CLEVELAND -- The Flu season is well underway in northeast Ohio and there are a number of options to fight the illness.
Egg-free options are available for those with egg allergies, preservative-free, three and four strain doses, Flumist nasal spray, along with smaller needles and higher doses for seniors who need extra protection are also available.
New recommendations for children ages 2 to 8 are that they should get the Flumist nasal spray version, the theory being that the virus enters through the nose and mouth and that may give them extra protection.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevnetion says there is no shortage of vaccine this year, some health agencies have not yet received their full shipments.
Shaker Heights had to postpone its flu clinic until the end of the month.
Your best bet is to call ahead to wherever you get your vaccine and make sure they have your choice in stock.
Here is an overview by the CDC:
What sort of flu season is expected this year?
It's not possible to predict what this flu season will be like. Flu seasons are unpredictable in a number of ways. While flu spreads every year, the timing, severity, and length of the season usually varies from one season to another.
Will new flu viruses circulate this season?
Flu viruses are constantly changing so it's not unusual for new flu viruses to appear each year. For more information about how flu viruses change, visit How the Flu Virus Can Change.
When will flu activity begin and when will it peak?
The timing of flu is very unpredictable and can vary from season to season. Flu activity most commonly peaks in the U.S. between December and February. However, seasonal flu activity can begin as early as October and continue to occur as late as May.
What should I do to prepare for this flu season?
CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older as the first and most important step in protecting against this serious disease. While there are many different flu viruses, the seasonal flu vaccine is designed to protect against the main flu viruses that research suggests will cause the most illness during the upcoming flu season.
People should begin getting vaccinated soon after flu vaccine becomes available, ideally by October, to ensure that as many people as possible are protected before flu season begins.
In addition to getting vaccinated, you can take everyday preventive actions like staying away from sick people and washing your hands to reduce the spread of germs. If you are sick with flu, stay home from work or school to prevent spreading flu to others.
What should I do to protect my loved ones from flu this season?
Encourage your loved ones to get vaccinated as soon as vaccine becomes available in their communities, preferably by October. Vaccination is especially important for people at high risk for serious flu complications, and their close contacts.
Children between 6 months and 8 years of age may need two doses of flu vaccine to be fully protected from flu. Your child's doctor or other health care professional can tell you whether your child needs two doses. Visit Children, the Flu, and the Flu Vaccine for more information.
Children younger than 6 months are at higher risk of serious flu complications, but are too young to get a flu vaccine. Because of this, safeguarding them from flu is especially important. If you live with or care for an infant younger than 6 months of age, you should get a flu vaccine to help protect them from flu. See Advice for Caregivers of Young Children for more information.
In addition to getting vaccinated, you and your loved ones can take everyday preventive actions like staying away from sick people and washing your hands to reduce the spread of germs. If you are sick with flu, stay home from work or school to prevent spreading influenza to others.
When should I get vaccinated?
CDC recommends that people get vaccinated against flu soon after vaccine becomes available, preferably by October.
It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the flu.
Doctors and nurses are encouraged to begin vaccinating their patients soon after vaccine becomes available, preferably by October so as not to miss out on opportunities to vaccinate. Those children 6 months through 8 years of age who need two doses of vaccine should receive the first dose as soon as possible to allow time to get the second dose before the start of flu season. The two doses should be given at least 4 weeks apart.
What kind of vaccines will be available in the United States for 2014-2015?
A number of different manufacturers produce trivalent (three component) influenza vaccines for the U.S. market, including intramuscular (IM), intradermal, and nasal spray vaccines. Some seasonal flu vaccines will be formulated to protect against four flu viruses (quadrivalent flu vaccines). See Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine and How Flu Vaccines Are Made for more information.
Are there new recommendations for the 2014-2015 influenza season?
Recommendations on the control and prevention of influenza are published annually, in late summer or early fall. Existing recommendations are available at Prevention and Control of Seasonal Influenza with Vaccines. New recommendations for the 2014-2015 season are available on the in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Starting in 2014-2015, CDC recommends use of the nasal spray vaccine (LAIV) for healthy* children 2 through 8 years of age, when it is immediately available and if the child has no contraindications or precautions to that vaccine. Recent studies suggest that the nasal spray flu vaccine may work better than the flu shot in younger children.
However, if the nasal spray vaccine is not immediately available and the flu shot is, children 2 years through 8 years old should get the flu shot. Don't delay vaccination to find the nasal spray flu vaccine. For more information about the new CDC recommendation, seeNasal Spray Flu Vaccine in Children 2 through 8 Years Old or the 2014-2015 MMWR Influenza Vaccine Recommendations.
(*"Healthy" in this instance refers to children 2 years through 8 years old who do not have an underlying medical condition that predisposes them to influenza complications.)
Visit What's New on this Site to sign up and receive updates from the CDC Influenza site.
How much flu vaccine will be available this season?
As of mid-October, seven influenza vaccine manufacturers are projecting that as many as 151 million to 156 million doses of influenza vaccine will be available for use in the United States during the 2014-2015 influenza season.
How much of the flu vaccines for the United States during 2014-2015 will be quadrivalent?
Of the 151 million to 156 million doses of influenza vaccine projected to be available for the 2014-2015 season, manufacturers estimate that 76 million doses will be quadrivalent flu vaccine.
When will flu vaccine become available?
Flu vaccine is produced by private manufacturers, and the timing of availability depends on when production is completed. Shipments began in August and will continue throughout October and November until all vaccine is distributed.
Where can I get a flu vaccine?
Flu vaccines are offered by many doctor's offices, clinics, health departments, pharmacies and college health centers, as well as by many employers, and even by some schools.
Even if you don't have a regular doctor or nurse, you can get a flu vaccine somewhere else, like a health department, pharmacy, urgent care clinic, and often your school, college health center, or work.
What flu viruses does this season's vaccine protect against?
Flu vaccines are designed to protect against the main flu viruses that research suggests will be the most common during the upcoming season. Three kinds of flu viruses commonly circulate among people today: Influenza A (H1N1) viruses, influenza A (H3N2) viruses, and influenza B viruses.
All of the 2014-2015 influenza vaccine is made to protect against the following three viruses:
an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virusan A/Texas/50/2012 (H3N2)-like virusa B/Massachusetts/2/2012-like virus.
Some of the 2014-2015 flu vaccine also protects against an additional B virus (B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus).
Vaccines that give protection against three viruses are called trivalent vaccines. Vaccines that give protection against four viruses are called quadrivalent vaccines.
Follow WKYC's Senior Medical Correspondent Monica Robins on Twitter: @MonicaRobins
