Are there different flu shots

Side effects included a headache, soreness at the injection site, muscle aches and fatigue. People age 65 and older have the highest risks of flu complications. Protecting this group from the flu is especially important. Studies continue to evaluate the outcomes of high-dose flu vaccines. If research finds that outcomes are better than standard flu vaccines, high-dose flu vaccines may eventually become the vaccine of choice for older adults.

But for now, it's most important for everyone to get the annual seasonal flu vaccine, whether it's a standard-dose or high-dose flu vaccine. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expert advice on managing your health. Error Email field is required.

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Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization and proceeds from Web advertising help support our mission. Mayo Clinic does not endorse any of the third party products and services advertised. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. This content does not have an English version. These CVVs are then injected into fertilized chicken eggs and allowed to replicate.

The virus-containing fluid is then harvested from the eggs. For flu shots, the vaccine viruses are then inactivated and the virus antigen is purified. The manufacturing process continues with purification and testing. The U. Even individuals with confirmed egg allergy can safely receive egg-based flu vaccines. Learn more about the safety of flu vaccines for people with egg allergies.

Cell-Based Flu Vaccines. The cell-based vaccine manufacturing process uses animal cells in liquid culture to grow influenza viruses in place of fertilized chicken eggs. The manufacturers then inoculate these CVVs into cultured mammalian cells instead of eggs and allow them to replicate for a few days. Then the virus-containing fluid is collected from the cells and the virus antigen is purified. The manufacturing process continues with purification and testing before the U.

Recombinant Flu Vaccines. The recombinant manufacturing process does not use chicken eggs at all in the production process. Instead, manufacturers isolate a certain gene from a naturally occurring "wild type" recommended vaccine virus. The gene is then combined with portions of another virus that grows well in insect cells to make a "recombinant" vaccine virus.

The vaccine virus is then mixed with insect cells and allowed to replicate. The flu protein is then harvested from these cells, purified, and submitted for testing and approval to the U. Insights on Influenza Blog. Mission: To save lives and reduce hospitalizations by protecting children, families, and communities against influenza. More information on the season is also available.

Find Vaccines. Influenza flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are used to make vaccine.

The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the influenza viruses that research suggests may be most common during the upcoming season. Below are links to more information about the different type of flu vaccines available.

The high dose vaccine contains 4 times the amount of antigen the part of the vaccine that helps your body build up protection against flu viruses as a regular flu shot and is licensed specifically for people 65 years and older. Adjuvanted flu vaccine is made with an ingredient added to a vaccine that helps create a stronger immune response and is licensed specifically for people 65 years and older.

Recombinant flu vaccines are produced using a method that does not require an egg-grown vaccine virus. To receive weekly email updates about Seasonal Flu, enter your email address:. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Influenza Flu.