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Can a flu vaccine cause a "cytokine storm"?
One of the mysteries of the H1N1 flu outbreak in 2009 was why the virus seemed to be more deadly among healthy young adults than among the elderly and infants who typically fare worse when sickened by influenza.
Many in the public health world believed the culprit was a so-called cytokine storm, an extreme response by the body’s immune system to a foreign invader that ends up causing more tissue damage than the pathogen does.
A group of La Jolla researchers reported this week that they have discovered a way of preventing that problem by disabling the potentially lethal immune system responses.
...Should H5N1 become the next pandemic strain, the resultant morbidity and mortality could rival those of 1918, when more than half the deaths occurred among largely healthy people between 18 and 40 years of age and were caused by a virus-induced cytokine storm ...
Just to be clear (since people tend to not read links), this isn't about "cytokine storm", nor a link to any harm from vaccines. It's saying that we need to be able to create more vaccines, faster. It's also from 2005, so it's a bit outdated.Andre said:
bobze said:LisaB--I haven't heard of a flu vaccine causing a cytokine storm before. It is possible however, particularly is someone has a hypersensitivity reaction to a component of the vaccine (such as an individual with egg allergies)--Though I suspect it would take many sensitizations to the vaccine to get the end result of the cytokine storm.
The 1918 flu (not a vaccine) very probably caused "cytokine storms" and was the reason for such high morbidity and mortality. Normally influenza buds from the apical surface of columnar epithelium that way it can be more easily transmitted form host to host. It appears the 1918 flu strains had genetic factors which predisposed it from budding from the basolateral surface of those cells. Thus it entered the blood stream in its incredible numbers and caused a hyperimmune state (cytokine storm) from the patrolling WBCs.
Also interesting that it's chicken eggs, not the virus that is a potential problem.lisab said:Thanks, bobze. That's kind of what I thought, that there would be a super-slim possibility but it wouldn't happen under normal circumstances.
lisab said:Thanks, bobze. That's kind of what I thought, that there would be a super-slim possibility but it wouldn't happen under normal circumstances.
Interesting about that mechanism...so a body might react to such an 'invasion' of flu virus as if some foreign substance was suddenly injected into the blood stream?
Evo said:Also interesting that it's chicken eggs, not the virus that is a potential problem.
The flu vaccine is designed to protect individuals from contracting the influenza virus and developing the flu.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone 6 months and older should get the flu vaccine, with rare exceptions. This includes pregnant women, older adults, and individuals with certain health conditions.
The effectiveness of the flu vaccine can vary each year, but generally ranges from 40-60%. The vaccine is designed to protect against the most common strains of the flu virus, but it is possible to still get the flu even after being vaccinated. However, the vaccine can also help to lessen the severity of symptoms if an individual does get the flu.
No, the flu vaccine is made from an inactivated virus or a single protein from the virus, so it cannot cause the flu. Some individuals may experience mild side effects such as soreness at the injection site or a low-grade fever, but these are not symptoms of the flu.
The flu vaccine is recommended to be received every year, as the strains of the flu virus can change and the vaccine is updated annually to provide the best protection. It is important to get vaccinated before the start of flu season, which typically begins in October.