Facts about the Flu

The flu season is upon us. Here are some facts you might find interesting.

• About 20-50% of the U.S. population gets the flu each season. In North Carolina, the "flu season" usually runs from December through March.
• About 10,000-20,000 Americans, mostly the elderly, the very young, and those who are chronically ill, die each year from flu complications, usually pneumonia. Flu and pneumonia together are the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.
• Flu is spread by person to-person contact, most often by coughing and sneezing, The flu virus can live in the air for as long as three hours.
• The highest incidence of the flu is in 5 to 14 year-olds, though the most serious complications usually occur in older adults.
• The 1918-1919 flu pandemic or global epidemic struck half the world's population and killed 20 million people.

The Flu Shot

• The flu vaccine is licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It is made from highly purified, egg-grown viruses that have been made noninfectious.
• In healthy young adults, the vaccine is 70-90% effective. In the elderly and people with certain chronic illnesses, the vaccine may not prevent the flu, but it does reduce the severity and the risk of complications.
• It takes the immune system about six to eight weeks to respond to the vaccination.

Who Should Get The Vaccine

• People 65 or older.
• People who work with the chronically ill.
• People 6 months and older with certain medical conditions that required hospitalization or regular doctor's visits during the preceding year. These conditions include asthma, anemia, diabetes, or other metabolic diseases, heart disease, kidney disease, lung disease, impaired immune system due to HIV infection, treatment with drugs such as long-term steroids or cancer treatment with radiation or chemotherapy. The recommendation applies to pregnant women.
• Children and teenagers (6 months to 18 years) who must take aspirin regularly and therefore may be at risk of developing Reye's syndrome if they get the flu.
• People with regular close contact with high-risk groups- health care workers, nursing home personnel, home care providers and those who work with children. Police, firefighters and other community service providers may also find the vaccination useful.

Who should Not Get The Vaccine

• People allergic to eggs or other components of the vaccine, including thimerosal.
• People with a history of Guillian-Barre syndrome.
• People with certain other allergies and medical problems such as bronchitis or pneumonia should consult a doctor before getting the flu shot.
• People with a high fever should not receive the vaccine until they feel better.
• Healthy pregnant women may want to consult their health care providers before being vaccinated. The Center for Disease Control recommends waiting until the second or third trimester.

Other Information

• The flu shot cost $5 to $10 at the health department and between $10 to $25 at an urgent care center or doctor's office . Medicare B covers flu shots.
• The vaccine's most common side effect is soreness at the vaccination site for up to two days. Some people may experience fever, malaise, sore muscles and other symptoms resembling the flu; these symptoms can last for one to two days. However, the flu vaccine cant't cause the flu because it contains only inactivated viruses.
• The vaccine should be repeated annually since the immunity is believed to last only about a year and because the vaccine's composition changes each year based on the flu strains scientists expect to be most common. The 2000-20001 vaccine will cover Type A/Moscow, Type A/New Caledonia, and Type B/Beijing.

The best way to keep any virus or bacteria from spreading is to wash your hands often and avoid touching the nose, eyes, and mouth. Also helpful: drinking plenty of fluids; cleaning surfaces such as doorknobs and hand rails; coughing and sneezing into a facial tissue and discarding it immediately; and using a vaporizer to raise a room's humidity level.