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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2004)
“Cha-may weeya Medicine Talk Siletz Community Health Clinic What Everyone Should Know About the Flu and the Flu Vaccine What is the Flu? Prevention • The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness and at times can lead to death. The best way to pre vent it is to get a flu vaccine each fall. Every year in the United States, on average: The single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine each fall. There are two types of vaccines: • • • • • • 5 percent to 20 percent of the popu lation gets the flu More than 200,000 people are hos pitalized from flu complications 36,000 people die from the flu • Some people are at high risk for serious flu complications, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions. The “flu shot”-an inactivated vac cine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle. The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions. The nasal-spray flu vaccine - a vac cine made with live, weakened flu viruses that does not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for “live attenuated influenza vaccine”). LAIV is approved for use in healthy people 5 to 49 years old who are not pregnant. • • • • • • • • • Fever (usually high) Headache Extreme tiredness Dry cough Sore throat Runny or stuffy nose Muscle aches Gastro-intestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, are much more common in children than adults Some complications caused by the flu include bacterial pneumonia, dehy dration, and worsening of chronic medi cal conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes. Children may get sinus problems and ear infections. • • When to Get Vaccinated Who Should Get Vaccinated How It Spreads The flu spreads in respiratory drop lets caused by coughing and sneezing. It usually spreads from person to person, although occasionally a person may be come infected by touching something with the virus on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Adults may be able to infect others beginning one day before getting symp toms and up to seven days after getting sick. This means that you can give someone the flu before you know you are sick as well as while you are sick. The following priority groups (up dated Oct. 5,2004) for vaccination with inactivated influenza vaccine this sea son are considered to be of equal im portance and include: • • • • All children age 6 to 23 months Adults age 65 and older Persons age 2 to 64 with underly ing chronic medical conditions All women who will be pregnant during the influenza season 1. • Persons in priority groups identi fied above should be encouraged to search locally for vaccine if their regular health care provider does not have vaccine available. Intra-nasally administered, live at tenuated influenza vaccine, if avail able, should be encouraged for healthy persons who are age 5 to 49 and are not pregnant, including health care workers (except those who care for severely immuno compromised patients in special care units) and persons caring for children up to 6 months old. Certain children up to age 9 require two doses of vaccine if they have not previously been vaccinated. All children at high risk for complica tions from influenza, including those age 6 to 23 months, who present for vaccination should be vaccinated with a first or second dose, depending on vaccination sta tus. Doses should not be held in reserve, however, to ensure that two doses are available. Instead, avail able vaccine should be used to vac cinate persons in priority groups on a first-come, first-served basis. certain when they will get here. What You Can Do Stop the spread of germs that make you and others sick. Serious respiratory illnesses like influenza, respiratory syn cytial virus (RSV), whooping cough, Please note that the state of Or egon has imposed a $500 fine if a clinic gives a flu shot to someone not on the list. 3. The clinic will not carry the FluMist. and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are spread by: • • Coughing or sneezing Unclean hands To help stop the spread of germs, you should: • • • Vaccination of persons in non priority groups: Persons who are not included in one of the priority groups described above should be informed about the urgent vaccine supply situation and asked to forego or defer vaccination. Our flu shots are still not here and with the shortages, it’s not Other Vaccination Recommendations About two weeks after vaccination, antibodies that provide protection against influenza virus infection de velop in the body. October or November is the best time to get vaccinated, but you still can get vaccinated in December and later. Flu season can begin as early as Octo ber and last as late as May. New information released Oct. 5, 2004: Half of the flu supply destined for the U.S. was halted because of con tamination. No one has received vac cine from this manufacturer. This has, however, created a severe shortage of vaccine. Therefore, the current recom mendation is for voluntary rationing. Siletz Clinic Flu Shots 2. Symptoms, Complications Symptoms of the flu include: Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities Children age 6 months to 18 years on chronic aspirin therapy Health care workers involved in direct patient care Out-of-home caregivers and house hold contacts of children up to 6 months old • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing by: • • Washing with soap and water; or Cleaning with alcohol-based hand cleaner. Note: You may be asked to put on a surgical mask to protect others. November 2004 • Siletz News • 19
