Influenza Vaccine (Nursing)

00:00 Hi! Welcome to our video series.

00:02 In this one we're going to introduce you to some things hopefully you're brand new to you about the influenza vaccine and where it comes from.

00:10 Now influenza is a viral infection that attacks your respiratory system.

00:14 So it's your nose throat and lungs.

00:16 We usually call it the flu but it's not the same as a stomach flu.

00:21 That's a virus that can cause diarrhea or vomiting sometimes influenza has those side effects.

00:26 Also, however, when we speak of influenza we really mean the viral infection that primarily attacks your respiratory system.

00:35 So, you should see my face when I'm around somebody who sneezes and doesn't cover their mouths, but there's a pretty graphic illustration of how far germs can spread.

00:47 So without further Ado.

00:49 How is influenza spread? Well, it's droplets in the air If you couldn't tell from our picture Ddroplets in the air from an infected person are inhaled by another person.

01:01 Just thinking about that grosses me out because you know, it happens all the time.

01:06 But if you do it from an infected person into another person or picked up from an object like a keyboard an ATM machine a grocery cart handle or a pen.

01:17 All those can transmit influenza.

01:20 So it transfers them to their eyes nose or mouth.

01:23 So during flu season a really good thing to do keep your hands clean, especially after using something in a public.

01:30 Public area like an ATM machine, a handle of a gas any that things to wash your hands after that or at least use disinfectant after that, but if you touch your eyes, nose or mouth before keeping your hands clean, that's when you're really at risk for picking up influenza from an inanimate object.

01:51 So you either droplets you inhale it or you pick it up from an inanimate object that's by used with someone who is infected with the influenza.

02:00 Okay, fact or fiction.

02:03 So you got a 50/50 chance here how this is going to work.

02:06 You can get the flu from the flu shot.

02:09 Now, this is what I hear from my friends all the time.

02:13 I'm not getting the flu shot because last time I got it I got the flu.

02:17 So do they know what they're talking about or not fact or fiction? Yeah fiction.

02:26 This isn't true.

02:27 Now they might have already had some type of infection coming on.

02:30 But you don't get the flu from the flu shot.

02:35 Now is the flu shot a hundred percent effective.

02:38 That's another complaint of here for my friends while I got the flu shot and I think I got the flu later.

02:43 Anyway, well, it isn't a hundred percent effective because the flu virus is constantly changing into new strains and we'll explain more how a flu vaccine is developed and you'll understand why it's not a hundred percent effective.

02:59 So it takes about 10 to 14 days for antibodies to be created that can fight off influenza.

03:06 So not only can It change but for up to two weeks after I received the vaccine, I'm not covered right? I'm not protected.

03:15 Even from what that vaccine was set up to protect me from.

03:18 So there's a time period two weeks up to two weeks after I received the vaccine to where we will to fight off the influenza virus based on that vaccine.

03:29 So, is it a hundred percent effective No for two reasons.

03:33 1. The virus is constantly changing and 2. you've got a two-week window before you're actually going to be protective.

03:42 So those are a couple of reasons why I can struggle with that at times.

03:46 Now how do we decide what's going to be in the vaccine? Do you know there's more than a hundred national influenza centers in over a hundred countries and they collect data on influenza year round.

03:59 Okay, let that sink in.

04:00 A hundred national influenza centers in a over a hundred countries.

04:06 Whoa, we're talking about lots and lots of data kind of gives you an idea of how big a deal influenza is.

04:15 Now supplies of the virus are sent for five who collaborating centers.

04:19 Okay, so samples of viruses that are collected around the world are sent to five who collaborating centers so they take a look at these for research and review of influenza Now Atlanta, Georgia, the USA.

04:33 You've got London in the United Kingdom, got Melbourne in Australia Tokyo in Japan and Beijing China.

04:40 Look at that! Pretty much have the globe covered in all five of those.

04:46 So if you think what goes on about your flu vaccine is all what's at the CVS or Walgreens, you're wrong.

04:52 How this vaccine is selected is a worldwide problem.

04:57 That's why the World Health Organization is involved.

05:00 See the who assesses which strains of the flu virus are most likely to be circulating in the northern hemisphere in the following winter and recommends which flu strain should be included.

05:10 Okay.

05:11 So we've got the World Health Organization because this is a worldwide problem.

05:16 They try and look at which strains of the flu do they most suspect based on all the data they've collected from all these centers which one is most likely to be circulating in the northern hemisphere in the following winter.

05:30 That's how they determined the recommendations for which flu strains should be included in the vaccine in each country makes a final decision.

05:38 So they collect all this data The WHO The World Health Organization makes its opinion it's recommendations on what each country should do.

05:48 However, each country makes the final decision on which strains will be included in the licensed flu vaccines for their country.

05:57 So it's a global effort that each country still has the ability to make the final decision.

06:03 Now most years one or two strains of type A flu and type B flu circulate.

06:08 That's kind of a general rule of what happens.

06:10 Now in America the Food and Drug Administration makes the decision for the United States.

06:15 So vaccine production starts in about March, which isn't that kind of weird.

06:19 We're thinking about everything wrapping up in March as far as influenza, but really vaccine production is just firing up for the next year because it won't be ready again until September so it take six months for a large quantity of production of vaccine for influenza.

06:36 So got it, collect information around the world FDA takes the recommendations makes the decisions for the United States.

06:44 They start vaccine production in March because it's going to be ready in September about six months later.

06:51 So that's why we were if you're in healthcare, you've already noticed like has the flu vaccine arrived yet and you're waiting for what date it actually arrives because it's got to be ready.