Get With the Flu Vaccine Program 
Compared to last year, there’s an increase in the number of people who have
influenza.
The current flu vaccine is about sixty two percent effective
in preventing flu. On the other hand, about thirty eight percent of Americans
who get the vaccine could get sick with the flu.
An increase in flu cases caused a wave of people flooding
hospitals in the North East. The Boston mayor declared a public health
emergency on January ninth.
Deaths due to flu in one hundred twenty two “benchmark
cities” rose to seven percent on January fifth.
Good news. The number of
states reporting high levels of “ILI” (influenza like illness) decreased from
twenty nine to twenty four. There were fewer people with flu-like symptoms
visiting doctors’ offices during December.
Let’s review misconceptions and rumors about flu vaccine.
The flu is annoying but harmless. Flu symptoms include congestion,
cough, muscle ache, and fever. Seasonal flu hospitalizes two hundred thousand
people in the U.S.. It kills up to forty
nine thousand people every year.
Swine flu is transmitted by pork. You can’t get the flu by eating
pork.
Flu vaccine can give you the flu. Injectable flu vaccine includes
components of dead flu virus. “Flu Mist,” the inhaled the version, includes
inactivated (not functional) virus.
There is no treatment for the flu. Tamiflu, a pill, and Relenza, an inhaled
mist, prevent flu if taken within forty eight hours of symptom onset. They
decrease sickness duration one to two days and decrease contagiousness.
Antibiotics kill the flu virus. Antibiotics fight bacterial infections. They do not
kill the flu virus.
Only elderly people should get flu
vaccine. People
over age sixty five have the greatest risk for death. However, children under
two years have the highest flu-related hospitalization rates.
If you get the flu, you can’t get it
again during that flu season. Flu
infection is due to two types of virus, Type A and B. This year’s vaccine
covers both type A and Type B virus.
You can skip years between flu
vaccinations. Every year, the vaccine flu strains
change. Therefore the vaccine changes every year. The vaccine has prevented
more illness and death than other remedies or non-vaccine treatments.
If you haven’t gotten the current
flu vaccine by November, there’s no point getting vaccinated. Flu vaccine is still available. The greatest number of flu
cases occurs February through early March.
Questions? Contact
Dr. Clem at clementhanson.bogspot.com
