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Find a Flu Shot Near You

1/1/2021

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Find a Flu Shot Vaccine
On average, between 5% and 20% of Americans will get the flu this year, and 200,000 will be hospitalized due to flu-related complications. The flu virus is passed from one person to another as easily as shaking hands, talking to someone, or touching a surface after an infected person. In fact, it’s almost impossible to remain unexposed to the virus during flu season, which peaks in January-March, but begins as early as October and can last until May.


How to Find the Flu Vaccine

Simply type your zip code into the “Flu Vaccine Finder” and multiple locations will appear where you can get the flu shot. The address of each location is shown along with phone number, business hours, available vaccines, and prices.

Using this search feature for cities such as Orlando, Houston, and Seattle yielded 50 locations within a ten-mile radius. Even the small town of Bath, NY brought three results: two pharmacies and a grocery store.

The number of flu vaccines administered has nearly doubled in the past 15 years. Greater awareness, convenience, availability, and reduced cost has contributed to this. 

A Brief History

The flu, or influenza, is nothing new. It is among the three most deadly outbreaks of disease in recorded history. The Spanish Influenza of 1918-1919 killed an estimated 40 million people, nearly four times the number killed in World War I. This led to extensive research to develop a flu vaccine.

The first human influenza vaccine was tested in the 1930s and was used on soldiers in the early 1940s. In the mid-1940s, it was discovered that influenza strains change every year, so new vaccines would continually be needed. The flu vaccine was available, but for decades this was largely the domain of the family doctor.

Changing Attitudes

In recent years all of that has changed. At first, it was difficult to get both people and authorities to accept that this very simple form of medical care could be administered outside of the doctor’s office. In 1999, only 22 states allowed pharmacists to give flu shots. Now all 50 states do.



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A New Generation of Needle-Free Vaccine Technologies

1/1/2021

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New Vaccine Technologies
Advances in Technology and Collaborative Research.  Recent advances in the world of technology may influence the formulation and delivery of vaccines. This article will explore some of the ideas being considered in the near term along with some that are still in the "innovation phase."

Vaccines were originally developed to combat smallpox in 1545 and gained widespread acceptance in the 1800's, but were not formally designated as "vaccines" until 1881, when Louis Pasteur proposed the name to honor Edward Jenner - The Father of Immunology. Edward Jenner's innovation saved more lives than any other medical development in history.

Jonas Salk became a national hero with his development of the polio vaccine, and Albert Sabin developed the first oral polio vaccine in 1961.

One of the challenges hindering vaccine development is economics. Pharmaceutical companies have limited incentive to develop vaccines to combat malaria and HIV in developing countries due to limited revenue potential. The new technologies may remove these economic restrictions. 

Some of the delivery ideas and strategies  being considered include liposomes, ISCOM (immune stimulating complex), fast dissolving tablets, inhalers, a flu patch  or (vaccine nanopatch), plasmids, a flying mosquito and a variety of embedded systems and MEMS.



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When Will New Flu Patch vaccine Be Available?

1/1/2021

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flu patch vaccine availability
At current count, only about 1/2 of children and 1/3 of adults receive their yearly flu vaccinations. In an effort to bolster these numbers, developers have come up with a patch that administers the vaccination contents in a new way. The flu patch uses micro needles that spread out the poking sensation to reduce pain for patients. As a result, more patients report a willingness to try this type of vaccination over the other options. Read on to learn more information.

Reap The Benefits

The most obvious benefit is the reduction of pain while receiving the initial vaccination. Although the flu patch uses a series of thirty to fifty ultra tiny needles, patients reportedly do not feel much or any pain during the application process. In fact, the sensation is so insignificant that patients can place the patch on themselves without issue.

The ability to administer the vaccination without a nurse or doctor also increases the likelihood of patients receiving their yearly flu shot. Since the flu is a serious condition that can result in death, especially in extremely young and old patients, it's important to increase vaccination compliance across the entire population.

Self Administration


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Flu vaccine: facts and fiction

12/31/2020

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How Flu Vaccine Is Made
Can a flu shot give you the flu?

No, a flu shot cannot cause flu illness. Flu vaccines that are administered with a needle are currently made in two ways: the vaccine is made either with a) flu vaccine viruses that have been 'inactivated' and are therefore not infectious, or b) with no flu vaccine viruses at all (which is the case for recombinant influenza vaccine). The most common side effects from the influenza shot are soreness, redness, tenderness or swelling where the shot was given. Low-grade fever, headache and muscle aches also may occur.




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Why Do We Need a Flu Vaccine Every Year?

10/1/2020

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Get a Flu Shot
When it comes to yearly vaccines, flu shots are a must for a wide range of people. There are a few specific reasons that flu shots are so crucial and knowing why you should get a flu shot may help you to make your decision. Knowing just why flu shots are important, how they can help you, and where you can get them is just the beginning of making it through this flu season without catching the flu.




Antigen Mutations

Each year the pathogens that cause the flu mutate, change, and evolve which subsequently makes last year’s vaccine useless. Each year when the flu virus dies down and goes dormant during the winter months it changes and grows, the germs that previously caused the flu are now stronger and more resilient than they were when they went dormant. These new, bugs are resistant to the older strain of the flu vaccine which means even if you had the vaccine in previous years, it will not be able to fight off the new strain of the flu.

This phenomena is called the "drift and shift" antigen theory. Each year the strain that causes the flu in each region drifts and shifts into a new form of the flu making it nearly impossible to fight it with older vaccines. Having a new flu shot each season can help you to prevent the flu and help to keep you healthy during this time.


Who Is At Risk?


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Flu Vaccines: Now More Accessible for Everyone

9/1/2020

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flu vaccine herd immunity
Influenza is a highly contagious disease that can be fatal, especially in people who are older or have compromised immune systems. Symptoms of the flu include aches, pains, chills, fever, congestion, cough, sore throat, and headache – no one likes it. No one wants it. Considering that flu season in the US can last as long as October through May, some may ask, how can you keep yourself from getting the flu? By getting your annual flu vaccination. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that every person over the age of six months be vaccinated against influenza disease, more commonly known as "the flu."

Each year the CDC determines which strains of the flu are likely to be the most prevalent, and creates a flu vaccine to protect against those strains. The vaccine is made of inactive or weakened (attenuated) flu antigens. You cannot get the flu from the flu vaccine, though some mild side effects are possible. The CDC assures us that the side effects are much less severe than the symptoms caused by the actual flu virus.

While everyone should get a flu vaccine every year, it is especially important for children under five years old (and especially under two,) pregnant women, people over 65 years old, people with certain medical conditions including diabetes, asthma, and chronic lung disease, and healthcare personnel or people who live with or take care of those in a high-risk group.

In addition to a greatly reduced chance of getting the flu yourself, there are other benefits to getting a flu vaccine every year:


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New Needle free vaccine Delivery Technology

1/2/2020

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needle free vaccine technologies
Some scientists say the days of the hypodermic needle are numbered, and that receiving immunizations with a needle may be a thing of the past. Biomedical engineers have developed a variety of new needle-free vaccine with hopes of replacing it. So far, the engineers have hopes that it will be the new way to fight the measles, and maybe even other diseases as well, such as polio. The CDC has called the new technology a "game changer" and is actively assisting a team of biomedical engineers at Georgia Institute of Technology with the formula. It's their goal to make the needle-free immunizations work against an array of germs.

If approved, the new technology could allow for the mailing of certain immunizations, and could very possibility be administered by just about anyone. Scientists are also looking into the prospect of sending them out with teams of minimally-trained medical technicians as well. Either method would have a positive impact on developing countries around the world, or just anyone living in a remote location.

The idea behind needle-free technology isn't new, but developing a formula with all of the kinks worked out has been a challenge. There is also the need to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, which is an expensive and lengthy process. Experts say needle-free technology could emerge in the next 3-10 years.

But the scientists behind the needle-free vaccine technology say the rewards would be well worth the effort.

A Variety of New Needle-Free Vaccine Technologies



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How Do vaccines work?

1/1/2020

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Vaccines Work
Most people are likely familiar with the expression of "fighting fire with fire", but it is likely that far fewer are aware of fighting germs with germs. This, in a nutshell is how vaccines are designed to help cure people.

A vaccine will always contain part of the germs that are infecting or killing people, but there is a catch. The germ that is used in a vaccine will either be killed or weakened, and this ensures that you will not become sick by taking any given vaccine.

Instead, when a person receives a vaccine, the human body becomes a fortress that works to protect you from the new germ that has infiltrated your body. This protection manifests itself into what we call antibodies, which are our body's first line of defense for killing germs that enter our bodies.

Vaccines, then, simply expose the body to a non-harmful germ of a given disease so that our bodies can become protected from a dangerous disease without contracting the harmful effects of the disease.

Why Are Vaccines So Important?


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How Vaccines Have Impacted Society

12/1/2019

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After clean water and sanitation,vaccines are the one technology that has increased our life span the most.  Not many technologies out there can make a claim even close to that.  Nintendo, the microwave and cars may have made our lives a lot easier and entertaining, however, they have not done much in terms of health and wellbeing to increase our lifespans.  Disease and death can tear families, communities and even countries apart.  The advance of vaccines into our world has allowed many of us to live longer, healthier lives and keep those we love around us longer.

The infographic below takes data from the CDC showing in a clear, concise manner just how much impact has been made by vaccines on our society.  


Vaccines Impact

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Top 3 Public Health Advancements of the 20th Century

10/1/2019

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top public health advancements
Consider what life was like early 1900s. Some may have a romantic view of living in a nice, quiet home. There would have been no television. There would not have been a cell phone to keep you connected to work twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Perhaps nothing is more romantic than the thought of using a horse or a train as the main mode of transportation.

Do not forget to think about the whole picture though. In all likelihood, summer smells would be unbearable to our 21st Century senses. Horse manure would be all over the road. In many places there would be human feces on the road where people dumped chamber pot as they waited for the next rain to wash it away.

In today's world, most people under the age of 40 do not even know what dysentery and cholera are because we now have fresh, treated water, and we have sewer pipes that take waste away. One hundred years ago, people could die from Scarlett fever, rubella, polio, and many other diseases that are now vaccinated against. And of course, we understand that washing our hands and clothes can make us safe and help to stop the spread of disease, as well as making the treatment of those who are ill more effective.



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