Each winter, millions of people suffer from the flu, a highly contagious infection. It spreads easily from person to person mainly when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Flu, the short name for influenza, is caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. It usually is a mild disease in healthy children, young adults, and middle-aged people. However, flu can be life threatening in older adults and in people of any age who have chronic illnesses such as diabetes or heart, lung, or kidney diseases. For most of us, the flu will go away in one to two weeks.
Can Flu Be Prevented?
A flu shot can greatly lower your chances of getting the flu. Much of the illness and death caused by flu can be prevented by a yearly flu shot.
You can get a flu shot at your doctor's office. You also may be able to get a flu shot from your local health department or from other health care providers.
No vaccine gives complete protection, and the flu shot is no exception. In older people and those with certain chronic illnesses, the flu shot often is less effective in preventing flu than in reducing symptoms and the risk of serious illness and death. Studies have shown that the flu shot reduces hospitalization by about 70% and death by about 85% among older people who are not in nursing homes. Among nursing home residents, the flu shot reduces the risk of hospitalization by about 50%, the risk of pneumonia by about 60%, and the risk of death by 75 to 80%.
Who should get the flu shot?
- All children 6 – 59 months of age.
- All persons > 50 years of age.
- Women who will be pregnant during influenza season.
- Persons 6 months - 18 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy.
- Persons > 6 months of age who:
- Have chronic cardiovascular or pulmonary conditions, including asthma.
- Have required regular medical follow-up or hospitalization during the preceding year due to chronic metabolic diseases (including diabetes), renal dysfunction, hemoglobinopathies, or immunodeficiency (including immunodeficiency caused by medications or HIV).
- Have any condition (e.g., cognitive dysfunction, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, or other neuromuscular disorders) that can compromise respiratory function or the handling of respiratory secretions or that can increase the risk of aspiration.
- Residents of long-term care facilities that house persons of any age with chronic medical conditions.
How Serious is the Flu?
Most people who get the flu recover completely in 1 to 2 weeks, but some people develop serious and possibly life-threatening complications. While your body is busy fighting off the flu, you may be less able to resist a second infection. Older people and people with chronic illnesses run the greatest risk of getting secondary infections, especially pneumonia. In an average year, flu leads to about 20,000 deaths nationwide and many more hospitalizations.
When is the Best Time to Get the Flu Shot?
In the United States, flu season usually occurs from November until April. Person’s getting the flu shot should do so between October and March, unless their physician recommends sooner. It takes about 1 to 2 weeks after you get the flu shot to develop protection.
Does the Flu Shot Cause Side Effects?
The flu shot does not cause side effects in most people. Fewer than one-third of those who get the shot have some soreness, redness, or swelling on the arm where the shot is given. These side effects, which can last up to 2 days, rarely interfere with a person's daily activities. About 5 to 10% of people have mild side effects such as headache or low-grade fever for about a day after vaccination.
The flu shot is made from killed flu viruses, which cannot cause the flu. With very rare exceptions, the danger from getting flu, and possibly pneumonia, is far greater than the danger from side effects of the shot.
One of these rare exceptions is people who have a severe allergy to eggs. The viruses for flu vaccines are grown in eggs and may cause serious reactions in people who are severely allergic to eggs. People who have a severe allergy to eggs should not get the flu shot.
Why Do You Need a Flu Shot Every Year?
Preventing flu is hard because flu viruses change all the time. This year's flu virus usually is slightly different from last year's virus. Every year the flu shot is updated to include the most current flu virus strains. That's one reason why flu shots will protect you for only 1 year.
How well does the flu shot work?
- The shot prevents the flu in 70% to 90% of young, healthy adults.
- The shot is not as effective at preventing flu in older adults and people with certain medical problems, however it does reduce the number of these people who die or need a hospital stay because of the flu.
Talk to your doctor if you have a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome.
How can I catch the flu?
- The flu is easily passed from person to person by coughing and sneezing.
- A person can also get the flu by touching something with the flu virus on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
- To help stop the spread of the flu virus, be sure to wash your hands frequently with plenty of soap and water. This is especially important after coughing or sneezing.
Who is most at risk for getting the flu?
Everyone is at risk for getting the flu, but for some people the flu can cause serious illness. Those most at risk include:
- Older adults (over age 65)
- Pregnant women
- Very young children
- Adults and children (6 months and older) who have heart or lung disease, including asthma.
- Adults and children (6 months and older) who have diabetes, kidney or blood problems.
- People with HIV/AIDS, cancer or any condition that make it harder to fight off disease
- Children and teens (6 months to 18 years) who take aspirin for a long time
- People who live in nursing homes and other health care facilities
- Workers in hospitals or clinics who are around lots of people who have the flu. These people should contact their doctor or clinic if they have flu-like symptoms.
What are the Symptoms of the Flu?
Flu can cause fever, chills, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, as well as headache, muscle aches, and often extreme fatigue. Although nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea can sometimes accompany the flu, especially in children, gastrointestinal symptoms rarely occur. The illness that people call "stomach flu" is not influenza.
It's easy to confuse a common cold with the flu. Overall, cold symptoms are milder and don't last as long as the flu.
What should I do if I get the flu?
If you get the flu, rest in bed, drink plenty of fluids, and take medication such as aspirin or acetaminophen to relieve fever and discomfort. (Children with flu should not be given aspirin without consulting a doctor because of the risk of Reye's Syndrome).
Many other diseases can feel like the flu, but they need different treatments.
Call you Doctor if you have any Signs of Flu and:
- Your fever lasts; you may have a more serious infection
- You have breathing or heart problems or other serious health problems
- You are taking drugs to fight cancer or other drugs that weaken your body's natural defenses against illness
- You feel sick and don't seem to be getting any better
- You have a cough that begins to produce phlegm
Are there drugs to treat the flu? Yes, there are a number of products that may help you feel better:
- Prescription medicines can lessen your symptoms or the time you are sick with the flu. Your doctor or clinic will help you decide whether these drugs are right for you.
- Over-the-counter medicines can help with flu symptoms such as sore throat, stuffy nose, cough, fever and body aches. However:
- Never give aspirin to children or teens that might have the flu. It can cause serious problems or even death. Call your doctor or clinic first.
- If you already take prescription medicines, ask your doctor or pharmacist which flu medicines you can use safely. For example, some over-the-counter flu products have medicines to treat a stuffy nose (decongestants), which can raise your blood pressure or even make your blood pressure medicines less effective.
- No medicine can take the place of the flu vaccine.
Reference:
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website: www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/flu.html
Massachusetts Department of Public Health website: www.mass.gov/dph/topics/influenza.htm
