Doctors urge residents to get flu vaccine
Published: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 5:24 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 5:24 p.m.
With the weather beginning to cool down, the season of the sniffles is about to begin.
Doctors are urging Louisiana residents to get the flu shot to protect themselves, coworkers, friends and family from the disease.
The virus changes itself genetically every single year, and doctors have to regularly alter vaccines to keep up with the flu, said Frank Welch, state immunization director.
"It's a very smart bug," Welch said. "That's why it's important every single year to get a flu shot."
The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that anyone over the age of 6 months should get a flu shot. Vaccines are available at many doctors' offices, pharmacies, hospitals and health clinics.
Welch said getting your annual vaccine is important because the flu is one of the most common illnesses people get. But the seriousness of the disease can vary, sometimes putting you in bed for a few days with a fever and sniffles or sometimes causing complications that can put you in the hospital or even kill you.
Studies have found that people who get flu shots are present for five more school or work days than people who don't, Welch added.
Flu season in the U.S. typically begins in October but doesn't peak in Louisiana until January, Welch said. But the disease is often unpredictable and can strike at any time.
The flu can be more serious than many people realize, Welch said. Every year, more than 250,000 Americans are hospitalized with the flu and 36,000 people die from the virus.
Vaccination is especially important for those who are at a higher risk of developing flu-related complications, including:
n Children younger than age 5
n Adults 65 and older
n Pregnant women
n People who have a weakened immune system or chronic medical conditions such as obesity, asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease.
But it's also important for the people who interact with those vulnerable populations to get vaccinated too, such as caregivers of the elderly, ill or children too young for the shot.
Mimia Brown, 33, a Thibodaux resident, said she and her children have asthma. The family makes it a point to get flu shots every year.
"My children and I have never had the flu and don't intend on getting it," Brown said. "We also get the pneumonia vaccine every five years. Before receiving the pneumonia vaccine my youngest and I were hospitalized due to the illness. If I can prevent my children from being hospitalized with a vaccine, we will always be the first in line."
Many readers said they do not get the flu shot because they worry about the chemicals in the shot or developing complications from it. Many worried that you could get the flu from the shot.
"I was sick for a few days after having my first flu shot," said Daisy Thompson, 28, a resident of Sunset. "We actually do not get the shot anymore because we are not in a high-risk category, nor are we in the position to expose someone who is high risk."
She said if she was at higher risk of developing complications from the flu she might change her mind, but for now she avoids all unnecessary vaccines.
Welch said one of the questions he's most frequently asked is whether you can get the flu from the flu shot.
"Mostly, the answer is no," he said.
You need the whole virus to get the flu, and the shot only contains specific pieces of the flu virus' genetic material, Welch said. The nasal spray vaccine does contain the virus, but in a severely weakened form, he said. Some people get an extremely mild form of the flu from the spray.
But usually people who think they got sick from the flu virus probably caught an illness unrelated to the vaccine before they got the shot, Welch said.
Suzanne Hubbell, 34, a resident of Prarieville, said she nearly died from acute respiratory distress syndrome, a condition that prevents oxygen from getting into the lungs and the blood. She got it from a hospital-acquired infection, but she said many people develop it as a complication from the flu.
She now supports flu shots.
"Educate and inform yourselves about the shot before jumping to any conclusions," Hubbell said. "The flu shot could absolutely save your life or the life of any immune-compromised person you are around daily. Ignorance about this issue isn't bliss. It could be deadly."
With the holiday season approaching, lots of illnesses will be passed around, Welch said.
To keep yourself healthy this flu season, wash your hands often with soap and water, and avoid touching your nose and mouth, which can spread germs. Disinfect surfaces such as door knobs, faucets, phones and keyboards. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and avoid contact with sick people.
If you do get sick, stay home until you're fever free without medication for at least 24 hours.
Nikki Buskey can be reached at 857-2205 or email@example.com.
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