Flu vaccines available at Misawa

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Laura R. McFarlane
  • 35th Fighter Wing public affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  Flu season is just around the corner and the time has come for annual flu vaccinations.

There are three types of vaccines currently available. The vaccine is mandatory for all active-duty military members and available to dependents six months and older, DoDDs employees and civilian contractors.

For the first time at Misawa, the FluMist is available as an alternative to the flu shot. The FluMist is a live, but weakened, influenza virus that is sprayed into the nostrils as opposed to the flu shot, a dead virus, that is injected into the muscle.

"Either one is great to get," said Tech. Sgt. Jason Peters, 35th Medical Operations Squadron NCO in charge of the immunization clinic. "They both help protect us from getting influenza. Kids seem to like the FluMist more than the adults do because there is no needle attached to the FluMist."

A questionnaire will be completed to determine if one can receive the FluMist or not. For those who do not receive the FluMist, there are two different shot options available. Fluzone is available for children six months and older, and FluLaval is available for adults 18 years and older.

"We receive this vaccine to help prevent us from actually getting influenza," said Sergeant Peters.

For most people, influenza vaccine prevents serious influenza-related illness, but will not prevent influenza-like illnesses caused by other viruses. Influenza viruses are always changing, therefore vaccines are updated every year and an annual vaccination is recommended, said Sergeant Peters. It can take up to two weeks for protection to develop after vaccination, but protection lasts up to a year.

On average, 226,000 people are hospitalized every year by influenza, and 36,000 die. It can lead to pneumonia and can be dangerous for people with heart or breathing conditions. It can also cause high fever and seizures in children.

For more information on influenza visit www.cdc.gov/flu. Vaccinations are available from the immunization clinic for dependents from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Allergy patients do have priority from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday. An immunizations team will visit squadrons to administer the vaccine to active-duty members.