Every year, millions of people get the flu or influenza. The good news is that the seasonal influenza vaccine can lower the risk of getting the flu by about half.

If you are getting the yearly influenza vaccine is the best way to protect yourself from the flu.

The vaccines also known as flu jabs flu shots that protect against infection by Influenza viruses.

A new variant of the vaccine is developed twice a year, as the Influenza virus quickly changes. While vaccines effectiveness varies from year to year and provides modest to high protection against influenza.

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Influenza Vaccine Development

Influenza is an acute respiratory illness that affects both the upper and lower respiratory tract and is caused by influenza virus, usually of type A and B.

Influenza circulates continuously, that causes seasonal epidemics in temperate regions as well as year-round epidemics in some tropical regions.

Influenza viruses are changing, requiring an annual change in vaccine strains to have a better match with currently distributing influenza strains globally.

Influenza A viruses may cause pandemics by rapid dissemination of a new, virulent influenza A subtypes to which there is little or no existing immunity.

Status of Vaccine Development

Immunization is the important public health measure for preventing influenza virus infection.

There are various licensed seasonal influenza vaccines that are available for use, several of which have been prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO) for purchase by United Nations agencies.

There are also various vaccines under development against several animal influenza A viruses, influenza strains considered at highest risk for causing the future pandemic.

For World Health Organization, the development of vaccines against these influenza viruses with pandemic potential, and seasonal influenza vaccines that induce protective and long-lasting immune responses with high priorities.

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Challenges to Vaccine Development

As there are the constant changes in the circulating influenza viruses, its strains are changed annually (for both the Southern Hemisphere and the Northern Hemisphere) to further exactly match the circulating virus strains.

Why is the Influenza Vaccine Important?

Most people who get influenza have a light illness. But for some, it may be serious and even deadly.

Serious complications from influenza are more likely in babies, young children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with certain long-term health conditions such as asthma and diabetes.

Getting vaccinated against influenza annually is the best way to lower the chances of getting the disease. Flu vaccines can’t cause the flu.

Always remember that getting the influenza vaccine also protects the people around you. So when a person and his family get vaccinated, they help keep themselves and the community healthy.

This is particularly important if the person spends time with people who are at high risk for serious diseases from the flu such as young children or older adults.

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Conclusion:

Although, vaccines are useful for us because it provides us safety from several deadly diseases. one of the vaccines are the influenza vaccines that protect us from flu or influenza.