Influenza Vaccination Guidelines 2024

Priority is given to recommending five high-risk groups: the elderly over 65 years old, children under 5 years old, pregnant women, patients with chronic diseases, and medical staff to be vaccinated every year. Ordinary healthy people can choose voluntarily.； The best vaccination window is from September to November. The current mainstream domestic vaccines of inactivated, attenuated nasal spray, and recombinant subunit vaccines have protective efficacy ranging from 40% to 70%, and the protection rate against severe illness exceeds 90%. You can choose according to your own situation.

The first thing many people ask is: I just had it last year, do I need to make up for it this year? It’s no wonder that everyone is confused. There are indeed many claims on the Internet that influenza antibodies can last for 12 months, and that one injection will last for two years. But you have to know that influenza viruses are notoriously fickle and undergo antigenic drift every year. The quadrivalent vaccine strain recommended by the WHO in 2024 has changed into two subtypes, Type A1 and Victoria B, compared with 2023. The cross-protection rate of the antibodies generated after last year's vaccination against this year's new strain is only about 30%. My cousin just received the 2023 version of the vaccine in October last year. In March this year, she still had a fever for three days during the peak of influenza A. She went to the hospital to check her antibody titer, and she found that she had almost no defense against this year's new strain. This is why. Of course, if you are a young person in your 20s who rarely goes out and has a strong immune system, and you just got the flu last year, it is absolutely fine if you don’t want to get vaccinated this year. You don’t have to be kidnapped by the saying that “vaccination is required”.

Another hotly debated question is: Should we fight in September or November? Many people feel that taking the vaccine in September is too early. The antibodies will be used up by the beginning of the next spring, and they have to wait until November to line up. My friend from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that there is no need to stick to this time. The antibodies will reach the peak about 2 weeks after vaccination, and the effective concentration can be maintained for 6-8 months. Even if you get vaccinated in mid-September, the antibodies will still be enough by the end of the high influenza season in March next year. In mid-September last year, I took my parents to the community health service downstairs at home to get a shot. Later, in December, several elderly people in their community were hospitalized with influenza. My parents didn't even have nasal congestion, and they smelled great. I was so busy that I forgot that I could get a vaccination in December, which is better than no vaccination at all.

As for whether to choose an expensive vaccine or a free one, this is a topic that debates 800 times every year. Let’s first explain clearly the characteristics of the three types of mainstream vaccines. Just make your own choice: the most common inactivated vaccine, which has minimal side effects. It can be used by pregnant women and children under 3 years old. This is the free vaccine for the elderly and children in most areas. It is very cost-effective. ； The attenuated nasal spray vaccine does not require a needle, just spray it into the nose twice and it is done. It is suitable for children aged 3-17 who are afraid of injections. The protective effect is similar to that of inactivation, but children with immune deficiencies and asthma cannot take it. ； There are also recombinant subunit vaccines that have been developed in the past two years. They have higher antigen content and are about 15% more protective for the elderly over 65 years old than ordinary inactivated vaccines. The self-paid price is between 150-200 yuan. If you have enough budget, it is also cost-effective to choose this vaccine for the elderly at home. Some people also talk about going to Hong Kong to get a high-dose vaccine, saying that the protection rate is higher. This type of vaccine has not yet been approved in China. Many infectious diseases doctors in tertiary hospitals also said that the protection rate of the ordinary quadrivalent vaccine against severe disease has reached more than 90%, so there is no need to make a special trip.

Oh, by the way, the 2024 guidelines have also specially updated many vaccination contraindications. The old saying that "you cannot get the flu vaccine if you are allergic to eggs" that has been circulated for many years has been invalidated. The current inactivated vaccine has extremely low egg protein content. As long as it is not an acute allergic attack, even people with severe egg allergies can get it without having to do allergy testing in advance. Some people also asked whether they can take a cold with a runny nose or after taking cephalosporin? As long as the fever doesn't exceed 38.5°C, it's no problem. Last month, a colleague of mine had a stuffy nose and was afraid that it would be delayed until there was no vaccine left, so he went directly to the community health center for a shot. Apart from his arm being sore for a long time, nothing happened.

As for the saying that you should cover up for three days after the treatment and not take a shower or eat hair products, just listen to it and don't take it seriously. As long as the vaccination site does not come into contact with dirty water, it is perfectly fine to take a shower on the same day, and eating seafood and spicy food will not affect the effect unless you are allergic to these things. Most people will only experience soreness at the vaccination site and slight fatigue after the injection. If you have a low fever, just drink more warm water. If the temperature exceeds 38.5°C, just take antipyretics. The incidence of serious adverse reactions is less than one in a million, so there is no need to be overly anxious.

Finally, to be honest, the vaccine is not a golden bell. It is best to wear a mask when going to crowded crowded places after the flu period. Double protection is more reliable than relying on the vaccine alone. After all, if you really get the flu, the fever will last for two days, but if the elderly or children at home develop pneumonia, the whole family will suffer.