Get Your Flu Shot at BJU Now!

Along with the cold winter winds, the flu season has arrived. You may remember that last year’s flu season was particularly bad, sweeping through Asia at alarming rates. The flu isn’t just a little cold – it’s a far more serious disease. Make sure you are protected this year by getting your flu shot at Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU)! Here to answer your questions about the vaccine is UFH Pharmacist Helen Zhang. 

1.  Why is getting a flu shot recommended?

Getting vaccinated is a very effective way to prevent the flu. Researchers all over the world and long-term vaccination programs have demonstrated that vaccines significantly lower your risk of contracting the flu and thus suffering from influenza-related complications. If you get vaccinated, you are also less likely to spread the flu to others. Immunity develops two weeks after inoculation and usually lasts for a year. 

2. What medicines are in this year’s flu shot?

Every year, WHO makes a recommendation for flu vaccinations based on predictions of which flu strains will be in circulation that season. This year, there will be trivalent and quadrivalent flu vaccines. The trivalent one will contain:

• an A/Michigan/45/2015 (H1N1)pdm09–like virus;

• an A/Singapore/INFIMH-16-0019/2016 (H3N2)–like virus; and

• a B/Colorado/06/2017–like virus (Victoria lineage).

The quadrivalent vaccine will contain the above strains plus a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus (Yamagata lineage), which was also in circulation last year. Compared with the 2017-18 season, the composition for 2018-19 represents changes in the A (H3N2) and B (Victoria) components of both the trivalent and quadrivalent vaccines.

3. When I’m vaccinated, will I be completely safe from the flu?

In general, the flu vaccine can protect the majority of people from contracting the flu. However, you may not be 100% safe. Nevertheless, if you do still get the flu after being vaccinated, you will have a less severe flu. It’s also important to note that flu vaccines do not protect you from other viruses like those that cause the common cold.

4. Can everyone get the flu vaccine?

If you are severely allergic to eggs (which are used to make the vaccine) or have had a severe allergic reaction to the flu vaccine in the past, you should not get the flu vaccine. If you have a high fever or acute illness on the day you’re scheduled to get the shot, you should postpone vaccination until you are better. 

5. Do I need to get a flu shot if I got one last year?

The composition of this year’s flu shot is different from that of previous years. Furthermore, flu shots only provide protection for six to 12 months. Therefore, you need to get a new flu shot every year if you want continued protection. 

6. Can I get a flu shot if I’m pregnant or breastfeeding?

Flu shots are safe for children and pregnant women. Flu shots can prevent complications from the flu and they are recommended by the CDC in the US and China, even for pregnant women. If you have any questions or concerns, please see your doctor before getting vaccinated. 

7. Is the flu shot at BJU this year imported?

BJU strictly follows the guidelines from China’s and Beijing’s health authorities to provide safe flu vaccines for our patients. Our vaccines are selected by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning and comply with national and city-level regulations and policies. The Beijing CDC manages the process. Professional cold-chain distribution companies distribute the vaccines to BJU as needed. 

As far as we are aware, big cities like Beijing and Shanghai only have access to the locally produced flu vaccine. 

8. What’s the difference between imported and locally produced vaccines? 

Whether they’re imported or manufactured in China, the vaccines that we use at BJU are always highly controlled. We strive to bring you safe and effective medicines and only provide medicines that are approved by and registered with the national drug authorities. Like foreign-made vaccines, the Chinese-made flu vaccine protects against the strains recommended by WHO, which means that their composition will be the same. Imported and domestic vaccines are both effective and safe. The main differences may be brand, origin, price, and their approved indication or dosage in China.

9. I want to get a flu shot. What else do I need to know? 

Flu shots are available at the main BJU hospital in Lido and at most UFH clinics around the city. The best time to get vaccinated is the end of October and November, but getting vaccinated in December or later still provides effective protection. Children under the age of two need to make an appointment with their doctor if they want to get vaccinated. Everyone else can get the flu shot without seeing their doctor first.   

This article was written by United Family Healthcare's Director of Pharmacy, Helen Zhang. She is a registered pharmacist in China and the USA. If you wish to get the flu vaccine, it is now available at BJU. To make an appointment at the flu clinic nearest you, please call the BJU Service Center at 4008-919191. 

• Want more information about flu vaccines? Helen Zhang separates fact from fiction here. 

• Keen to learn how to protect your child from the flu? BJU Pediatrician Dr. Donroe digs deeper here.

• Already have the flu or a cold? Learn how to cover your sneeze or cough properly so you don't spread it to others!