Influenza vaccine
The vaccine used for influenza vaccination is usually a so-called dead vaccine. Here the pathogens are killed, which makes them no longer divisible. In addition to a flu vaccination, a vaccination against pneumococcus is also recommended for this risk group.
Pneumococcal vaccination is recommended above all for older people over 60 years of age. Pneumococci are bacteria that can lead, among other things, to pneumonia, which is dangerous for elderly people. Aluminium is contained in most vaccines and thus also in flu vaccines.
However, it is not present there in its pure form, but is present as aluminum hydroxide in the flu vaccine. There it acts as an adjuvant, i.e. a substance that enhances the effect of the actual vaccine. So far, it is scientifically highly controversial whether aluminum in vaccines, food and deodorants is really dangerous.
However, flu vaccines contain a very low dose. This undercuts the European-wide certified maximum by about ten times and is thus clearly below the load limit. In the past, mercury was often used in vaccines.
There it was used to preserve the vaccine. In addition, it was intended to counteract the spread of germs and thus the contamination of the vaccine. This was especially necessary when the vaccine was delivered in larger bottles.
In this case, several people were vaccinated with the vaccine from the same bottle, so there was a risk of contamination with other bacteria and viruses. Nowadays, flu vaccines are usually delivered in pre-packaged syringes. Such a syringe contains only the vaccine for one person. Therefore, the addition of mercury to the flu vaccine is no longer necessary.
Side effects
Normally, a vaccination against the flu virus is relatively well tolerated and therefore causes few side effects. However, as with any vaccination, local reactions at the vaccination site may still occur. The typical local reactions after a vaccination are redness, swelling and pain around the injection site.
In some cases there may also be general symptoms like a cold. After a vaccination you may feel tired and listless or you may get headaches and aching limbs. However, these symptoms disappear completely after 1 to 2 days.
In addition to the typical inflammatory and immune-associated side effects, a flu vaccination can also cause diarrhoea. However, this is not one of the most common side effects of the flu vaccination.The diarrhea is probably caused by slight changes in the hormone balance. After vaccination, the immune system is activated and it starts to produce antibodies against the vaccine. This also activates the metabolism in the body, which is why the water balance is not regulated properly.
