What is Influenza (also known as Flu)?
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can lead to serious
illnesses and complications and sometimes death. Did you know that each year in the United States,
on average:
- 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu
- More than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications
- About 36,000 people die from flu
Influenza Viruses Change Each Year
The best way to help protect yourself from new influenza strains is to get vaccinated each Fall. This year only one shot will be necessary as it will cover seasonal flu and will include influenza H1N1(2009), otherwise known as "Swine Flu". Specific strains covered are :
- A/California/7/2009-like virus, which is the pandemic H1N1 virus that caused so much illness in 2009
- A/Perth/16/2009-like virus (H3N2)
- B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus (B/Victoria lineage)
Flu Symptoms
Flu symptoms can disrupt your work and social plans for up to 2 weeks! These symptoms may include fever, headache, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, extreme tiredness, muscle aches, and stomach
symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea which are more common in younger children.
Complications
Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, sinus and ear infections, dehydration,
and worsening of chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, and congestive heart
failure.
How Flu Spreads
Flu is spread from person to person via coughing or sneezing by someone who has the flu. You
can become infected by touching something with the flu viruses on it and then touching your
mouth or nose. Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms
develop and up to 5 days after becoming ill.
Preventing Seasonal Flu
GET VACCINATED. The Flu Shot is an inactivated vaccine, (containing killed virus), that is given
with a needle. About 2 weeks after vaccination, antibodies develop that protect against the flu.
Flu vaccines will not protect against flu-like illnesses caused by non- influenza viruses.
The recommended time of the year to get a flu shot is early in the flu season (October through November). However, getting a flu shot later in the season (December through March) can still help protect you and your loved ones from influenza.
Injectable influenza vaccines can't give you influenza. But they can prevent it in most cases. Injectable influenza vaccines are made from influenza viruses that have been killed and a killed virus cannot give you influenza. While it is true that getting an influenza vaccination doesn't guarantee you won't become infected with influenza, the vaccine prevents influenza in about 70% to 90% of health people younger than age 65. The effectiveness of influenza vaccine varies depending on 2 factors, your age and health status and the match between the virus strains in the vaccine and the strains in circulation.
Who Should Get Vaccinated
All people aged 6 months and older are now recommended to receive an annual influenza vaccination. Certain
people should get vaccinated annually if they are considered high risk because of the increased
possibility for flu related complications. Others should not get vaccinated before speaking
to their physician. These groups of people are considered to be high risk:
- People aged 50 years or older
- All children between the ages of 6 and 59 months (influenza vaccine is not currently approved for children under 6 months of age)
- People with certain chronic medical conditions
- All women who will be pregnant during the influenza season
- Healthcare workers
- Out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children aged 0-59 months
- Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities
- Children aged 6 months to 18 years on chronic aspirin therapy
Many children aged 6 months through 8 years will need 2 doses of flu vaccine. In the 2010-2011 flu season, children aged 6 months through 8 years should receive 2 doses if:
- they are getting a flu vaccination for the first time, or
- they received only 1 dose of the seasonal flu vaccine last year, or
- they did not receive at least 1 dose of the 2009 H1N1 vaccine last year
All vaccines have potential side effects; however, most people who receive the influenza vaccine do not develop serious problems. The most common side effects of the vaccine include minor soreness or redness at the site of the shot and mild general symptoms. In some people, a vaccine, like any medicine, may cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. The influenza vaccine is not appropriate for those who have had a sever allergic reaction to eggs or to a previous influenza vaccination. Vaccination may not be appropriate if you have a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome.
When You Don't Get a Flu Shot, You're Putting Others at Risk!
For more information about seasonal flu, visit www.cdc.gov/flu. For information about Swine
flu, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.
For information about the seasonal flu vaccine, visit www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm.
You can also reach the CDC by telephone at: 800-CDC-INFO (English and Spanish) or 888-232-6348
(TTY).