Fluad

Fluad is an influenza vaccine used to prevent the flu in people 65 years of age and older. Fluad, a trivalent vaccine, is produced from three influenza virus strains (two subtype A and one type B) and also includes an adjuvant (a booster). The adjuvant is a compound that helps direct the immune response and promote a better response and to offer better protection against the flu.

It belongs to a group of drugs called influenza vaccines which work by introducing very small amounts of viral components into the body. These components are enough to stimulate the production of antibodies that will be ready to attack that same virus in the future.

Fluad is available as an injection to be given directly into the muscle (IM) by a healthcare professional during the influenza season. 

Common side effects of Fluad include injection site pain and tenderness, muscle aches, and headache. 

Fluad can also cause drowsiness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Fluad affects you.

Fluad is an influenza vaccine used to prevent the flu in people 65 years of age and older.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation

Serious side effects have been reported with Fluad. See the "Fluad Precautions" section.

Common side effects of Fluad include the following:

• injection site pain and tenderness
• muscle aches
• headache
• fatigue

This is not a complete list of Fluad side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System at 1-800-822-7967.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• immunosuppressive treatments like corticosteroid medications such as prednisone (Cortan, Deltasone, Orasone, Sterapred), budesonide (Entocort), dexamethasone (Decadron), triamcinolone (Kenacort, Aristocort), flunisolide (AeroBid. Aerospan), ciclesonide (Alvesco), mometasone (Asmanex, Dulera), fluticasone (Flovent), methylprednisolone (Medrol, Solu-Medrol), fludrocortisone (Florinef), and hydrocortisone (Cortef, Cortril, Hydrocortone)

There are currently no studies by the manufacturer examining the use of Fluad with other vaccines. If Fluad is given at the same time as other injectable vaccines, then they should be administered at different injection sites.

This is not a complete list of Fluad drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Fluad including the following:

• Guillain-Barre syndrome. Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rare disorder that can cause muscle weakness or paralysis. It is very rare to develop this after receiving a vaccine. If you have developed GBS within 6 weeks of receiving a prior flu vaccine, then your doctor will decide whether Fluad should be used.
• Fainting. Fainting may occur after receiving an influenza vaccine. After receiving the vaccine, you will be monitored for a short time to make sure you do not experience dizziness.

Fluad can cause drowsiness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Fluad affects you.

You should not be administered Fluad if you have a history of severe allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine, including egg protein, or to a previous flu vaccine. Your healthcare provider can help determine whether Fluad is right for you.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Fluad, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before receiving Fluad, tell your doctor or pharmacist about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have an egg allergy or are allergic to Fluad or to any of its ingredients.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories-A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Fluad falls into category B. There are no well-done studies that have been done in humans with Fluad. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given given this medication, and the babies did not show any medical issues related to this medication.

The safety of Fluad has not been established in nursing mothers.

This medication is available in an injectable form to be given directly into a muscle (IM) by a healthcare professional during the influenza season.

Fluad is administered as a single 0.5 mL injection to be given directly into a muscle (IM) by a healthcare professional to adults 65 years of age and older during the influenza season.

If Fluad is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.