Influenza is a contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus which infects many parts of the body, including the lungs. Someone who has the flu spreads the virus by sneezing, coughing, or even talking. Flu may be transmitted by direct hand contact.
What happens when you get the flu?
fever, chills, weakness, loss of appetite, and aching of the head, back, arms, legs.
also, may have a sore throat and a dry cough, nausea, and burning eyes.
temperature may rise to 104° F, but after two or three days the fever goes away.
often the person continues to feel tired and sick for several days.
sometimes the person can have complications, such as dehydration or pneumonia.
Is the flu serious?
For healthy children and adults, influenza is typically a moderately severe illness. Most people are back on their feet within a week.
For people who have chronic health problems such as diabetes, asthma, heart or lung problems, influenza can be very severe and even fatal. These people are often considered to be at high risk.
Who gets the flu?
Anyone can get the flu.
Who should receive the the flu vaccine?
People who should receive flu vaccine include those at risk of complications if they get influenza disease, and adults and children who live, work, or may come in contact with people at high risk. These groups specifically include:
All children 6-59 months of age
Women who will be pregnant during the influenza season;
Persons aged 2-64 years with chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, lung disease (including asthma), kidney disease, or diabetes
Children and adolescents (aged 6 months--18 years) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy, to prevent the risk of Reyes’ syndrome;
Persons with certain muscle or nerve disorders (such as seizure disorders or severe cerebral palsy) that can lead to breathing or swallowing problems,
Persons with weakened immune systems due to HIV/AIDS or other diseases affecting the immune system, long term treatment with drugs such as steroids or cancer treatment with x-rays or drugs.
Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities that house persons of any age who have chronic medical conditions; and
All persons aged 65 years and older, with or without chronic medical conditions
Persons aged 50 - 64 years should be vaccinated because of an increased risk for influenza-associated clinic, emergency department, or hospital visits, particularly if they have a high-risk medical condition
Flu vaccine is strongly recommended for:
Healthy household contacts and caregivers of children aged 0--59 months and persons at high risk for severe complications from influenza and
Health care workers.
HIGH-RISK PEOPLE should have a flu shot every fall because:
Influenza viruses usually change each year.
It takes about 2 weeks after the shot for your body to develop the most protection, then the protection gradually wears off.
Flu shots are 70 - 90% effective in preventing the flu or at least reducing the symptoms.
What about reactions to the vaccine?
Most people have little or no reaction to the vaccine.
One in four might have a swollen, red, tender area where the vaccination was given.
A much smaller number, more children than grownups, might also develop a slight fever within 24 hours and many have chills, headache, or feel a little sick.
People who already have a respiratory disease may find their symptoms worsened. Usually none of these reactions lasts for more than a couple of days.
Allergies.
Adverse reactions to the vaccine have been observed in some people. These could be due to an egg protein allergy, since the egg in which the virus is grown cannot be completely extracted. These people should be vaccinated only if their own physician believes it necessary and if the vaccine is given under close observation by a physician.
How are flu and its complications prevented?
A vaccination encourages the body's immune system to develop and immunity to the influenza virus types in the vaccine.
Influenza vaccines are made yearly, so they contain influenza viruses expected that year.
Someone vaccinated can not get influenza from the vaccine.
A prescription drug Amantadine can be used before flu symptoms start, as a preventive. For prevention it must be taken daily as long as flu cases continue to occur in a community.
This is also a good time to check your immunization record for the date of your last tetanus-diphtheria (or Td) booster. A pertussis containing vaccine, Tdap, was licensed in September, 2005 and is available for anyone 11-64 years old who has not had a Td booster in at least 2 years. This can be given at the same visit as you flu shot if possible. Td vaccine was in short supply in 2001 and 2002, and many people were unable to get the dose they needed at that time. Now that the Td supply has returned to normal, you should be able to get the Td or Tdap dose you missed.
How are flu and its complications treated?
For uncomplicated flu, your doctor will probably tell you to stay in bed at home as long as the sickness is severe and perhaps for about two days after the fever is gone.
Amantadine, is useful for treating someone who has just come down with influenza A. Your doctor decides whether to use Amantadine either for prevention or treatment.
Amantadine sometimes causes side effects such as difficulty in sleeping, shaking, or depression; these are usually mild and often go away even when the medicine is continued. The treatment of complications varies with the illness. If you should develop a complication, see your doctor.
Can you have a recurrence of flu?
A person can have influenza more than once. Here's why:
The virus that causes influenza may belong to 1 of 3 different flu virus families. Influenza A and influenza B are the major families.
Within each flu virus family there are many viral strains.
Both A and B strains cause illnesses of varying severity. The influenza A family has more virulent strains than the B family.
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Flu Information For the Health Care Workers
Healthy persons who are clinically or asymptomatically infected can transmit influenza virus to persons at higher risk for complications from influenza. In addition to HCP, groups that can transmit influenza to high-risk persons and that should be vaccinated include
employees of assisted living and other residences for persons in groups at high risk;
persons who provide home care to persons in groups at high risk;
and household contacts (including children) of persons in groups at high risk.
In addition, because children aged <5 years are at increased risk for influenza-related hospitalization compared with older children, vaccination is recommended for their household contacts and out-of-home caregivers. Because influenza vaccines have not been approved by FDA for use among children aged <6 months, emphasis should be placed on vaccinating contacts of children aged <6 months. When vaccine supply is limited, priority for vaccination should be given to contacts of children aged <6 months.
Healthy persons aged 5–49 years in these groups who are not contacts of severely immunosuppressed persons (see Vaccination of Close Contacts of Immunocompromised Persons) may receive either LAIV or TIV. All other persons should receive TIV.
All HCP, as well as those in training for health-care professions, should be vaccinated annually against influenza. Persons working in health-care settings who should be vaccinated include physicians, nurses, and other workers in both hospital and outpatient-care settings, medical emergency-response workers (e.g., paramedics and emergency medical technicians), employees of nursing home and chronic-care facilities who have contact with patients or residents, and students in these professions who will have contact with patients.
Facilities that employ HCP should provide vaccine to workers by using approaches that have been demonstrated to be effective in increasing vaccination coverage. Health-care administrators should consider the level of vaccination coverage among HCP to be one measure of a patient safety quality program and obtain signed declinations from personnel who decline influenza vaccination for reasons other than medical contraindications (309). Influenza vaccination rates among HCP within facilities should be regularly measured and reported, and ward-, unit-, and specialty-specific coverage rates should be provided to staff and administration. Studies have demonstrated that organized campaigns can attain higher rates of vaccination among HCP with moderate effort and using strategies that increase vaccine acceptance.
Efforts to increase vaccination coverage among HCP are supported by various national accrediting and professional organizations and in certain states by statute. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health-Care Organizations has approved an infection control standard that requires accredited organizations to offer influenza vaccinations to staff, including volunteers and licensed independent practitioners with close patient contact. The standard became an accreditation requirement beginning January 1, 2007. In addition, the Infectious Diseases Society of America recently recommended mandatory vaccination for HCP, with a provision for declination of vaccination based on religious or medical reasons. Fifteen states have regulations regarding vaccination of HCP in long-term–care facilities, three states require that health-care facilities offer influenza vaccination to HCP, and three states require that HCP either receive influenza vaccination or indicate a religious, medical, or philosophical reason for not being vaccinated.
All information is general in nature and is not intended to be used as a substitute for appropriate professional advice. For more information please call 404-730-1211 (voice). Mailing address: ATTN: Public Information, Fulton County Department of Health & Wellness, 99 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, Atlanta, GA 30303. Because of confidentiality concerns, questions regarding client health issues cannot be responded to by e-mail. For more information, contact the Privacy Officer at 404-730-1212.
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