What does the
fall season mean to you? Back to school, cool temps, changing leaves, the
flu?
If you protect
yourself with a flu shot, you may be able to avoid getting sick with the
flu and instead enjoy all that the fall season offers.
In the U.S.,
flu season usually runs from October through May. If you are 50 or older,
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends you
get a flu shot every year.
Are You at Increased
Risk?
Even though
the flu is a common illness, it can be dangerous. According to the CDC,
226,000 people end up in the hospital every year because of the flu and
about 36,000 of them die. That is why getting a flu shot is so important.
This is especially true for people who are at risk for complications from
the flu. You're at increased risk if you:
-
are age 50 or older
-
live or work in a nursing home
or facilities where people are chronically ill
-
have a chronic health problem
like diabetes, kidney lungheart disease, anemia, blood disorders, or asthma
-
have an illness like HIV/AIDS
or get medical treatment, like chemotherapy, that weakens your immunity
and keeps you from fighting infections
-
are a healthcare worker
-
take care of or live with someone
in a high-risk group listed above
Those at
risk of getting very sick from the flu should get a shot as early as possible.
October or November is best but you can still get a shot in December or
later.
Flu Symptoms
The flu is an
infection caused by a virus. When you get the flu, you might have a fever,
chills, body aches, a dry cough, headaches, and sometimes a sore throat
or runny nose. You also might feel extremely tired.
Flu viruses
can pass through the air and enter your body through your nose or mouth.
You can catch the flu if you're around an infected person who coughs or
sneezes. You can also get it by touching the same surface that someone
with the flu has touched, like a telephone or doorknob. The germs on that
surface can pass from your hand to your nose or mouth.
The risk of
getting infected is greater in closed-in areas, and areas where there are
a lot of people. You can avoid picking up some of the germs by washing
your hands often and keeping them away from your nose and mouth.
Best Prevention
Your best prevention
from the flu is to get the flu vaccine every year. A flu shot (or vaccine)
can prevent between 70 percent and 90 percent of flu illnesses, according
to the CDC. It is also 80 percent effective in preventing death.
However, it
will not prevent non-flu illnesses that have similar symptoms to the flu.
The flu shot
contains dead flu viruses; you can't get the flu by receiving a flu shot.
It takes about two weeks for the shot to start protecting you against the
flu. Since the shot doesn't guarantee 100 percent protection, there is
still a slight chance you could get it. But, if you do catch it, you won't
become as sick as you would without the shot.
A flu shot is
safe for most people. However, some people, like those who are allergic
to eggs, shouldn't get a flu shot since it contains egg protein. Talk to
your doctor if you're not sure whether to get the shot. If you should experience
any allergic reaction to the shot, such as trouble breathing or swelling
of your lips or tongue, call 911 or go immediately to a hospital emergency
room.
Where to Get
a Flu Shot?
You can get
a flu shot at your doctor's office or a local clinic. Sometimes you can
get one where you work.
Supermarkets
and drugstores also offer flu shots in many communities. If there are delays
getting the shot in your community, be sure to get one as soon as it becomes
available.
To locate a
flu shot clinic in your area, please access the Flu Clinic Locator or call
the CDC hotline at 1-800-232-2522.
Side Effects
and Safety
A flu shot is
safe for most people. Side effects from the vaccine are rare. You could
experience soreness on the area where you received the shot, a mild fever
and/or body aches. The discomfort should go away in a day or two.
Very rarely
people might have more serious side effects, like an allergic reaction.
If you experience any allergic reaction to the shot, such as trouble breathing
or swelling of your lips or tongue, call 911 or go immediately to a hospital
emergency room.
Alternatives
for Those Under 50
Healthy people
under age 50 can now choose to take the flu vaccine as a nasal spray mist,
rather than a shot in the arm. Unlike the flu shot, which contains the
dead virus, the nasal spray contains a weakened live virus.
For this reason,
people with weakened immune systems or chronic health conditions, women
who are pregnant, and people age 50 and older, should receive the flu shot
and not the nasal spray.
The flu can
be a serious illness. But you can take action to protect yourself. Get
a flu shot. Prevention is the best medicine!
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Copyright
2007 by United Press International.
All rights reserved.
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