the influenza vaccine is a yearly vaccine that protects you from getting the flu a viral respiratory illness that spreads very easily. the flu can lead to serious health complications and possibly death. the best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated. there are two types of flu vaccines: flu shot: the flu shot is typically given to adults in a muscle in the upper arm. it is an inactive vaccine which means it is made using dead bacteria. the dead germs cannot make you sick. nasal spray: the nasal spray flu vaccine is a live attenuated influence vaccine or laiv. unlike the flu shot it is made from live but weakened influenza viruses. however you cannot get the flu from the nasal spray vaccine. only certain adults under age 50 may receive the nasal spray. the three flu strains covered by the flu vaccine differ from year to year. that’s because the flu viruses are constantly changing. scientists develop a new flu vaccine each season based on research that predicts which strains will be most likely to make you sick. for example the 2010-2011 flu shots for adults protect against three influenza virus strains: the 2009 h1n1 h3n2 virus and an influenza b virus.
what is the adult influenza vaccine?