Influenza, commonly known as “the flu,” is an infectious virus. The most common symptoms are chills, fever, runny nose, sore throat, coughing, muscle pain and general discomfort. In rare cases, it can cause nausea, vomiting and severe headache.
Because it is a virus, antibiotics are not effective against the flu. It is, however, one of the few viruses against which immunization is possible. The immunizations are not designed to prevent you from getting the flu. They are, instead, designed to keep you from getting such a severe case of the flu that you end up on a ventilator in a critical care unit – or worse. The flu, in fact, can be deadly in some cases.
Certain groups are at greater risk for developing such a severe case. The very young and the very old, as well as those with diabetes or those with compromised immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis B or C, are especially vulnerable. Those with breathing issues such as COPD or Emphysema and those with multiple allergies tend to develop more serious cases of the illness than the average person.
According to Sue Boggler, an RN and Infection Preventionist at Yavapai Regional Medical Center in Prescott, “Sometimes it’s not so clear cut. Some people, for some reason, just seem to pick up the flu bug more easily than others. Also, someone who has a mild cold when they get the virus can develop a worse case of the flu than someone who was healthy at the time they came in contact with it.”
Although the “flu season” tends to run from the first part of October through the first part of April, it can be unexpectedly longer or shorter from year to year. “Last year, for example, I was seeing flu all the way into July,” Boggler said.
Each year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Washington, D.C. works hard to project what sort of flu strain will be with us and to prepare a vaccine that will be as effective as possible against that projected strain.
“Viruses are living, breathing, multiplying life forms,” Boggler said. “They mutate. They evolve. Each year, we’re not sure what kind of flu we are going to be dealing with. It’s a bit of an educated guessing game, since we know what we’ve seen in the past. We also have some forewarning from places such as Southeast Asia, which tends to be affected earlier in the year than we are.”
This year, she points out, it is not as clear what strain or strains will be seen and which might be the more deadly. In such cases, the CDC will combine strains. The vaccine that will cover the 2013-2014 seasons will be effective against four different types of Type A influenza.
“The amount of flu vaccine that is created each year is based on how many people got flu shots in the previous year, along with other criteria,” Boggler said. “But we do not have a flu vaccine shortage this year.”
She also notes that someone who wishes to get a flu immunization has options. Contact your primary care physician. Many local pharmacies offer immunization. Local health departments will often have immunization resources. The cost of a shot is very minimal and covered by most health insurance plans. Those without health insurance can contact the Yavapai County Health Department and receive free flu shots through a government program.
Almost everyone is a good candidate for getting a flu shot, but it is a good idea to call your primary care physician and ask whether there is any reason why you should not get the shot. The flu vaccine is developed using a base that comes from eggs. Anyone who is allergic to eggs probably will be allergic to the vaccine as well. There is also a questionnaire that each recipient must fill out before receiving the vaccine and that questionnaire is designed to help screen out those who should not be getting the shot.
Boggler is very adamant in her response to the reasoning that some people have for avoiding the shot, saying the vaccine “gives you the flu.”
“The vaccine will not give you the flu,” she said, emphatically. “The vaccine contains a dead virus. The flu shot is designed to help your own body to develop antibodies against the flu virus. The facts are that flu can be deadly and being immunized against it is safe and overwhelmingly effective.” QCBN
Written by Kenneth Boush, Yavapai Regional Medical Center
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