Don’t Let the Flu Bug Bite

Flu season is again on its way, and will probably arrive in Houston just after the December holidays. By far, the best defense against this illness is to get a flu shot.

In the United States, the flu is responsible for around 114,000 hospitalizations and 20,000 deaths each year. Although most flu occurs in children, it is most dangerous to people over 65 years of age or people with medical conditions that make them more likely to have flu complications. Flu complications include pneumonia or worsening of acute or chronic respiratory diseases.

The Houston VA Medical Center began administering flu shots to veterans in mid-September. Flu shots are highly recommended for those over 50; those with chronic heart or lung diseases including asthma; those with metabolic diseases like diabetes, renal disease, hemoglobinopathies; or those whose immune systems are suppressed due to medications or HIV; nursing home residents or residents of other care facilities that treat patients with chronic medical conditions; and women in their second or third semester of pregnancy.

The Houston VA Medical Center staff takes seriously the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that all employees who work with people at high risk of flu and its complications get flu shots. To date, the hospital has had a successful employee vaccination program.

Flu viruses change enough each year that everyone must get the newest flu vaccine, in order to remain immune. However, last year’s vaccine won’t last through this year, nor will it match the flu virus strains expected to circulate this coming flu season.

It’s often reported that people refuse the flu shot because it made them sick once. There are two explanations for this.

First, the vaccine is made of dead vaccine material and can’t make you sick, but the body does not know the difference between the vaccine material and the live flu virus. As a result, the body fights the vaccine with a slight temperature that may cause some aches and pains like a real cold. This is a natural response of the body and is stronger in some people than in others. Remember – if a body responds to this little bit of vaccine material, imagine what it would do with an invading army of aggressive prolific virus.

The other reason flu shots are blamed for making someone sick is timing. When a flu shot is given, there are usually other cold viruses “marching” through Houston. Many times, a shot is given the day or two before someone comes down with an unrelated cold. This is just unlucky timing, and not related to the vaccine.

For questions about candidacy for a flu shot, talk to a primary care provider. They can help you decide whether or not flu vaccination is a viable option.

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URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/12_01_02/page_17.html