Are You Ready For Flu Season?

Don’t let the last bit of warm weather fool you. Before you know it there will be frost on the pumpkin and we will be coming into the beginning phases of the flu season.

The flu is a very contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus that infects the nose, throat, and lungs. It symptoms can be mild with fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose body aches and fatigue. In worst case scenarios it can cause death. One of the best ways of preventing the flu is by getting the vaccine each year.

There are two types of flu vaccines, the traditional flu shot which contains a killed virus and is administered by a needle or the nasal spray flu vaccine which is made with live weakened flu virus.

The nasal spray is approved for use in healthy people ages 2 to 49 years old, who are not pregnant. The traditional flu shot is given in the upper arm for people ages 6 months and older who are healthy and can also be given to people with chronic medical problems and pregnant women.

There is a new intradermal vaccine for people ages 18 to 64 which is injected with a needle into the skin rather than the muscle. This has been made available for the first time this year for 2011-2012.

Yearly flu vaccines are recommended to be started in September and continue throughout the flu season which can last as late as May. Flu season can start in October but usually peaks in January and February.

It’s important to check with your doctor before getting vaccinated. Some people according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should not get vaccinated. These include:

• People who have severe allergy to chicken eggs
• Children younger than 6 months of age
• People who have had a severe reaction to the flu shot in the past
• People with a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome
• This year CVS is offering flu shots on a walk in basis, the price of which is covered by most insurance. If you don’t have insurance the price is $29.95. You must be 18 years or older. The shot is only the traditional shot which is given into the muscle and will be administered by the pharmacist. They also offer the pneumococcal vaccine but the price of that is $89.95.
• Typical side effects from the flu shot include soreness, redness, or swelling at the site of injection low grade fever, and body aches which usually last one to two days. Some people have no reaction at all. The antibodies to the flu which protect against three influenza viruses will develop two weeks after the injection and last for the flu season.
• For those of you who are squeamish around shots, look at it this way, it’s a few seconds of discomfort for a winter without the debilitating symptoms of the flu. Now go get your flu shot.