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October 2005

Flu Season Is Fast Approaching

Influenza (flu) is a serious disease. It is caused by a virus that spreads from an infected person to the nose or throat of others. Anyone can get the flu. Most people are only sick for a few days, but some get much sicker and may even require hospitalization. Influenza causes thousands of deaths each year, mostly among the elderly.

Here are some guidelines to determine who should get a flu shot. Those  considered high-risk for developing a serious disease includes, but is not
limited to:

  • Adults 65 years of age and older, with or without chronic health conditions
  • Residents of long-term care facilities
  • Health care professionals who provide direct patient care
  • Household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age.
  • Children 6-23 months of age
  • People 2-64 years of age with chronic health problems
  • A woman more than three months pregnant during flu season

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is recommending flu shots go to “priority groups” as recommended last season. To ensure those at the highest risk of complications from influenza have access to the vaccine this season, the CDC recommends people in those priority groups receive the inactivated influenza vaccine until October 24, 2005. Beginning October 24, 2005, all persons should be able to get a flu vaccine.

The best time to receive your flu vaccine is October, November or even December. Healthy people 50-64 years of age, and anyone else who wants to prevent the flu, should receive their flu vaccine in November.

In the United States, the typical flu season ranges from November through March. Typical flu symptoms include any or all of the following: fever, body aches, cough, sore throat, runny nose and a generalized feeling of tiredness. These symptoms are similar to those experienced with other diseases, so it may be difficult to tell by symptoms alone if you have the flu.

One risk of receiving the flu vaccine, like any medicine, is the capability of causing potentially serious problems, such as allergic reactions. The risk is small, but possible. Other mild problems that can be associated with the flu vaccine are: redness, swelling and tenderness at the site of the injection, fever and
generalized aches.

Usually, if and when these problems occur, they begin soon after the shot and last one to two days.

Health care professionals should be knowledgeable about influenza, when the vaccine should be given and what to look for in order to educate their patients.

Cyndi Rohret RN, CRNI, CHPN
Clinical Consultant, Briggs Corporation

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