Wise Words 09-26-11

Flu Shot: Got yours?

by Dr. Rebecca Wise

Influenza (Flu)

Influenza (or flu) is a highly contagious viral respiratory tract infection. An estimated 5 to 20 percent of the population in the US contract influenza each year and approximately 36,000 of those who get the flu will die from it or from complications. Influenza is characterized by the abrupt onset of fever, muscle aches, sore throat, and a nonproductive cough and can make people of any age ill. Although most people are ill with influenza for only a few days, some have a much more serious illness and may need to be hospitalized. Influenza can also lead to pneumonia and death.

Influenza viruses continually mutate or change, which enables the virus to evade the immune system of its host. This makes people susceptible to influenza infection throughout their lives. The process works as follows:
1. A person infected with influenza virus develops antibody against that virus.
2. The virus mutates or changes.
3. The “older” antibody no longer recognizes the “newer” virus.
4. Reinfection occurs.
The influenza virus is generally passed from person to person by airborne transmission (i.e., sneezing or coughing). But, the virus can also live for a short time on objects, such as doorknobs, pens, pencils, keyboards, telephone receivers, and eating or drinking utensils. Therefore, it may also be spread by touching something that has been handled by someone infected with the virus and then touching your own mouth, nose, or eyes.

Each individual may experience symptoms differently but influenza is considered a respiratory disease. However, the whole body seems to suffer when a person is infected. People usually become acutely ill with several, or all, of the following symptoms: high fever, headache, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing at times, cough (often becoming severe), severe aches and pains, fatigue for several weeks, sometimes a sore throat, extreme exhaustion. The fever and body aches usually last for three to five days, but cough and fatigue may last for two weeks or more. Although nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may accompany the flu, these gastrointestinal symptoms are rarely prominent. “Stomach flu” is an incorrect term sometimes used to describe gastrointestinal illnesses caused by other microorganisms. The symptoms of the flu may resemble other medical conditions. Always consult your doctor for a diagnosis.

Specific treatment for influenza will be determined by your doctor based on your age, overall health, and medical history. It may also depend on the extent and type of influenza, and severity of symptoms; your tolerance for specific medications or therapies; and the expectations for the course of the disease. Since there is no “cure”, the goal of treatment for influenza is to help decrease the severity of symptoms. Treatment may include: OTC medications for aches, fever or congestion. You may also be prescribed a prescription antiviral agent to reduce the duration of the disease, however, these must be taken within the first 48 hours and will not cure the flu, just reduce the severity. You should also get plenty of rest and drink lots of clear fluids.
So, how can the flu be prevented?

Following these precautions is essential:

• When possible, avoid or limit contact with infected persons.

• Frequent hand-washing may reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of infection.

• A person who is coughing or sneezing should cover his or her nose and mouth with a tissue to limit spread of the virus.

Additionally, a new influenza vaccine is introduced each autumn and it is usually recommended for specific groups of people (see below), as well as for persons who want to avoid having the flu. Vaccine effectiveness varies from year to year, depending on the degree of similarity between the influenza virus strains included in the vaccine and the strains that circulate during the influenza season. The 2011-2012 flu vaccine will protect you against three different flu strains, including the 2009 H1N1 virus. Vaccine effectiveness also varies from one person to another, depending on factors such as age and overall health. Every year, the flu shot “cocktail” changes to combat the current strains of influenza affecting the population, however, sometimes, a strain may appear that was not included in the flu vaccine. People who have had the flu shot tend to have milder symptoms even if they contract a less common strain.

Common side effects that can occur after a flu shot are headache or low-grade fever for about a day after receiving the vaccination or soreness in the arm of the injection. Because these mild side effects mimic some influenza symptoms, some people believe the influenza vaccine causes them to get influenza. However, according to the CDC, “influenza vaccine produced in the United States has never been capable of causing influenza because the only type of influenza vaccine that has been licensed in the United States to the present time is made from killed influenza viruses, which cannot cause infection.”
Influenza causes complications that may develop into a more serious disease or become dangerous to some groups, such as elderly people and those with chronic medical conditions. For these reasons, the CDC recommends that the following groups immunize themselves each year. Always consult your doctor for more information regarding who should receive the flu vaccine:

• Persons 50 years old or older

• Children and adolescents six months to 19 years of age

• Residents of nursing homes and any other chronic care facilities that house persons of any age who have chronic medical conditions

• Adults and children who have chronic disorders of the pulmonary or cardiovascular systems, including children with asthma

• Adults and children who have chronic medical conditions like diabetes

• Women who will be pregnant during flu season

• Health care providers

• Employees of nursing homes or home health workers who have contact with patients

• Household members (including children) of persons in high-risk groups

• Persons of any age who wish to decrease their chances of influenza infection

The CDC recommends getting the flu shot every year, between September and mid-November, before the flu season hits (usually December to April). The flu shot takes one to two weeks to become effective. Although there are many new medications designed to treat flu symptoms and even shorten the duration of the illness, the flu vaccine still offers the best protection against the flu.
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This year Lakeside Pharmacy has already received the flu vaccine and is offering it at $25 or your insurance copay – whichever is less expensive for you. Stop by to be vaccinated against the flu any time; no appointment is necessary.

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Wise Words…. is a weekly general medical information column from Dr Rebecca Wise. Dr. Wise has a master’s degree in education as well as her doctorate in pharmacy. She is an adjunct clinical professor at LECOM School of Pharmacy in Erie and a teacher at Great Lakes Institute of Technology. She is the owner/manager at Lakeside Health Mart Pharmacy in Edinboro and can be reached there by phone (814) 734-8500 or email pharmacist@EdinboroRx.com.
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