We all know the proverb, “Prevention is better than cure!” This proverb can aptly be applied to our vaccination schedules. Vaccination is the process by which we administer antigenic substances to make ourselves immune to certain viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens so as to repel infections. It is no wonder then that the whole medical community is a strong supporter of different vaccination to improve the health of the community as a whole in what is referred to as herd immunity.

Among many vaccination schedules, much attention is being directed to the flu vaccine nowadays. An adult or a child who is at a risk of catching flu this coming season, has to be vaccinated to prevent the deleterious effects of the virus on body.

The flu vaccination however has to be approved by the FDA every year in order to coincide with the new virus strains that are postulated to be in air this season. Once this is done, the manufacturers take over and prepare the appropriate vaccines. FluLaval is one of the popular flu vaccines manufactured every year that protects against certain strains of the influenza virus. Afluria and Fluzone are the names of different brands of the same vaccine.

Usually the Flulaval is given as a flu shot once in a year, preferably in September, October or November. When you purchase FluLaval vaccine ampoule, make sure that it appears as a clear liquid and is not contaminated with any particles. If however you are suffering from any other respiratory disease or allergic cough and colds, your doctor may advise you to take FluLaval at some later date. Do not miss the dose on the recommended date. If you do, you may miss your chance of building up your immunity against the virus before the flu attack breaks open.

Just beware of certain contraindications of FluLaval. Fever, allergic reactions to earlier flu vaccinations, and uncontrolled nervous system disorders are some of them. Your physician is the best person to advise you correctly on your flu vaccination schedule!

Tamiflu is a prescription antiviral medicine designed to help you avoid catching the flu, or help minimize your suffering if you already have the flu.

To understand how Tamiflu works, you have to understand how viruses make us sick. Viruses make us sick by entering our body's cells, reproducing themselves, then spreading into new cells where the process repeats. Enough of this happens, and you start to feel sick. If you can't stop the virus from entering your body in the first place—which is what we do when we avoid people who are sick and frequently wash our hands, for example—the next best thing is to stop the virus from multiplying.

The surface of some types of viruses contains a protein called neuraminidase. This protein helps them to spread to new cells. Tamiflu is one of a class of drugs called neuraminidase inhibitors. By interfering with the way the neuraminidase proteins function, these types of medications seek to prevent the virus from spreading to other cells.

Tamiflu was approved by the FDA in 1999. By 2005 new formulations, including a pediatric liquid, had been approved by the FDA for use in children ages one year and older.

Some people wonder how Tamiflu compares to taking the flu vaccine. Because Tamiflu doesn't work like a vaccine, there are some differences you should recognize. First, Tamiflu, like other antiviral medications, does not have cumulative benefits; that is, it only works as long as you are taking the medicine. It is highly unlikely that you would be prescribed Tamiflu for an entire flu season, and the safety and benefits of taking repeated courses of Tamiflu has not yet been determined.

Conversely, the dangers and long-term issues of taking the flu vaccine are reduced or completely eliminated if you choose Tamiflu or another antiviral instead of the vaccine. Antivirals like Tamiflu may be appropriate for individuals with weakened immune systems, whereas the vaccine may be contraindicated. Like the vaccine, Tamiflu only works on certain strains of the flu virus; it cannot help with the “stomach flu,” or gastroenteritis, for example.

Before you consider taking Tamiflu or any other medication, be sure to talk with your doctor about potential side-effects and other contraindications.

There is no prefect answer to the question, “How can I make sure I don't get the flu?” Tamiflu is one more tool to evaluate.

The CDC reports that in February 2009, cases of the flu in the United States continued to be on the rise. Having the flu is an unwelcome and uncomfortable event. For people with impaired immunity, the young and the infirm for example, it can be more than just a time of misery: it can be life-threatening.

In addition to the usual means of keeping healthy—nutritious diet, plenty of fluids, exercise, rest, frequent hand washing, etc.--most people consider taking the flu vaccine as their best defense against coming down with the flu.

There is a secret behind the flu vaccine that few people know. Most people assume the flu vaccine you get in early winter is exactly what you need to protect you. They have no idea that a great deal of guesswork goes into making that flu vaccine.

Flu viruses are constantly mutating. In addition, viruses that had been a problem only in one location or population make the jump to a new location or population (think Asian flu, a virus that originated in Asia and made the jump to the rest of the world, or the way early explorers brought new disease to the Native American population). The development and manufacture of a vaccine in sufficient quantities to protect a large population takes a fair amount of time. Given these two competing factors, it would be impossible to wait until flu season to determine which strain of flu poses the largest threat and engineer a vaccine to prevent it.

Instead, medical researchers must make a guess based on virus mutations and their experience with the ways in which diseases spread when choosing which flu strain to base the vaccine on for the upcoming season. In effect, if you want to prevent a flu epidemic, or especially a pandemic, you have to act before the facts can be fully known. They are making a guess—an educated guess, but a guess nonetheless.

Much of the controversy regarding the flu vaccine regards the guesswork that is at the heart of vaccine development. Researchers point to pandemics such as the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 (a pandemic is an epidemic on a world-wide scale). Estimates of death due to this flu range from between 20 to 100 million. It is believed that more than 20% of the entire population of the world suffered from this disease.

Worse still, tissue samples from that time still apparently show live virus strains even after all these years. Researchers point to the severity of this disease, and the increasing ease and rapidity with which diseases can spread in the modern world, and insist that an educated guess is our best line of defense to prevent this from happening again.

Whether or not you choose to take the flu vaccine is a matter of personal choice. Whatever you decide, knowing more about how the vaccine is developed will make it easier for you to make that choice.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recently launched a health initiative called National Influenza Vaccination Week from Dec. 8-14, 2008. Events such as these are truly valuable in creating an awareness of how to fight the influenza blues. The week launched the flu vaccination rally the months of January and February 2009, and beyond.

During the vaccination program, the children, elderly, and health care workers are especially encouraged to be vaccinated against the flu. The importance of flu vaccines cannot be understated, especially taking into consideration the rapidly spreading nature and seasonal occurrence of influenza. It is no doubt a disease of masses, and one of the most contagious diseases present. This is why even the WHO recommends flu vaccinations for people in the southern hemisphere during the winter of 2009.

WHO is soon going to announce a flu vaccination program for the Northern hemisphere and equatorial zone. Though flu activity reported during the year 2008 all over the world was mild to moderate, cases of the flu occurred all over Africa, Europe, Asia, and America. Considering the high rates of Influenza A and B virus strains among epidemics, and also considering the high rates of resistance to anti-viral treatment, flu vaccinations seem to be mandatory in forthcoming days.

Scientists are trying to formulate faster acting flu vaccines using DNA biotechnology. If they succeed in this venture, this could herald the end of the nuisances caused by these stringent viruses. However, individual flu vaccinations are of no use if we want to ensure the end of an epidemic. We need to build herd immunity by implementing wider vaccination programs for the benefit of the community as a whole. The role of flu vaccine in improving one’s disease-fighting power is unquestionable. Following the vaccination schedules scrupulously is what we need!