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GET THE JAB… With the flu season approaching, experts are encouraging the community to know how the flu vaccine works, and suggesting they get the jab. Photo: Nicholise Garner.
Flu vaccine facts WITH the 2017 Australian flu season being one of the worst on record since 2009, there is call on the community to read up on what the vaccine is, what it can and cannot do and then get the jab. In 2017, more that 220,000 cases were reported and as the flu season approaches, it’s time to start thinking about getting the ‘jab.’ Australian studies estimate a vaccination reduces your risk of getting the flu by 40 to 50 percent as the vaccine primes your immune system to recognise parts of the flu virus, so it can tackle the real thing if and when you get the flu. Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about t wo weeks af ter vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are in the vaccine. I n Febr ua r y a nd S eptember each year, The World Health Organization holds a conference with leading experts and influenza centres from around the
world to make recommendations about the composition of the next season’s flu vaccine. They look at all the current information about influenza, including the recent patterns of flu epidemics across the world, to decide which strains of flu are likely to be most common in the next flu season. Vaccines are created to protect against these strains. For countries in the Southern Hemisphere, like Australia, the information from the S eptember conference helps them plan for f lu vaccines for the following winter. After the conference, the Australian Influenza Vac ci ne C om m it te e me e t w it h t he Therapeutic Goods Administration to confirm which strains will be included in the Australian flu vaccines. This year’s flu vaccine protects against four strains of flu virus that global experts believe will be most prevalent during colder months.
The Adviser. Australia No. 1:1400 Wednesday, April 11, 2018 – Page 29