Flu Vaccine Contraindications

Did you know that influenza is one of the top causes of death that is preventable by vaccination. It is astonishing to see that so many people are ignorant about the dangers of missing out on their required vaccinations. One common vaccine that helps to prevent influenza from occurring is the flu vaccine. Influenza is an infectious viral disease that has often broken out in the form of epidemics, in the past. Hence, it is of utmost importance to ensure that you get yourself vaccinated against this disease. However, there are quite a few conditions where a person is not allowed to take this vaccine. These flu vaccine contraindications for live vaccine are listed below.

Contraindications to Flu Vaccine

• People that are above fifty years of age and children that are between the age of six months to two years.
• Children who are below the age of five years and are suffering from chronic asthma should not get this vaccine. Ideally this rule for flu vaccine contraindications is also applicable for children who have had one or more episodes of wheezing in the span of the past one year.
• People that have a long standing medical condition which will make them more vulnerable to an attack after taking this vaccine should also avoid it completely. These include people that have a disease affecting any major organ (heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, etc), diabetics with uncontrollable sugar levels, anemics, etc.
• People that are suffering from any disease that is affecting the central nervous system, like epilepsy or cerebral palsy should also avoid this vaccine because it could lead to reactionary symptoms like difficulty in breathing or swallowing of food, among other possible side effects of flu shot.
• One of the major intranasal contraindications is that anyone who has a disease that compromises his or her immune system should not get this vaccine because as this is a live vaccine, it may just so happen that the person may suffer from a bout of influenza rather than gain immunity to it.
• Young adults and children that are on long term low-dose aspirin treatment, which work as blood thinners should also ask their doctor about whether they are allowed to opt for this vaccine or not, lest they end up with flu shot reactions.
• This vaccine is contraindicated in pregnancy as well.
• If you are currently suffering from an illness, then it is best to wait till you recover completely from the illness. This is because when there are pathogens in the body, then your immune system is temporarily compromised. This may make you vulnerable to various flu vaccine side effects. Thus, even if you have a common cold, wait for it to get cured completely and only then, go in for the vaccination.
• If you are suffering from Guillain Barre syndrome, then inform your doctor and ask him whether it is safe to get this vaccine or not.
• Lastly, one of the very serious flu vaccine contraindications is if you happen to be allergic to the eggs of the vaccine. Some people, on taking this vaccine recoil under the terrible effects of flu shot gone wrong. You need to take immediate action in such cases, so as to ensure that the person does not end up going into an anaphylactic shock. An allergic reaction to flu shot is a serious matter that should be dealt with promptly.

Immunization against a highly preventable yet potentially fatal disease like influenza is of utmost importance. However, if you fall in any of the above categories and cannot get yourself vaccinated against this disease, then do ask your doctor or healthcare practitioner about the possible precautions that you can take against contracting influenza.