A recent study conducted among 276 65-year-old adults show that people who got their flu vaccine between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. have significantly higher antibody levels one month later compared to those who got their shot in the afternoon.
The study was conducted by the team of Dr. Anna C. Phillips from University of Birmingham. She said, "this is a free (course of action) that could seriously boost older adults' vaccination response with no adverse effects."
The researchers looked at a variation of immune and hormone factors, but could not come up with a definite explanation about what they are seeing. "Don't wait for the definitive trial to check that the increased levels of antibodies relate to decreased disease risk. We know that's what antibodies do . . . so start this now," Phillips advised.
However, Director of operations research for Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's International Vaccine Access Center in Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Bruce Y. Lee, said in an email to Reuters, "we should be careful about jumping to conclusions from the study. Many people already struggle to find time to get the flu vaccine.
They find it difficult to miss work or take time out of the day to go to a clinic or somewhere else to get the flu vaccine. The afternoon or the evening may be the only time of day that people can get the vaccine. You don't want people thinking that the vaccine is only effective if given in the morning or that people should wait a long while until they have a morning available."
Health officials have again emphasized the importance of getting a flu shot. Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 is very deadly, doctors say. It is extremely important to note that there are multiple flu strains that go around annually, so if the common ones are not among the three or four that are typically included in the flu shot, then the timing of the shot will not make a difference at all.
In Saskatchewan, Canada, flu shot given contains 4 strains - two influenza A viral components (H1N1 and H3N2) and two influenza B viral components. Morag Granger, Clinical Services Manager with the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region, encouraged The public to take the vaccine as soon as possible.
"The best research is done about what is circulating in South America and then we try to match it with the right vaccine. It's pretty much the right vaccine every year but on occasion there's a mismatch. That's why there are four strains in the vaccine to cover off the different types of flu that could be circulating," Granger said.
