When the weather turns cool and crisp, I look forward to upcoming holiday season. And I also begin recommending the flu vaccine.
Flu season typically starts quietly in October, gains momentum over the holidays, peaks in December-Janurary, and can linger on through May. Like the common cold, the flu is a viral infection: flu hits fast and symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny/stuffy nose, body aches, and fatigue. Some people will have a mild illness, sometimes even without fever! But sometimes flu can cause severe and life-threatening illness.
The seasonal Flu Vaccine is valuable protection from influenza, preventing illness or at least ameliorating symptom severity. Here are some Key Points regarding flu vaccine:
* Your protective antibodies will develop 2 weeks after vaccination, reaching high levels at 4
weeks.
Getting your flu vaccine early in the season (ie. October) will ensure strong antibody levels
during the peak months.
But even getting the shot late in the year is helpful, since flu can last
as late as May.
* You will not "get the flu" from the vaccine, this is true even with the nasal-spray vaccine.
* 3 types of vaccine:
Regular flu shot approved for 6 mo and older.
Nasal-spray flu vaccine (weakened, live virus) for 2 years - 49 years old.
High-dose flu shot approved for people 65 years and older.
* Caution: you should not be vaccinated if you have a severe allergy to chicken eggs or
a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Of course, good habits also protect you and prevent spreading flu:
* Wash your hands frequently! Embrace hand sanitizers or sanitizing wipes!
* Cover your cough!
For more information, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment