Is it possible to get the flu after vaccination and when immunity is formed?

Flu vaccination does not cause disease, but a vaccinated person can become infected before an immune response is formed. This was told on the air of the talk show “PRO HEALTH” on the YouTube channel “SEE AND LIVE” by an infectious disease doctor, deputy chief doctor for the medical part of the Minsk City Clinical Infectious Disease Hospital, candidate of medical Sciences Svyatoslav Velgin, writes sb.by.

According to the expert, the vaccine does not contain a live virus that can cause influenza. At the same time, during the vaccination season, other pathogens of respiratory infections - for example, rhinoviruses and adenoviruses - also spread. They can cause cold symptoms that sometimes coincide with vaccination.

- If vaccinated in the midst of an epidemic, there is a risk of getting the flu before immunity is formed. But even in this case, the vaccine will help to transfer the infection easier than without it, said Svyatoslav Velgin.

The immune response usually begins to form in 7-14 days, and maximum protection develops around the end of the second or third week. After suffering a cold, the infectious disease specialist advises to wait for a full recovery, the optimal vaccination period can be clarified with a doctor.

Prevention is especially important for the elderly and patients with chronic diseases, as well as for those who have weakened immunity. Vaccinating children can further reduce the spread of the virus in families and help protect vulnerable adults.

Watch the PRO HEALTH project on the Watch and Live YouTube channel every Sunday at 12:00. Specialists in various fields will answer popular questions of concern to everyone in simple language and with humor.

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