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Can the Flu Get You?

by Susan Flagg Godbey

Published Dec 2008 in weekly_column | 0 Comments, Talk about this article »

Although flu season “officially” starts in October, it’s not too late for a flu shot, especially for kids. A new study from the University of Rochester Medical Center suggests that vaccinating children could cut their risk of getting the flu in half, preventing up to 650,000 doctor’s office visits to doctors this winter. And protecting them may protect other members of the family.

”“It is incredibly important for all children to receive flu vaccinations, both for themselves and for the people around them,” ,” says Peter Szilagyi, MPH, MD, a professor of pediatrics and community and preventive medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center and one of the study’s coauthors. “If we can keep children from getting sick in the first place, we can prevent the unintentional spread of illness to their loved ones, especially younger siblings under 6 months who can’t receive the vaccine and older grandparents who are at increased risk of complications from the flu.”

Flu season usually peaks in January and February. Here’s what you need to know about this important immunization.

Who needs a flu shot?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends flu shots for all kids ages 6 months to 19 years, as well as for everyone over age 50; anyone who takes care of kids under 6 months; all healthcare workers; anyone with heart disease, lung disease, asthma, or weakened immunity; and anyone who takes care of someone at high risk for serious complications from the flu. The vaccine is also recommended for anyone living in a dormitory or in close quarters with lots of other people. Skip it, however, if you have severe egg allergies (the vaccine virus is grown in eggs), if you’re allergic to any component of the vaccine, or if you’ve had a severe reaction to the vaccine in the past.

If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, act now. It takes two weeks for your body to produce protective antibodies after getting the vaccine. For optimal protection, kKids younger than 9 who are being vaccinated against flu for the first time or who got just one dose last year should have two doses four weeks apart for optimal protection.

Are there any alternatives to shots?

FluMist, the inhaled flu vaccine, is approved for kids and adults ages 2 to 49. Studies show it can cut the risk of infection by 30 percent to 57 percent. It’s not recommended for people with asthma or kids with wheezing problems. Pregnant women and people with weakened immunity should skip it, too, because this vaccine contains live, though weakened, flu virus.

Will a flu shot give me 100 percent protection?

No. At best, the vaccine protects against 70 percent to 90 percent of the flu strains that make people sick in any given year. At worst, protection could be as low as 40 percent to 50 percent if the vaccine’s formula doesn’t include strains that become dominant. So it’s smart to also practice an important backup method of flu protection: Washing washing your hands.

Viral particles can survive for several hours on door handles, faucets, tissues, and virtually any other surface. Water and vigorous scrubbing physically remove them from your hands, so wash up several times a day. When possible, use soap and water. Lather up and rub all surfaces of your hands for 20 seconds (as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice), ); then rinse and dry with a clean paper towel. Any soap will work; , but antibacterial types don’t kill viruses. Be sure to wash before and after making food and before eating a meal; after you’ve sneezed, coughed, or used the bathroom; and when you’ve touched something that others also touch, such as a doorknobs, an appliances, and the phone. Carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing 60 percent to 95 percent ethyl alcohol for times when you can’t get to a sink. These sanitizers work, but old-fashioned soap and water may be your best bet.

Is there anything I can do to make the shot more effective?

Yes. If you’re running a temperature on the day of your shot, the CDC recommends that you reschedule your vaccination for a time when it’s it’s back to normal. Fever is a sign that your immune system is already fighting an infection, so it may be too busy to develop a full arsenal of flu-fighting antibodies. And be sure to get a full night’s sleep for several nights before your flu shot. There’s some evidence that being sleep deprived can lower antibody production by up to 50 percent.

By Susan Flagg Godbey and the editors of Better Health & Living®