Do Thyroid Patients Need a Flu Shot?

The Influenza Vaccine for Thyroid and Autoimmune Disease Patients

Influenza, known as the "flu," is a viral infection of the respiratory system that can be severe, or even life-threatening, for some people. Flu season typically runs from fall through spring in North America, and usually, the optimum time for getting the influenza vaccine -- also known as a "flu shot" -- is between October and mid-November.

Each year, however, many thyroid and autoimmune disease patients have questions regarding whether or not they should get a flu shot.

Remember to always check with your doctor for guidelines and advice regarding your own situation. But in general, here are some considerations.

Generally, according to the CDC, during a typical influenza outbreak, vaccination is recommended for people who are at high risk for developing serious complications as a result of flu. These high-risk groups include all people aged 65 years or older and people of any age with chronic diseases of the heart, lung or kidneys, diabetes, immunosuppression, or severe forms of anemia. Specifically, the CDC recommends a flu vaccine for any person over the age of 6 months who - because of age or underlying medical condition - is at increased risk for complications of influenza. The CDC identifies those groups at increased risk of influenza complications as:

• Persons aged 65 years or older.
• Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities housing patients of any age who have chronic medical conditions.
• Adults and children with chronic disorders of the pulmonary or cardiovascular systems, including children with asthma.
• Adults and children who have required regular medical follow-up or hospitalization during the preceding year because of chronic metabolic diseases
• Children and teenagers (6 months-18 years) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and therefore may be at risk for developing Reye syndrome after influenza.
• Women who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy during the influenza season

Even alternative and holistic medicine expert Dr. Andrew Weil recommends, flu shots. Says Dr. Weil, "if a really virulent flu is coming, I'd take a flu shot." Normally, Dr. Weil only recommends flu shots for "those over 65, as well as anyone with a weakened immune or respiratory system, nursing home residents, and health care workers who have regular contact with patients."

Can a Flu Vaccine Help?

The flu vaccine can greatly reduce your chance of getting the flu, the seriousness of flu if it is contracted, and the chance of complications or death due to influenza.

What is the Flu Vaccine?

The injectible flu shot is made up of inactive flu virus, which stimulates an immune reaction to the current strains of flu. This vaccine is made from dead influenza viruses -- NOT LIVE viruses, as some erroneously report -- which cannot cause flu infection. It's generally given in the upper arm, and is not painful.

The Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV) vaccine, known by its trade name "FluMist," does contain live viruses, and is only approved to be given to in healthy people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant, and who do not have a chronic disease.

For more information about the flu vaccine, see the Key Facts About the Flu Vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control.

Are There Side Effects?

A typical flu vaccine causes no side effects in most people. The most common side effect is still rare-- and that's an allergic reaction in those with severe allergy to eggs, since the viruses used in the vaccine are grown in hens' eggs. For this reason, people who have an allergy to eggs should not receive influenza vaccine.

The main side effect, according to the CDC, is a bit of soreness in the arm in "less than one-third of those who receive vaccine." Also, about 5% to 10% of people experience mild side effects, such as headache or low-grade fever for about a day after vaccination. Today's vaccines, unlike the less refined vaccines from the 1940s to the 1960s, do not cause more serious side effects or cause someone to "get the flu."

The Autoimmune-Immunization Issue

Rarely, some people develop an autoimmune disease known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome after immunizations, including the influenza vaccine. Guillain-Barre (pronounced ghee-yan bar-ray) is an autoimmune condition that affects the nervous system, causing symptoms that range from weakness and tingling in the extremities, to a period of paralysis that can last weeks or months, and require the patient to be on a respirator to breathe. There are also controversial studies showing potential connections between immunizations and onset or worsening of other autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis.

The issue of this connection between vaccination and other autoimmune illnesses is a controversial one, however. Still, some practitioners caution their autoimmune disease patients to avoid immunizations whenever possible, because they believe that the safety of immunizations for people with autoimmune diseases -- including autoimmune thyroid conditions like Hashimoto's disease and Graves' disease -- has not been sufficiently examined.

Ultimately, when it comes to seasonal flu shots and other immunizations, thyroid and autoimmune disease patients should talk to their physicians about the benefits and potential risks.

_Sources:

_{Centers for Disease Control Influenza Site, http://www.cdc.gov/flu}

_{Halsey, Neal and Dr. Noel Rose, Director, Autoimmune Disease Research Center, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, "Autoimmunity And Smallpox Vaccine - A Risk?" InFocus,Vol. 11, No. 1, March 2003}

_{Shoenfeld Y, Aron-Maor A. "Vaccination and autoimmunity-'vaccinosis': a dangerous liaison?" Journal of Autoimmunity 2000 Feb;14(1):1-10.}