Quadrivalent Vaccination Plan for 2024/2025. Reserve Flu Vaccine Now

The WHO recommends that quadrivalent vaccines for use in the 2024-2025 northern hemisphere influenza season contain the following:

• B/Phuket/3073/2013 (B/Yamagata lineage)-like virus
• A/Victoria/4897/2022 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
• A/Thailand/8/2022 (H3N2)-like virus;
• B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus

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For the Trivalent vaccine, the recommendation usually contains two Influenza A virus strains, one H1N1 subtype and one H3N2 subtype, and an Influenza B virus strain. For the Quadrivalent vaccine, an additional Influenza B virus strain will be added.

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There are currently three vaccine technologies recognized by the Hong Kong Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases, including recombinant influenza vaccine, inactivated influenza vaccine and nasal spray influenza vaccine. Our clinic offers inactivated influenza vaccine as well as nasal spray influenza vaccine.

Nasal spray influenza vaccine is one of the quadrivalent vaccine options and is suitable for people aged 2 to 49 years. The biggest difference between the nasal spray flu vaccine and traditional flu shots is that it is painless and is suitable for people who are afraid of injections.

Due to the different methods of vaccination, the effectiveness of the nasal spray influenza vaccine will vary depending on the physical condition of the recipient. In addition, the nasal spray influenza vaccine is priced at $680/shot.

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Influenza can cause severe complications and even death in high-risk individuals, but it can also affect healthy people. Except for those with known contraindications, all persons aged 6 months or above should receive seasonal influenza vaccination to protect their own health and the health of others.

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Some people are at higher risk of getting severe influenza or transmitting influenza viruses to other high-risk people, so they should get seasonal influenza vaccine as early as possible, including

• Healthcare workers (including nursing staff in residential care homes for the elderly and residential care homes for persons with disabilities; laboratory staff processing influenza virus samples);
• Persons aged 50 or over;
• Pregnant women;
• People living in care homes (such as residential care homes for the elderly and residential care homes for persons with disabilities);
• People with long-term health conditions;
• Children and adolescents from 6 months to under 18 years old
• Poultry workers; and
• People engaged in pig raising and pig slaughtering industry

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The following high-risk individuals should pay attention to the potential risks of influenza vaccination. If you have any questions, please consult your family doctor

• Children aged two to four years who have asthma or have had wheezing in the past 12 months
• Severe discomfort after vaccination in the past
• Infants under 6 months old
• People who are allergic to vaccine components
• People with severe allergies to egg proteins
• Children and adolescents taking aspirin or medicines containing salicylates

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Breastfeeding mothers can get the flu vaccine. Women who get the flu vaccine while pregnant or breastfeeding develop antibodies against the flu that can be passed to their babies through breast milk, providing a degree of protection.

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To ensure adequate immunity against seasonal influenza, it is recommended that children aged 6 months to 9 years old who have never received seasonal influenza vaccine should receive two doses of seasonal influenza vaccine this season. at least 28 days apart. Children under 9 who have received any seasonal flu vaccine in the past are required to receive only one dose of seasonal flu vaccine this season*.

*Everyone aged 9 years and above only needs one dose of seasonal influenza vaccine every year.

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No. The first and second doses of the vaccine do not need to be of the same type, however they need to be given at least 4 weeks apart.

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After vaccination, it takes about two weeks for the body to produce antibodies to protect against the influenza virus. To prevent influenza, vaccinated people must maintain good personal and environmental hygiene habits, pay attention to a balanced diet, maintain regular exercise, get enough rest and not smoke.

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Seasonal influenza vaccination requires annual administration. Since the circulating seasonal influenza strains may change from time to time, the seasonal influenza vaccine composition is updated every year in accordance with the circulating strains to enhance protection.

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The peak seasons of influenza in Hong Kong are generally from January to March and July to August. Once people with low immunity and the elderly are infected with influenza, they may become more seriously ill and may develop complications such as bronchitis, pneumonia, and encephalopathy. In severe cases, it can even lead to death. Seasonal influenza vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent seasonal influenza and its complications so as to provide adequate protection during the influenza season. If you are a high-risk person, it is recommended to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

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According to an assessment by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during the influenza season, if the vaccine antigen matches the circulating virus type, the influenza vaccine can reduce the overall population's risk of influenza disease by 40% to 60%.

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The main reasons why some people still get the flu/flu-like symptoms after receiving the flu vaccine are as follows:

First, it takes about two weeks for the body to produce antibodies after vaccination. Therefore, if a person is infected with the influenza virus soon after vaccination, the person will still get sick because the body does not have enough antibodies.

Second, other respiratory viral infections can also cause flu-like symptoms, causing patients to mistakenly believe that they are infected with the flu.

Third, a small number of people will experience side effects after receiving inactivated influenza vaccine, such as fever or muscle pain, causing the vaccine recipients to mistakenly think they have the flu.

Finally, vaccine efficacy is affected by multiple factors, including how well the vaccine strain matches the circulating virus strain, and personal factors (such as age) of the vaccine recipients themselves.

Nonetheless, all persons aged 6 months and above, except for those with known contraindications, should receive seasonal influenza vaccine every year as it is one of the effective ways to reduce the risk of seasonal influenza and its complications. Risk-taking methods can also reduce the chances of hospitalization and death from influenza.

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Like other vaccines, there are possible side effects from flu shots. Generally speaking, mild side effects will subside on their own within a few hours to a few days after vaccination. The following are common side effects or adverse reactions after vaccination:

People with a history of allergies should also pay special attention to vaccine ingredients. Severe allergies or complications may lead to death. Relevant people are advised to seek medical advice before getting a flu shot.

• Redness, swelling, itching or pain at the injection site
• General muscle fatigue, soreness, joint pain
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Sore throat, cough
• Fever, sweating
• Headache, dizziness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Gastrointestinal discomfort, such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, etc.
• Allergic reactions such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, oculo-respiratory syndrome

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Sure. The pneumococcal vaccine can be given at the same visit as the seasonal influenza vaccine. If inactivated influenza vaccine is used, it should be administered in a different syringe and at a different site than the pneumococcal vaccine. If you want to know more about pneumococcal vaccine, please leave your contact information and we will communicate with you as soon as possible to share more with you.

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