Stay flu-free this year
Immunization is best defense against respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses
With fall officially here, it's time to prepare to combat this year's influenza (the "flu").
Emphasize to your children that they should wash their hands frequently (or use alcohol-based liquid hand sanitizers) at school and at home and to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze to prevent the spread of the influenza virus. It's also a good idea to keep one's distance (at least three feet) from someone who is coughing or sneezing.
Watch for symptoms
Flu is a highly contagious viral infection of the upper respiratory system that peaks in the number of cases in the winter season. An estimated 10 to 20 percent of the population in the U.S. contracts the flu each year.
Symptoms of the flu, which primarily affects the nose, bronchial tubes and lungs, can include a high fever, muscle aches, sore throat and a nonproductive cough.
While the flu can make people of any age ill, young children, especially those under 5 years, and people over 65 are generally the age groups hit the hardest during flu season. The majority of adults and children have symptoms for only a few days, while others may experience a much more serious illness. In the very worst and rare case scenarios, the flu can lead to pneumonia, complicated by bacterial pneumonia and/or death. Always consult your child's physician for a diagnosis.
Flu shots
Immunization is the best way to prevent the disease and flu vaccines are safe. For this season, the government recommends that all children ages 5-18 receive the flu vaccine in addition to all children 6-59 months and older children with underlying medical conditions. It is important for adults who have close contact with children under 5 years and high-risk children to receive the flu shot. Since the vaccine cannot be given to infants younger than 6 months, the only protection for these children is to prevent their contacts from bringing the virus home to them.
Plentiful supplies of flu vaccine will be available this season, but you should still try to get your flu shot as soon as your healthcare practitioner has vaccine on hand because it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to become fully effective in your system.
Even though supplies will be abundant, the following age groups of high-risk people still fall at the top of the priority list as vaccine recipients:
- Children 6-23 months
- People 2-64 with chronic health conditions
- Household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children younger than 6 months
FluMist nasal vaccine is an option
If you or your child are not in a high-risk group, including those with asthma, are between the ages of 2 and 49 years, and you would like to get vaccinated against the flu without receiving a shot, then you can ask your healthcare professional about receiving FluMist, the nasal spray flu vaccine. The vaccine is safe and highly effective.
Want to read more about the flu? Check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site.
Stave off the flu with preventive measures including a flu vaccine.
