Muscle Aches, Fever, and Cough, Oh My!
Influenza is a respiratory virus that
infects the nose, throat, and lungs. The best way to prevent flu is to get an
annual flu shot.
Flu
symptoms include fever, chills, and cough, sore throat, and muscle aches. Older
people in assisted living centers, young children, pregnant women, and those
with asthma, diabetes, cancer, AIDS, and heart disease have higher risk for
getting the flu.
People sick with flu can infect others a day before
symptom onset and five to seven days after getting sick. Young children and
those with weakened immune systems could
infect others for a longer period of time.
Flu complications include bacterial pneumonia, ear and sinus infection, dehydration, and
worsening of chronic medical conditions, including heart failure, asthma, and diabetes.
There
are three types of flu vaccines. Inactivated,
which contains the killed virus, injected into the upper arm. It is approved
for people age six months and older, including healthy people with long-term medical
conditions and pregnant women. This is the bulk of vaccine supply.
Nasal
spray vaccine is an option for healthy people two
to forty nine years of age and women who aren’t pregnant. Those who live with
or care for people in a high risk group can receive nasal-spray vaccine if they
are healthy and not pregnant. An exception is health care providers who care
for people with weakened immune systems or who are hospitalized. In this case,
the inactivated vaccine is recommended.
A high-dose vaccine for people sixty five and older which also is intramuscular. This vaccine was first made available during the 2010-2011 season.
A high-dose vaccine for people sixty five and older which also is intramuscular. This vaccine was first made available during the 2010-2011 season.
Those
who should not be vaccinated include people
with chicken egg allergy, those who have had a severe reaction to an influenza
vaccination in the past, and children younger than six months. People who have
a severe illness or fever should wait to get vaccinated till symptoms improve
or resolve.
Questions? Contact Dr. Clem at clementhanson.blogspot.com