Melanie wrote: I very rarely comment on emails that are sent to everyone, but, as a person who is required to get a flu shot every year, I have learned many things about the flu and vaccines over the years. The benefits completely and totally outweigh the negatives, especially in people who are prone to illness, due to compromised immune systems, i.e., the elderly, the young (infants and children), people who are asthmatic, people without spleens, those who have just had major surgery, or are recovering from treatment for cancer, teenagers who are active in their schools and work, people who suffer from diabetes, etc. Even after receiving a vaccination for the current flu (the flu mutates and changes over the year, because everyone who catches the flu has different side effects from it), when it is passed from person to person, it mutates according to your body and the person you pass it to. If you have received a flu shot, you might still be suseptible to the flu, but will not get the extreme effects. In other words, you might get the sniffles, a slight sore throat or even a low grade fever. The effects won't be as severe and will last fewer days, than those who haven't been inoculated. If you get the flu, you pass it to more people, so you help to keep the flu season active. It reminds me of the old saying, "I had something and I gave it to two friends, who gave it to two of their friends, who gave it to two of their friends and so on, and so on, and so on..." Please, if you haven't received your flu shot, get one. There are pharmacies with trained pharmacists that can administer the flu shot...they are licensed to do so. There aren't any excuses any more....
Mel
Myrna wrote: I agree. LHT and I are going back to the clinic the a.m. because we heard that they had adapted the new serum to the new strain. I guess I will let you all know if that is true. I just know that I do not want to try to die again this year. Once was enough for me. I get my shots and have even updated the whooping cough and the pneumonia shots. I did not know about Tamiflu. I certainly wish that I had. (When I went, I found out that the strain of serum being given is the best there is and there is no updated version.)
Siovhan wrote: We've talked to DOZENS of Doctors at work and all of them say this strand of vaccine is totally ready for the current virus strand. And they suggest that if you've had pneumonia at all to DEFINITELY get the vaccine because the flu can turn into really bad pneumonia.
Myrna sent this: The flu is getting major coverage in the media this season—and for good reason. With 22,050 reported cases so far this season (26 times more than last year), 47 out of 50 states reporting widespread flu activity, 20 child deaths, and hospital employees in Chicago and cities in four other states getting fired for refusing to get vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control has confirmed it: we're in an epidemic.
Boston and New York State are both in a state of public health emergency, and though the South and Southeast have started to see a decrease in flu cases, CDC director Thomas Friedan said the epidemic will continue for at least several more weeks.
And unfortunately, people age 65 and older represent the overwhelming majority of confirmed flu-associated hospitalizations, says the CDC. So what do you do if you feel it coming on?
We talked to Jonathan Olshaker, MD, Chief, Department of Emergency Medicine at Boston Medical Center, to get practical advice for getting over influenza faster — or avoiding it altogether.
Surprising fact #1: It's not too late to get vaccinated.
The flu season is not over. From 1982 through 2012, flu activity has always hits it peak in February, according to CDC data, and since the vaccine only takes 10 to 14 days to kick in, "it's not too late," says Dr. Olshaker. If your regular doctor doesn't have the vaccine available, you can find a flu-shot provider in your area using HealthMap Vaccine Finder.
Surprising fact #2: The flu shot serum is made with eggs.
People with an egg allergy could have a reaction to the flu shot, since the serum contains small amounts of egg protein. According to the CDC, people who have an allergy to eating eggs should discuss flu vaccination with their doctor, but many egg-allergic individuals can safely receive influenza vaccine. "Benefits of the vaccine are overwhelming," Olshaker says. "Unless you're highly allergic to egg, you'd be crazy not to get it. The vaccine has a 60% success rate in preventing flu, plus it lowers the risk of complications, if you do get it."
Surprising fact #3: There is a way to ease flu symptoms.
If you have flu symptoms — extreme fatigue, high fever, body aches, cough — there's only one surefire way to shorten the duration, according to Dr. Olshaker: a prescription drug called Tamiflu. "If started within the first couple days of symptoms, it shortens duration by 1 to 2 days and it has some effect in reducing risk of complications," he says. Not sure whether you need it? Calling your doctor's office nurse is always a good first step.
Surprising fact #4: Even if get the flu and you feel awful, you probably don't need to go to the hospital.
If you're an average, healthy person and you come down with the flu, Dr. Olshaker says: stay home from work, get lots of sleep, and drink fluids—basically what every grandmother in the history of time would recommend. "The vast majority of flu sufferers don't need to go to doctor," he says. The flu is only life-threatening when you experience complications, he says. To avoid sitting in a hospital or doctor's office when all you really need is rest, look out for the following warning signs:
Trouble breathing or chest pains
Feeling faint (a sign of dehydration)
Extreme shaking chills
Persistent diarrhea (some strains of this year's flu has included gastrointestinal symptoms)
Persistent confusion
Surprising fact #5: In rare cases, the flu can lead to viral meningitis of the brain.
Persistent confusion could be a warning sign that the flu virus has spread to the brain, which could lead to meningitis. Viral meningitis typically isn't deadly, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, but it can cause painful swelling in the brain and spinal cord that harms or destroys nerve cells and causes bleeding in the brain.
