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The annual jab fest for the seasonal flu is already underway, scaring needle-wary youngsters and leaving many grown-ups wondering if the annual stick in the arm is right for them.
In recent years research has shown that the m?lange of strains in each year's flu shot and exposure to previous flus can provide some immunity decades later to people exposed to closely related influenza iterations. For example, people who were born before the mid-1950s (when H1N1 stopped circulating) showed a better defense against the recent H1N1 virus. But because the virus is so adept at eluding the body's immune system via mutation, many new varieties crop up each year. After battling H1N1 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that everyone six months and older get the annual vaccine, a step that should improve immunity against future pandemics as well as seasonal cycles of the flu.
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In recent years research has shown that the m?lange of strains in each year's flu shot and exposure to previous flus can provide some immunity decades later to people exposed to closely related influenza iterations. For example, people who were born before the mid-1950s (when H1N1 stopped circulating) showed a better defense against the recent H1N1 virus. But because the virus is so adept at eluding the body's immune system via mutation, many new varieties crop up each year. After battling H1N1 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that everyone six months and older get the annual vaccine, a step that should improve immunity against future pandemics as well as seasonal cycles of the flu.
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