FluLaval Quadrivalent

Generic name: Influenza Virus Vaccine (injection)
Drug class: Viral vaccines

Usage of FluLaval Quadrivalent

FluLaval Quadrivalent is for use in adults and children at least 6 months old, to prevent infection caused by influenza virus. This vaccine helps your body develop immunity to the disease, but will not treat an active infection you already have.

FluLaval Quadrivalent is redeveloped each year to contain specific strains of inactivated (killed) flu virus that are recommended by public health officials for that year.

Influenza virus ("the flu") is a contagious disease caused by a virus that can spread from one person to another through the air or on surfaces. Flu symptoms include fever, chills, tiredness, aches, sore throat, cough, vomiting, and diarrhea. The flu can also cause sinus infections, ear infections, bronchitis, or serious complications such as pneumonia.

Influenza causes thousands of deaths each year, and hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations. Influenza is most dangerous in children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with weak immune systems or health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, or cancer.

Like any vaccine, FluLaval Quadrivalent may not provide protection from disease in every person.

FluLaval Quadrivalent side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to FluLaval: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

You should not receive a booster vaccine if you had a life threatening allergic reaction after the first shot.

Keep track of any and all side effects you have. If you receive a FluLaval Quadrivalent in the future, you will need to tell the vaccination provider if the previous shot caused any side effects.

FluLaval Quadrivalent is made from "killed viruses" and will not cause you to become ill with the flu virus. You may have flu-like symptoms at any time during flu season that may be caused by other strains of influenza virus.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;

severe weakness or unusual feeling in your arms and legs;

numbness, pain, tingling, burning or prickly feeling;

vision or hearing problems; or

a fever higher than 101 degrees F.

Common FluLaval side effects may include:

pain, redness, tenderness, swelling, bruising, or a hard lump where the shot was given;

diarrhea, loss of appetite;

muscle pain;

headache, tiredness; or

fussiness, crying, or drowsiness in a child.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report vaccine side effects to the US Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-822-7967.

Before taking FluLaval Quadrivalent

You may not be able to receive FluLaval Quadrivalent if you are allergic to eggs, or if you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to a flu vaccine.

Tell your vaccination provider if you have:

a weak immune system (caused by disease or by using certain medicine); or

a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome (within 6 weeks after receiving a flu vaccine).

You can still receive a vaccine if you have a minor cold. In the case of a more severe illness with a fever or any type of infection, wait until you get better before receiving FluLaval Quadrivalent.

Tell your vaccination provider if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that pregnant women get a flu shot during any trimester of pregnancy to protect themselves and their newborn babies from flu. The nasal spray form of influenza vaccine is not recommended for use in pregnant women.

Relate drugs

How to use FluLaval Quadrivalent

FluLaval Quadrivalent is given as an injection (shot) into a muscle. You will receive this injection in a doctor's office or other clinic setting.

You should receive a flu vaccine every year. Your immunity will gradually decrease over the 12 months after you receive the FluLaval Quadrivalent. Children receiving FluLaval Quadrivalent may need a booster shot one month after receiving the first vaccine.

The FluLaval Quadrivalent is usually given in October or November. Some people may need to have their vaccines earlier or later. Follow your doctor's instructions.

Your doctor may recommend treating fever and pain with an aspirin-free pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, and others) when the shot is given and for the next 24 hours. Follow the label directions or your doctor's instructions about how much of this medicine to give your child.

It is especially important to prevent fever from occurring in a child who has a seizure disorder such as epilepsy.

Warnings

FluLaval Quadrivalent vaccine is made from "killed viruses" and will not cause you to become ill with the flu virus.

Becoming infected with influenza is much more dangerous to your health than receiving this vaccine. However, like any medicine, FluLaval Quadrivalent can cause side effects but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.

What other drugs will affect FluLaval Quadrivalent

If you are using any of these medications, you may not be able to receive the vaccine, or may need to wait until the other treatments are finished:

steroid medicine;

medications to treat psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other autoimmune disorders; or

medicines to treat or prevent organ transplant rejection.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with FluLaval Quadrivalent, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.