get plenty of rest.
In the height of respiratory season, patients will look to trusted health care providers to help navigate flu, COVID-19, and RSV.
To help guide patients, check out the resources below about these three common respiratory season viruses.
We want to remind patients that a seasonal flu vaccination is the most important step they can take to protect themselves and others against the virus. Everyone 6 months of age and older should be advised to get a flu vaccine each yearincluding those who are pregnant.
Getting vaccinated before the end of October provides the most protection during the height of flu season, so now is the time to encourage patients to get their flu vaccination.
If a patient wants to get a flu vaccination but isnt sure how to get one, they can schedule their flu shot online through MyChart or on uihc.org.
Patients can safely receive the COVID-19 vaccination at the same time as their flu vaccination, or they can space out vaccinations if preferred. Either way, its important to remind them that the vaccine provides the best protection against serious illness from COVID-19.
Everyone ages 5 years and older is recommended to receive one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and this dose should be given at least two months after their most recent COVID-19 vaccination.
The process to get a COVID-19 vaccination through UI Health Care is almost identical to receiving a flu vaccination. Patients can schedule a vaccination appointment online through MyChart or on uihc.org.
At this time, UI Health Care is only offering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. There are small amounts of the Moderna vaccine available for those under 5 years old. Ask your pediatrician during a scheduled appointment if there are any in stock that day.
For the first time, there are approved medicines that can protect infants and older adults from RSV, and we want to make patients aware of them.
There is a vaccine available for adults over age 60 and pregnant persons that protects newborn babies. There is also a preventative monoclonal antibody treatment for babies.
Adults over 60 should decide with their doctor if getting this vaccine is a good choice for them. A weakened immune system and underlying chronic medical problems may be a reason to offer the vaccine.
Pregnant persons between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy during the RSV season are recommended to receive the vaccine because the immunity it generates has been proven to protect babies after they are born.
All infants under 8 months are recommended to receive this RSV preventive antibody if born during the RSV season. Children at risk of severe RSV can receive treatment through 19 months old.
You may feel sore, tired, or just rundown after your flu shot, and you may wonder what you should avoid after your flu shot to make sure you don't feel worse. Pain relievers can help with the flu shot side effects. There are few restrictions on what you can eat, drink, or do after getting a flu shot.
This article will explore some dos and don'ts after getting your flu shot.
BackyardProduction / Getty Images
Most medications will not interfere with your flu vaccine or cause problems after you get your shot. It's crucial to take all medications as prescribed, regardless of upcoming or recent flu vaccines.
If you take medications, like steroids, that can suppress your immune system, talk to a healthcare provider about the timing of your doses. They may recommend you choose when your medication is not at its peak to get your flu shot so your body can mount a strong immune response.
Although some experts say over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers like ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) can help reduce pain and soreness at the vaccine injection site, other researchers suggest that these medications may dilute or weaken the protective effects of the vaccine.
Talk to a healthcare provider if you are concerned about your response to the flu vaccine or any interactions with your regular medications.
Similar to the lack of medication restrictions with the flu shot, there isn't much to worry about regarding foods and drinks after getting your flu shot. If you are nauseated or not feeling well after your vaccine, you may choose to avoid certain foods and drinks, but there aren't any items that experts strongly recommend avoiding after immunization.
Experts suggest you avoid drinking alcohol after getting a flu shot. Excess alcohol can impair of suppress immune cell activity.
When you receive your flu shot, you are being given an inactive or synthetic version of the virus, meaning the flu shot does not infect you with the flu. Instead, it exposes your body to inactive viruses so it is able to detect the virus and kill it if you are exposed to the flu. You cannot pass the virus or an influenza infection on to others from the vaccine.
However, you can pass a flu infection that incubated during your immunization.
It takes about two weeks from the time of your flu shot for your immune system to develop adequate protection against flu viruses. If you were already infected at the time of your vaccination or become infected right afterward, there is still a chance you could get sick with the flu and pass it on to others around you.
After getting the flu shot, you can also be infected with other respiratory infections. The seasonal flu shot only protects against certain types of influenza viruses.
The flu shot can make you sore and tired as your immune system works overtime to develop protection against the virus. Extra rest and self-care can help if you are sore or sick after the flu shot.
A 2022 study suggests that exercising after getting a flu or COVID-19 vaccine may improve your protection. The study found that people who exercised regularly mounted a more robust immune response after vaccination. After getting your shot, a single episode of light to moderate exercise can help boost your protection.
If your arm is sore to the point that you can't lift it or you feel faint or dizzy after vaccination, exercise is not recommended. Get rest, and call your healthcare provider if you suspect you have a severe or allergic reaction to your flu shot.
Rest and over-the-counter pain relievers may help if you aren't feeling well after you have your flu shot. Be cautious about using more than one pain medicine at a time, however, and talk to a healthcare provider if you suspect you are having a severe or allergic reaction to the vaccine.
Call a provider or seek immediate care if you experience any of the following signs of a severe allergic reaction:
Exercise, rest, and eating foods that promote a robust immune response will help you feel your best after vaccination. Foods that can help boost your immune health include:
It's also a good idea to avoid factors that can reduce your immune response while your body works to create antibodies after flu vaccination. This includes:
The flu shot offers protection against several strains of influenza, and each seasonal vaccine is developed to target the most common strains in a given year. The flu shot doesn't include a live virus, so you can't get the flu from your shot. Still, you might not feel well as your immune system works overtime to develop antibodies against the virus.
Rest, a healthy and balanced diet, and light to moderate exercise can all help boost your immune response after getting the flu shot. Mild soreness and fatigue is expected, but a little self-care and over-the-counter pain relievers should improve your symptoms.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Who should and who should not get a flu vaccine.
Permanente Medicine. Five ways to reduce flu shot soreness.
University of Rochester Medical Center. Getting a flu shot? Skip the Advil, Aleve for mild discomfort.
Jackson ML, Bellamy A, Wolff M, Hill H, Jackson LA. Low-dose aspirin use does not diminish the immune response to monovalent H1N1 influenza vaccine in older adults. Epidemiol Infect. 2016;144(4):768-771. doi:10.1017/S0950268815002058
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Nutrition and immunity.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu vaccine safety information.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seasonal flu vaccines.
Hallam J, Jones T, Alley J, Kohut ML. Exercise after influenza or COVID-19 vaccination increases serum antibody without an increase in side effects. Brain Behav Immun. 2022;102:1-10. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2022.02.005
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People 65 years and older are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications compared with young, healthy adults. This increased risk is due in part to changes in immune defenses with increasing age. While flu seasons vary in severity, during most seasons, people 65 years and older bear the greatest burden of severe flu disease. In recent years, for example, its estimated that between 70 percent and 85 percent of seasonal flu-related deaths have occurred in people 65 years and older, and between 50 percent and 70 percent of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations have occurred among people in this age group.
The best way to protect against flu and its potentially serious complications is with a flu vaccine. Flu vaccines are updated each season because flu viruses are constantly changing. Also, immunity wanes over time. Annual vaccination helps to ensure the best possible protection against flu. A flu vaccine protects against the flu viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. (More information about this seasons exact vaccine composition is available at Vaccine Virus Selection.) Flu vaccines for the current flu season have been updated from last seasons vaccine to better match circulating viruses. Immunity from vaccination fully sets in after about two weeks.
Flu vaccination is especially important for people 65 years and older because they are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications. Three specific flu vaccines are preferentially recommended for people 65 years and older over other flu vaccines. People 65 and older should get a higher dose or adjuvanted flu vaccine, including: Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent, Flublok Quadrivalent, or Fluad Quadrivalent. These vaccines are preferred for people 65 years and older because a review of existing studies suggested that, in this age group, these vaccines are potentially more effective than standard dose unadjuvanted flu vaccines.
When should I get vaccinated?
For most people who need only one dose of flu vaccine for the season, September and October are generally good times to be vaccinated against flu. Ideally, everyone should be vaccinated by the end of October. Additional considerations concerning the timing of vaccination for certain groups of people include:
Most adults, especially those 65 years and older, and pregnant people in the first or second trimester should generally not get vaccinated early (in July or August) because protection may decrease over time. However, early vaccination can be considered for any person who is unable to return at a later time to be vaccinated.
Some children need two doses of flu vaccine. For those children it is recommended to get the first dose as soon as vaccine is available, because the second dose needs to be given at least four weeks after the first. Vaccination during July and August also can be considered for children who need only one dose.
Vaccination during July and August also can be considered for people who are in the third trimester of pregnancy during those months, because this can help protect their infants for the first few months after birth (when they are too young to be vaccinated).
Source: CDC
TAHLEQUAH As the COVID-19 and influenza seasons ramp up, Cherokee Nation citizens and the public are encouraged to get vaccinations.
In the Tribal Councils October Health Committee meeting, Cherokee Nation Public Health Medical Director Dr. David Gahn provided information regarding COVID and the vaccine. Gahn said it is still unknown whether COVID will be seasonal once a year like the flu or twice a year as seen this year.
The good news is that the bump that we had in August and September wasnt too horrible, he said. People were still getting very sick when they get COVID, sick meaning feeling bad. Our hospitalizations werent overwhelming at all. Our systems could handle that. So, we dont know whats going to happen in the next year. Hopefully itll be seasonal just like the flu, but we could have another peak in the summer next year.
Based on recent research, Gahn said the protection rate is quicker after getting a vaccine.
The recent research Ive looked through is that when we first started getting COVID vaccines and booster, it was two to three weeks, they said, before you were fully protected and now, theyre saying a week because most of us have been exposed and immune system has seen this already so its ready to go to work when you get the current vaccine. In a week you should consider yourself protected, he said.
Tribal Councilor Danny Callison asked why after an individual receives a vaccination, they could sometimes feel sick or have symptoms.
Its not unique to COVID people having symptoms after receiving a vaccine, Gahn said. When you bring your kids and grandkids in to get their vaccines, they get Tylenol before they get the shot because theyll often get a fever afterwards. This is your immune system appropriately reacting to being challenged by a foreign substance. Your body has a really beautiful way of determining self from not self.
Gahn went on to explain that when a foreign substance enters the body, the body determines whether or not it needs to defend itself, and develops memory of that over time.
Your immune system causes inflammation, which can manifest as fever and chills, body aches and pains, runny nose, those things. So, the vaccine can make you feel bad. Thats why we dont encourage anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen or aspirin when you get the vaccine. But Tylenol doesnt dampen that immune response, it just helps with preventing the symptoms from occurring, he said.
Gahn added that even if an individual does not develop symptoms, it does not mean his or her body isnt reacting to the vaccine.
COVID and flu shots are available through Cherokee Nation Health Services and can be received at the same time. Visit health.cherokee.org for more information.
Submitted by the Bedford Health Department
In an effort to protect people who live and work in Bedford from getting the Flu, the Bedford Health Department has scheduled Flu vaccination opportunities.
Clinics are open to people 6 months of age and older however for children age6 months through7 years oldmust have previously received a Flu vaccination in the past. These children should be connected to their pediatricianto obtain their first Flu vaccination. Those ages 8+ that have never received a Flu vaccination, will be asked to wait 15 minutes after receiving the Flu vaccine. The High Dose Flu will be available to those 65+. For clinic and registration information, visit theFlu Clinic Information Communitywebpage. For school-based flu clinic opportunities, visit theFlu Clinic Information School-Basedwebpage.
Appointmentsare requiredand everyone receiving the Flu Vaccine must complete a2023-2024 Flu Vaccine Registration Form. Forms are available by clicking on the link above. Please complete a form for each person getting the Flu vaccination and bring it with you. Blank forms will be available at the clinic if you cannot print in advance. Please be sure to bring your insurance card(s) cards with you. We do ask that you wear clothing that will allow easy access to your shoulder area. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
The Health Department hopes to have additional Flu and COVID vaccine opportunities in the future however please click on this link for outside vaccination opportunities available near you:https://www.vaccines.gov/.
FRESNO, CA The Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH) has released theflu clinic schedulefor the 2023-2024 flu season. The FCDPH will be hosting a drive-thru vaccination event at the old UMC parking lot located at 445 S. Cedar Ave. Fresno, CA 93702 on October 21, 2023, from 8:00am 11:00am.
This mass vaccination event helps assess the response of the Fresno County Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) program. This event will test the effectiveness of setting up Points of Dispensing (POD) sites and evaluate how the FCDPH can dispense Medical Countermeasures (MCMs) such as flu vaccine to Fresno County residents.
The flu vaccine will be offered at no-cost to Fresno County residents. The FCDPH is inviting media partners to attend the event to collect photos, b-roll, and interviews the day of the vaccination event. Please see the media availability below for more information.
Flu and COVID-19 are examples of respiratory diseases that require repeated vaccine boosters to prevent illness. They are a reminder that we need better vaccines that offer improved durability andenhanced breadth of protection against new variants. This article will discuss progress in developing universal flu vaccines, and Part 2 (to follow) will focus on COVID-19 vaccines with similar properties.
Although annual seasonal flu vaccines are invaluable tools for controlling the spread and severity of influenza, they do not provide immunity against every strain of the virus, which constantly mutates, sometimes radically. Numerous attempts over many years to develop flu vaccines that would not require yearly shots to protect against new variants have not succeeded. They would, however, be an important public health advance. Many Americans fail to get flu shots, and the CDC estimates that from 2010 to 2020, between 12,000 and 52,000 people died of flu in the United States annually.
There aretwo ways that flu viruses commonly evolve. One is called "antigenicdrift," which is caused by changes in the surface proteins of the virus, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Those mutations usually produce viruses closely related to one another, which means that antibodies elicited by exposure to one flu virus will likely recognize other viruses that arose from antigenic drift.
Another, more drastic type of change is called "antigenicshift," a major genetic change that gives rise to new, significantly different HA and/or NA proteins in flu viruses that enable them to infect humans. This is more likely to occur when there is co-infection by different viruses for example, human and avian flu viruses simultaneously infecting an animal host giving rise to reassortment of viral RNAs, the formation of a new hybrid virus containing parts from the genomes of two distinct viruses in a mixed infection. The new viruses may be sufficiently different that most people do not have immunity to them.
Such a "shift" occurred in the spring of 2009, when an H1N1 flu virus with genes from viruses originating from North American swine, Eurasian swine, humans, and birds emerged, infecting people, spreading quickly, and causing a pandemic.
Antigenic drift (the two circular genomes at the top) and shift(the reassortment of RNA segments, below), respectively, are illustrated here:
Figure legend: (A) Antigenic Drift (the two circular genomes at the top): Gradual accumulation of mutations in the genome of viruses leads to emergence of new virus variants. Mutations in the HA (blue) and NA (red) can affect the antigenic epitopes leading to antigenically new variants. (B) Antigenic Shift (the four figures below (A)): The exchange/reassortment of genetic segments between two or more infecting viruses in a host cell can lead to emergence of antigenically distinct, new subtypes. Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons.
Therefore, every spring, a group of scientific experts gets together to try to predict which strains are likely to be prevalent during the following flu season (which begins in the fall), and they select three or four of these strains to include in the next seasonal vaccine. Using a variety of platforms, drug companies then produce their versions of the vaccine in preparation for distribution in late summer or early fall.
However, sometimes their predictions are inaccurate, and unexpected changes in the dominant strains of the virus cause immune escape and decreased vaccine efficacy. An effective universal flu vaccine could address these problems by protecting vaccinees against a wide variety of strains and ideally providing durable long-term immunity.
Such a vaccine would have two advantages: It would stop the guessing game about which flu strains will become dominant, and people would not need to be vaccinated yearly. Several clinical research trials to develop universal vaccines are underway; two of the more promising ones are described below.
The results of a small clinical trial of a candidate were published in July in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases. The active, immunogenic moiety of the OVX836 vaccine, which is made by a French company called Osivax, is a recombinant H1N1 nucleoprotein, a protein in viral particles that is not very prone to the mutations that change surface antigens and characterize new strains. Therefore, used as a vaccine, it should be better able to elicit immunity to new virus strains that have arisen by antigenic drift or shift.
In the single-center trial conducted in Belgium, three doses of the OVX836 vaccine induced dose-dependent cell-mediated immune responses. There were four cases of influenza A in the 33-patient placebo group and two in the 104 patients who received the vaccine. The vaccine had a favorable safety profile. But vaccines are typically tested in tens of thousands of subjects before regulatory approval, so its still in its early days.
Another clinical trial of an experimental universal flu vaccine, developed by researchers at the NIHs National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, began enrolling volunteers earlier this year. This very small Phase 1 trial will test the vaccine, designated H1ssF-3928 mRNA-LNP and consisting of messenger RNA (mRNA) encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNP), for safety and its ability to induce an immune response.
The trial will enroll up to 50 healthy subjects aged 18 through 49. Three groups of study participants will receive various doses of the vaccine, and another group will receive a current quadrivalent seasonal influenza vaccine. That will allow a direct comparison between the immunogenicity and safety of the candidate vaccine and available seasonal flu vaccines.
Another complementary approach is to enhance vaccines with adjuvants, chemicals that boost the immune response, making it more rapid and stronger and making possible smaller doses of the immunogen.
The bottom line is that there are several lines of research underway to develop flu vaccines that would be effective against new viral variants that arise. Given the health and economic burdens of flu and Americans resistance to getting yearly shots, the availability of universal vaccines would be an important advance.
Photo Submitted
Participants needed for a study examining the effects of the immune system on social perception in the workplace. People's immune system is activated when they are sick or experiencing a stressor, and recent research suggests that it affects people's social behavior as well. Because people often have to make important decisions about hiring and promotions while they are sick or stressed, it is important to examine how the immune system affects people's thought processes about others. In this study, researchers are seeking participants who will be given the flu vaccine to temporarily activate their immune system.
Participants will attend two lab sessions at the UAMS-NorthWest Campus in Fayetteville. Sessions will be 1-1.5 hours long and will take place on two consecutive weekdays at approximately the same time each day. During the first session, half of the participants will get the flu shot and half will get a shot with salt water but no vaccine or medicine (these participants will get the actual flu shot at the end of the second session). Participants will also get their blood drawn, provide a saliva sample and complete tasks and questionnaires about social perception the way people view other people. Participants will also be asked to give their impression of different social interactions. At the second session, participants will again get their blood drawn, provide a saliva sample and complete tasks and questionnaires about social perception.
Eligibility:
Adults ages 18 to 40
Have not gotten the flu vaccine since August 2023
No history of allergic reactions to vaccines
People who have diagnosed illnesses that suppress their immune system should not participate in the study
All potential participants will go through a phone screening to check eligibility
If you are interested and would like more information, please fill out an interest form orvisit sparklab.uark.edu/flushotstudy.
Email IDMstudy@uark.edu if you have questions.
As we head into winter, many people are thinking about vaccines to protect against the various respiratory diseases that circulate through the season.
The good news is that flu shots are widely available, and insurers generally pay for those vaccines. The vaccines are also free for certain patients.
Rebecca Larson, deputy director of the Eagle County Department of Public Health and Environment, wrote in an email that the countys MIRA bus will provide free flu shots through October. That vaccine is recommended for people 6 months old and older.
Alana Hurst, the director of Urgent Care and Clinical Support at Colorado Mountain Medical, wrote that facility has a large quantity of vaccinations, including a supply of high dose vaccines for people 65 and older.
Patients can walk in for a shot at Colorado Mountain Medicals offices in Avon, Dillon, Eagle and Vail
The facility will hold flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinics from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Oct. 14 in Dillon, Oct. 21 in Eagle and Nov. 11 in Eagle.
While the flu vaccine is available just about anywhere, including local pharmacies, the story is different for the latest COVID-19 vaccine, this one from Moderna. While most people can get both a flu shot and a COVID-19 vaccine during the same visit, supplies are more limited for the COVID-19 shot.
Colorado Mountain Medical has about 600 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and Larson wrote that the vaccine isnt yet widely available in the community. Larson added that health officials expect the supply to improve in the next month or so.
In fact, Eagle County Public Health isnt yet able to offer the new COVID-19 vaccine. Once those vaccines are available, Eagle County Health will only offer the shots to children and adults served by Medicaid, those without insurance, or those whose insurance doesnt cover the cost of the vaccine.
While the federal government covered the cost of the first few rounds of the COVID-19 vaccine, that cost is now borne by private insurers. Private-pay patients will pay about $150 for the shot.
Supplies are even more limited for the vaccine for the respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV.
Colorado Mountain Medical isnt yet offering that vaccine, and Eagle County Public Health isnt offering the vaccine since it isnt part of the federal vaccine program for children, or for adults without insurance.
The RSV vaccine is recommended for older adults those 60 and older with health conditions that could be worsened by a bad respiratory virus. Infants younger than 8 months those who werent yet born during the last RSV season should also be vaccinated. The RSV vaccine is expensive as much as $300 per dose for private-pay patients but insurers usually cover that cost.
Still, Larson wrote, the RSV vaccine is a new one, so there will be a slow rollout from health care providers.
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Once the RSV vaccine is available, patients may get that shot at the same time they get flu and COVID-19 shots. But, Larson wrote, many health care providers recommend getting the RSV shot either two weeks before or after their flu and COVID shots.
As always, if you are laid low by a respiratory virus, stay home, and wash your hands, pretty much all the time.
