Flu Q&A 2008-09
HOUSTON -- (November 5, 2008) -- This list provides answers to commonly asked questions about flu.
Why is flu season when it is?
The virus spreads better during cold weather. Kids are in school and more likely to spread it with so much interaction.
When is the best time to get a flu shot?
The best time to get a flu shot is the period between Labor Day and Thanksgiving.
What if I don't get my flu shot then? Is it too late?
It is never too late to get the flu shot, unless you already have the flu.
How long does it take before I am protected?
With the shot, it will take 10 to 14 days for immunity. With the FluMist nasal spray vaccine, protection is practically immediate.
Who is at most risk for getting the flu?
There are three categories of people who are at most risk, including:
- People with chronic medical conditions, especially asthma
- Very young (younger than two years old) and the elderly (older than 65 years)
- Health care workers
People in the same household with those at high-risk should also be vaccinated.
When exactly is flu season?
We will see most cases after the start of the New Year, with the peak in February. But, we don't really know exactly when it will start. It could start as early as October or as late as March.
What is the flu strain this season?
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the vaccines for the 2008–09 season will include coverage for A/Brisbane/59/2007(H1N1)-like virus; A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like virus; and B/Florida/4/2006-like virus. These viruses will be used because they are representative of influenza viruses that are anticipated to circulate in the United States during the 2008–09 influenza season.
How are flu types named?
The names reflect the areas where the viruses were first identified. For example, a virus identified by the Baylor Flu Center in October 1991 was named A/Texas.
Will there be a flu epidemic this season?
There is a flu epidemic every season, but some seasons are worse than others. It generally starts in mid-December and fades in March, even though there are isolated cases before and after that. Even mild flu epidemics are the most important cause of acute respiratory illness that results in medical care.
What happens if there are two different strains of flu in one season?
We can never really predict how many strains of flu there will be and by the time we find another strain in the middle of the flu season, it is too late to make a vaccine for the new one. We hope that the vaccine will have some cross protection against the new strain.
What if I get the flu? Are there medications?
There are four medications that a person can take if they have the flu or are at high risk for the flu. Two are specifically for strain A and the other two are effective for both strains. If a person shows signs of the flu, antiviral drugs for prevention and treatment are available, but should not be used as a substitute for the flu shot or FluMist. For maximum effectiveness, they should be taken within 48 hours of feeling symptoms. Amantadine and Rimantadine treat only Influenza A and Zanamivir and Oseltamivir treat both Influenza A and B. Amantadine and rimantadine are not recommended for use against influenza A(H3N2) viruses but may be useful if A(H1N1) viruses predominate.
Is there enough vaccine this year?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 143 million to 146 million doses will be available for this year’s flu season, although we don't really know from year to year if there will be enough. 285 million people should be getting the vaccine, including people at high risk and their caretakers and household contacts. That is approximately 85% of the US population. Last year, about 40 million doses were not used.
Are there other options if I don't like needles?
FluMist is a nasal spray vaccine made with the live attenuated virus, is available for healthy people ages 2 to 49 and is sprayed once in each nostril. A single dose provides almost immediate protection against the flu. It works against both A and B types of influenza. It usually gives broader coverage against new variants that sometimes appear after the vaccine formula is set.
Should flu vaccines be repeated annually?
Yes. The protection lasts only one season. And, influenza viruses continually mutate or change, making people susceptible to the flu throughout their lives. It is important to remember, the flu vaccine is not a guarantee against getting the flu. It reduces your chances and lessens the severity of the illness should you become sick.
Which flu season was the most severe?
The 1918 worldwide flu epidemic infected over 500 million people, and killed 50 million. In the United States, more than 500,000 died. The 1918 flu epidemic killed more people in less time than any disease in modern history. It ranks with the Black Death of the 14th century as one of the few events in recorded history to reduce the population of the earth by as much as one percent.
We now know that the Spanish flu of the 1918 pandemic mutated from an avian influenza virus.
Can you get the flu from taking a flu shot?
There is no live virus in the inactivated vaccine so you can't get the flu from the shot. Only a few people who get flu shots experience a low-grade fever and mild aches and pains, but they do not have the flu, which has much more severe symptoms. Others will experience nothing more than a sore arm from the shot. The nasal spray vaccine may cause a stuffy nose or slight sore throat but does not produce fever in adults.
It takes about two weeks for the shot to impart full immunity, so it is possible that a recently vaccinated person could still catch the flu. The timing might make that person mistakenly think it was the shot that caused the illness.
Also, it is possible that the person getting the shot had already been exposed to the flu or some common cold virus. Cold viruses have peak activity in autumn, coinciding with the time when flu shots are given.
Is there such a thing as stomach flu?
Yes, but it is caused by gastroenteritis viruses like the norovirus virus. Influenza is a respiratory illness, not an intestinal illness. Diarrhea and vomiting, for example, are not typical symptoms caused by influenza viruses.
Sometimes the label 'stomach flu' may be used to describe illness caused by an enteric virus like rotavirus, enterovirus or a norovirus. Symptoms include vomiting and/or diarrhea with fever and nausea. Noroviruses cause a 'winter vomiting disease.' Rotavirus has the same seasonal occurrence as influenza.
Many people use the term 'flu' to describe any kind of respiratory or winter illness they get. Sometimes you hear someone say, I had the flu, but I went to work anyway. If that person really had influenza, it is highly unlikely he or she would have been able to go to work. Certainly the person had some illness, but it was more likely a cold or some other malady less severe than the flu.
What should you do if you catch the flu?
- Take antiviral medications within 48 hours of onset of symptoms.
- Get plenty of bed rest.
- Drink lots of fluids.
- Take aspirin or an aspirin substitute for the aches and pains and to bring down fever. Children who catch the flu (or chicken pox) should not take aspirin because it has been associated with Reyes (pronounced RISE) syndrome. Reyes syndrome can cause vomiting, convulsions, brain damage and even death. Children can safely take acetaminophen-containing medicine for fever.