When is the most effective month to get the flu (influenza) vaccination during the winter season? Professor Lee Hyo-jin of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Catholic University Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital advised on the 16th that October is the most suitable time for vaccination, and it should be done by November at the latest.
He said that it generally takes from as short as 2 weeks to as long as 4 weeks for antibodies to develop after the flu vaccination. The flu is caused by one of the influenza viruses infecting the lungs and upper respiratory tract, and its symptoms and causative viruses differ from those of a common cold.
The common cold is caused by about 200 different viruses, and since the circulating viruses change each time, prevention is difficult. However, the flu is caused by a specific virus and can be prevented with a vaccine.
When infected with the flu, symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough, headache, muscle aches, and general fatigue appear, especially accompanied by high fever and severe body aches. In children, symptoms may include poor appetite, fussiness, vomiting, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal symptoms, and rarely, febrile seizures may occur.
Fever and body aches usually accompany the symptoms for 2 to 3 days. Most symptoms improve after about a week, but cough can persist for several weeks. The most common complication is pneumonia. In children, elderly with chronic cardiopulmonary diseases, and immunocompromised patients, there are cases of death due to complications.
Preventive measures for the flu include hand hygiene and wearing masks, but vaccination is also an effective method. In Korea, every winter, to prepare for the flu season, free quadrivalent vaccines are provided to high-risk groups such as seniors over 65, pregnant women, and children, who are more likely to develop severe illness from infection. Reporter Kang Min-sung kms@dt.co.kr
