By Brianne Fitzgerald, RN, MPH

     The flu is a contagious respiratory illness that is caused by the influenza virus.  It causes mild to severe to life threatening disease.  The flu is much more serious than the common cold and upper respiratory infection.  The most common flu symptoms include fever (greater than 101), headache, and muscle aches, extreme fatigue (to the point where it is almost impossible to get up and go about your daily activities), cough, and sore throat and runny nose.  Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are rare in the flu.  There is no such thing as the “stomach flu”.  That is an incorrect term sometimes used to describe a gastrointestinal illness caused usually by bacteria, not a virus.  The flu lasts from a few days to a couple of weeks.  The best way to prevent the flu is to get the flu vaccine and wash your hands as often as you can.  Each year in The United States between 5% and 20% of the population get the flu.  More than 200.000 are hospitalized with complications and on average 36,000 people die from the flu each year.

     Each year a new flu vaccine is developed in response to last year’s flu.  This year’s flu vaccine will cover against three of the most common flu’s.  Influenza A and B viruses are the two types of flu that can cause epidemic disease.  They are constantly mutating (changing) to avoid being destroyed by a healthy human immune system.  This is a good reason to make sure that you get the flu shot every year.

     Since the early 1900’s there have been three flu pandemics (worldwide epidemics).  The Spanish flu in 1918 killed 20 million people, 500,000 in the US.   Most of those were healthy young people between the ages of 15-44.  The Asian flu of 1957-58 killed 70,000 in the US and the Hong Kong flu of 1968-69 caused 34,000 deaths in the United States.  The avian flu, or “flu bird” (bird flu) as they called it in Cambodia last year when I was there appears not to have reached epidemic proportions in Asia where it originated.  However, the people whom I encountered in rural Cambodia were aware and quite concerned about it.  It is this writer’s opinion that the estimates of current cases are under-reported because in many developing countries there is no accurate way to count cases of this disease.

     The flu shot is the best way to decrease your chances of catching the flu.  It is particularly recommended for those who are at increased risk of the flu and those in contact with them.  This includes those aged 6-23 months and those in contact with them, those 65 years and above, people of any age with heart, lung, kidney disease, diabetes, medication induced immunosupression and HIV/aids, anemia, residents of nursing homes, women who will be more than 3 months pregnant during flu season, (the vaccine has been deemed safe for pregnant women beyond the first three months and nursing mothers)children and teen on long term aspirin therapy, healthcare workers, teachers and those who spend large amounts of time with at risk individuals.  That includes just about all of us.  Do you take the T to work?  Get the flu vaccine.  Do you work in the mall, the courts, for the New England Patriots?  Get the flu vaccine.  Unless you are a contemplative in a monastery, get the flu vaccine.

     Do not get the flu vaccine if you are allergic to eggs (the influenza used in the vaccine is grown in hens eggs) or any other vaccine component.  You will know if you are allergic to vaccines, because you will have experienced a reaction prior to 2005.  If you are sick with a fever it is recommended that you do not get the vaccine during this acute illness.  The rational for this directive is that during an acute (current) illness your immune system is compromised and the body may not be able to mount a response to the vaccine and thus build up antibodies for protection against the flu, or the person might also get sicker with their current illness.

     One does not ever get the flu from the flu shot.  U.S flu vaccine is made from killed influenza.  It cannot make you sick, but your body is able to recognize that the flu is present (killed) and build up the appropriate antibodies to fight the flu off during flu season.  Some people who have not had the flu shot before (including children) and who have not been exposed to the influenza virus may experience mild flu-like symptoms within 6 to 12 hours after receiving the injection.  Symptoms may last upwards of 48 hours.   This is normal and should not be confused with getting the flu, nor is it an allergic reaction.

     The  most common reaction after getting the flu shot is soreness at the injection site that can last for a couple of days, but does not affect one’s ability to perform daily activities.  A true allergic reaction occurs within minutes and requires the use of emergency support.  Anaphylaxis’s is a medical emergency that starts with tightness in the chest and difficulty breathing.  It is wise to remain on site where you received your flu vaccine for 5-15 minutes as a precaution.  If you have had flu shots in the past your chances of an anaphylactic reaction is almost non existent.  More on the flu next week.  Bfitz38@msn.com