| Influenza, or
"flu" is a respiratory infection caused by a virus. It
is easily spread through the air or by direct contact.
Every year, millions of people of all ages are affected. Influenza
causes 36,000 deaths and many more hospitalizations annually in the
United States. Symptoms include fever and
a cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, as well as headache,
muscle aches and fever. Because the flu is caused by a virus,
not a bacteria, it cannot be treated with antibiotics; however,
antiviral medication may shorten the duration of the illness.
The only way
to protect yourself against the flu is to get immunized every
year. Each year, different
strains of the flu circulate, making annual immunization
advisable. Scientists predict
which strains will be the most common in the coming year and put three
of those strains in the vaccine. Flu vaccine is available in an
inactivated, injectable form, and also in a live, activate
intranasal spray (for healthy people ages 5-49 who are not
pregnant.) The flu vaccine does not cause the flu.
The best time
to be vaccinated is October or November. However, getting the
vaccine in December or January is not too late. Protection
against influenza develops about 2 weeks after vaccination, and the flu season in Arizona generally
begins in December and peaks between January and March.
People who
should get the influenza vaccine because they are at increased risk
for complications from the flu include:
- persons
aged >65 years;
- residents
of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities that house
persons of any age who have chronic medical conditions;
- adults
and children who have chronic disorders of the pulmonary or
cardiovascular systems, including asthma (hypertension is not
considered a high-risk condition);
- adults
and children who have required regular medical follow-up or
hospitalization during the preceding year because of chronic
metabolic diseases (including diabetes mellitus), renal dysfunction,
hemoglobinopathies, or immunosuppression (including
immunosuppression caused by medications or by human immunodeficiency
virus [HIV]);
- adults
and children who have any condition (e.g., cognitive dysfunction,
spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, or other neuromuscular
disorders) that can compromise respiratory function or the handling
of respiratory secretions or that can increase the risk for
aspiration;
- children
and adolescents (aged 6 months--18 years) who are receiving
long-term aspirin therapy and, therefore, might be at risk for
experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza infection;
- women
who will be pregnant during the influenza season; and
- children
aged 6--23 months.
Information on the Flu
Season
CDC
Flu Information
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