The flu jab is the best cause of action for people who might be severely impacted by influenza viruses in late 2019. During the later months of the year, colder weather brings down the body’s defences and allows virus transmission. There are various vaccines available to the public, split amongst different age groups.
Is the flu jab a live vaccine?
The flu jab is vital to people who are old, very young or have a compromised immune system.
There are several different types of flu vaccine, some of which are live and some of which are not.
These are known as “active” and “inactive” vaccines, which have different mechanisms for creating immunity.
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The egg-grown quadrivalent vaccine
The egg-grown quadrivalent vaccine is an inactivated vaccine given to young people aged six months to two years old.
The jab is used to protect against four different flu strains.
The live attenuated influenza vaccine
Live attenuated influenza vaccines are the only available live flu jabs, given to children aged two to 17 years old.
The vaccine is administered via a nasal spray but is not recommended for children under the age of two.
Quadrivalent influenza vaccine (egg-grown or cell based)
The quadrivalent influenza vaccine is an inactive jab and the most commonly during flu season.
The vaccine is recommended for people aged 18-64 years old and protects against four different flu strains.
Adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine
The Adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine is an inactivated jab administered for people aged 65 or over.
The jab protects against three different flu strains and includes adjuvant, an immunological agent which helps the body to produce more antibodies.
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What is the difference between a live and inactivated vaccine?
Both live and inactive vaccines are safe for injection and can prevent the flu from causing life-long disability or death.
A live vaccine is officially known as a live-attenuated vaccine, as it injects a virus or bacterium into the body to provoke an immune system response.
The ‘live’ virus is weakened to a point it can still replicate in the body, but can’t cause a full-blown infection.
An inactivated vaccine grows a virus or bacterium via culture in a lab.
Once the virus is fully grown, it is inactivated with a chemical or heat agent, which depletes its ability to replicate in the body.
Because of this, inactivated viruses cannot cause disease, even in people who have a weakened immune system.
Inactive jabs take several dosages to work, with an immune system response usually achieved by the third.
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