Responding to patients who do not want to be vaccinated

The vaccine is inactivated, made up of killed parts of the virus and NOT the live virus, it is therefore impossible for it to cause the flu.

Reasons an immunized patient may still develop a flu like condition:

• Ill from other respiratory viruses (rhinoviruses) that spread during the flu season

• Exposed to influenza viruses shortly before or after immunization

• The circulating strains of influenza virus do not match the viral strains in the vaccine

• The vaccine is not 100% effective

Influenza kills thousands of Canadians every year and even illness in healthy people can result in time off work/school for a week or more.

The side effects associated with the vaccine are generally mild and serious effects are rare.

• Injection site reactions: pain, tenderness, swelling, induration < 2 days

• Systemic reactions: not common in adults can include fever, malaise, myalgia

• Anaphylaxis: 1 to 10 episodes per million doses administered

The only contraindications to receiving an inactivated influenza vaccine are anaphylaxis to previous dose, or to any of the vaccine components (excluding egg) or development of Guillain-Barre Syndrome within 6 weeks of a previous influenza vaccination.

The following are NOT contraindications to receiving an inactivated influenza vaccine:

• Pregnancy, breastfeeding, immunocompromised, bleeding disorder

• Adverse reactions following previous immunization i.e. limb swelling, febrile seizure, syncope, ocular-respiratory syndrome without lower respiratory tract involvement

• Minor illness with or without fever e.g. upper respiratory tract infection, otitis media, mild gastrointestinal illness, or concurrent antibiotic therapy