Protecting Your Health this Winter – What you need to know about flu shots

As the flu epidemic continues to sweep across the nation, it is important you take every precaution to keep your family healthy this winter. Although school has just begun and the first leaves have yet to fall, now is the time to get a flu shot.

This season, you will hear of two types of influenza: the regular seasonal influenza A or B, and the new or novel, H1N1 influenza A. Receiving the seasonal flu vaccine is the most essential key for flu prevention. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggest all children ages 6 months to 18 years receive the seasonal flu vaccine as soon as it is available this September. Because the viruses in the vaccine are not alive, you cannot get the flu from a flu shot.

The CDC recommends the following people get vaccinated this season against the seasonal flu:

• Children ages six months up to their 19th birthday
• Pregnant women
• People 50 years and older
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
• People who live in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities
• People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including health care workers, household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children less than six months of age.

FluMist, a nasal-spray seasonal flu vaccine, is also available for healthy people ages 2-49. This vaccine is made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu. Like all flu vaccines, antibodies that provide protection against the influenza virus develop in the body approximately two weeks after vaccination.

The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the three main influenza strains that research indicates will cause the most illness this year. However, the seasonal flu vaccine will not protect against the H1N1 virus, or novel, swine flu.

Each year, more than 200,000 Americans are hospitalized and 36,000 die from seasonal flu-related complications. According to the CDC, the H1N1 virus is causing greater disease burden than the influenza in people younger than 25, instead of the usual older age group. People at increased risk of complication with H1N1 virus include those with asthma, diabetes, suppressed immune systems, heart disease, kidney disease, neurocognitive and neuromuscular disorders and pregnancy.

While the vaccine is in production, there is not currently an H1N1 vaccine available. Keep in mind that the H1N1 vaccine is not designed to replace the influenza vaccine, so it is imperative you receive the influenza vaccine now.

While H1N1 vaccine supply is not expected to be limited, once it becomes available, those who should receive it first include:

• Pregnant women
• Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than six month
• All people ages 6 months to 24 years
• Persons ages 25-64 who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza.

In addition to the influenza and H1N1 vaccines, there are everyday precautions you should take to prevent illness. Wash your hands frequently, do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth, and avoid close contact with sick people. If you are ill with flu-like symptoms, the CDC recommends that you stay home for 24 hours after your fever is gone except to seek medical attention.

If you do fall ill with the flu, antiviral medications may ease your symptoms and keep the virus from reproducing in your body. These medications are by prescription only, so contact your health care provider.

Taking every precaution to stay healthy this winter is more important than ever. Encourage your family to practice good health habits by washing their hands frequently, staying home when sick and receiving a flu shot.

Gregory Sweat, MD
Medical Officer for the Shawnee Mission Physicians Group