Flu typically begins very suddenly--you may even be able to pinpoint exactly when you first felt ill. Fever (temperature generally above 101 degrees F), chills, cough, runny nose, chest tightness, headache, and muscle aches are common. Although nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can sometimes accompany influenza infection, especially in children, gastrointestinal symptoms are rarely prominent. The term "stomach flu" is a misnomer that is sometimes used to describe gastrointestinal illnesses caused by other microorganisms. Acute symptoms usually taper off after three to five days, but recovery is often slow. It may be many days or even several weeks before you are fully back up to speed.
A safe and effective vaccine is available. Although being vaccinated does not guarantee a flu-free season, it does greatly reduce your chances of getting the disease.
Definitely, if you are in a high-risk category:
- are over age 64
- have long-term medical problems involving your heart, lungs, or kidneys
- have diabetes, certain blood abnormalities, or problems with your immune system
- come in close contact with persons who are vulnerable to the flu
Possibly, if you are in a low-moderate risk category, but wish to reduce your chances of acquiring influenza infection and: - are embarking on international travel during the influenza season
- provide essential community services--teaching, student teaching, CER
- wish to minimize disruption of essential activities during influenza outbreaks
- are a student in an institutional setting, residing in a dormitory
- anyone who wants to avoid getting the flu
Since most flu outbreaks don't strike in the United States before December, the best time to be vaccinated is mid-October to mid-November. (It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to take effect.)
Once is not enough: you will need a new flu vaccination every fall. This is because flu viruses change over time--a virus that is common one year may not be common the next--so the viral mixture in the vaccine changes every year.
Yes. There is only one reason to avoid the vaccine: if you have a severe allergy to eggs. (The vaccine is prepared from flu viruses grown in eggs.) Flu viruses are purified and "killed" before being made into vaccine. Therefore, contrary to what you may have heard, flu vaccine cannot cause flu. In addition, flu vaccine is considered safe at any stage of pregnancy. If you are pregnant, your doctor may recommend that you be vaccinated, especially if you will be in the third trimester or early postpartum period during the flu season.
Vaccine efficacy also varies from one person to another. Studies of healthy young adults have shown influenza vaccine to be 70 to 90 percent effective in preventing illness. In the elderly and those with certain chronic medical conditions, the vaccine is often less effective in preventing illness than in reducing the severity of illness and the risk of serious complications and death. Studies have shown the vaccine to reduce hospitalization by about 70 percent and death by about 85 percent in the free-living elderly.
Soreness at the injection site lasting one or two days is the most common complaint. More severe side effects are rare. Some people are not vaccinated because of misperceptions about influenza and the vaccine. They mistakenly perceive influenza as merely a nuisance and believe that the vaccine causes unpleasant side effects or that it may even cause the flu. The truth is that influenza vaccine causes no side effects in most people. Less than one third of those who receive vaccine have some soreness at the vaccination site and about five to ten percent experience mild side effects such as headache or low grade fever for about a day after vaccination. These side effects are most likely to occur in children who have not been exposed to influenza virus in the past.
From: Consultant, 9/95 and CDC
More information about flu can be found on the web at CDC Viral Diseases
