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Flu News for Senior Citizens
National Flu Vaccination Week Emphasizes Everyone in Family Needs Flu
Shot
First
year for CDC to recommend every one six months older and older get the
shot - senior citizens still considered in high risk group
Dec.
6, 2010 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday
launched its fifth annual National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) -
December 5-11 -
to highlight the importance and safety of flu vaccination, and to
encourage Americans to get vaccinated. Today, the CDC effort got a push
from
Family Vaccination Day sponsored by Families Fighting Flu, which
emphasizes the need for flu shots for the whole family.
This is the first
year the CDC has recommended that everyone 6 months and older should
receive an annual flu vaccine and has resulted in a greater publicity push to
reach people of all ages – including people who are at high risk for
developing flu-related complications.
Families Fighting
Flu is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization established in 2004
that is made up of families and health care practitioners dedicated to
educating people about the severity of influenza and the importance of
vaccinating children against the flu every year.
Last year, the
CDC estimated that more than 12,000 people in the U.S. died from the
flu – 1,200 of them were children. In addition, an estimated 87,000
children were hospitalized due to influenza. Now, the CDC recommends
that everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine each year, as
vaccination is the single best way to prevent the flu in people of all
ages.
“Flu viruses are
unpredictable as they are constantly changing. Each flu season,
different flu viruses can spread, and they can affect people
differently,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director, National Center for
Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at CDC. “Even healthy children and
adults can get very sick from the flu and spread it to family and
friends. This is why the first and most important step in protecting
against the flu is to get a flu vaccine each season.”
However, despite
the recommendation from the CDC, there continues to be a strong need for
further education about why kids need to be vaccinated every year.
Through a number of initiatives, FFF is taking on the challenge to
educate families about how to best protect their children and themselves
against influenza.
In a national
radio
Public Service Announcement (PSA) airing now and throughout the rest
of flu season, FFF member Julie Moise talks about how she lost her son,
Ian, to the flu merely 30 hours after he showed his first symptom of
being sick. In the PSA, Julie urges parents to get their families
vaccinated every year. To read Ian Moise’s story, click
here. Additionally, an
audio news release is accompanying the PSA to announce NIVW and
further educate families about the seriousness of influenza.
Today, FFF board
member, Gary Stein, is participating in a radio media tour to discuss
why it’s important for everyone in the family to get vaccinated against
the flu. Gary lost his 4½-year-old daughter, Jessica, to the flu in
February 2002. To read Jessica Stein’s story, click
here. To view the Stein family video testimonial, click
here.
“We can all have
a hand in protecting people who are at greater risk for serious
complications from the flu, including children. In order to safeguard
them from this serious virus, everyone must do their part by getting
vaccinated,” said Laura Scott, Executive Director of FFF.
To further
elevate the importance of vaccination, FFF is challenging people to
visit their
Facebook page during NIVW and post when and where they were
vaccinated against the flu. Users can also post and share with their
friends a
“Vaccinated Against Flu” badge to show others that they’ve made flu
vaccination a priority.
For more
information about the flu, to find flu vaccines in your area or to
support flu prevention education, please visit
www.familiesfightingflu.org
For a complete
listing of NIVW activities - and details on the seasonal flu - visit
www.flu.gov/getvaccinated.
Season Influenza: The Disease
What you need to
know about the flu shot from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
Influenza (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.
Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with
certain health
conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.
The best way to prevent the flu is by getting
vaccinated
each year.
In
2009-2010, a new and very different flu virus (called
2009 H1N1)
spread worldwide causing the first flu pandemic in more than 40 years.
During the 2010-2011 flu season, CDC expects the 2009 H1N1 virus to
cause illness again along with other influenza viruses. The
2010-2011 flu
vaccine will protect against 2009 H1N1 and two other
influenza viruses.
What is
influenza (also called flu)?
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 prevent the flu is by getting a flu
vaccine each year.
Symptoms
of flu
People
who have the flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:
●
fever* or feeling feverish/chills
●
cough
●
sore throat
●
runny or stuffy nose
●
muscle or body aches
●
headaches
●
fatigue (very tired)
●
Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common
in children than adults.
*It’s
important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.
How flu
spreads
Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made
when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in
the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Less often, a person might
also get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it
and then touching their own mouth, eyes or nose.
Period of
contagiousness
You
may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are
sick, as well as while you are sick. Most healthy adults may be able to
infect others beginning 1 day
before symptoms develop and up to 5-7 days
after
becoming sick. Some people, especially children and people with weakened
immune systems, might be able to infect others for an even longer time.
How
serious is the flu?
Flu is
unpredictable and how severe it is can vary widely from one season to
the next depending on many things, including:
●
what flu viruses are spreading,
●
how much flu vaccine is available
●
when vaccine is available
●
how many people get vaccinated, and
●
how well the flu vaccine is matched to flu viruses that are causing
illness.
Certain people are at greater risk for serious complications if they get
the flu. This includes older people, young children, pregnant women and
people with
certain health
conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease).
Flu
seasons are unpredictable and can be severe. Over a period of 30 years,
between 1976 and 2006, estimates of flu-associated deaths range from a
low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people.
During
2009-2010, a new and very different flu virus (called
2009 H1N1)
spread worldwide causing the first flu pandemic in more than 40 years.
It is estimated that the 2009 H1N1 pandemic resulted in more than 12,000
flu-related deaths in the U.S. In contrast to seasonal flu, nearly 90
percent of the deaths occurred among people younger than 65 years of
age.
Complications of flu
Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections,
sinus infections, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical
conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.
Preventing seasonal flu: Get vaccinated
The
single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine each season.
There are two types of flu vaccines:
●
The "flu shot"–an inactivated
vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle. The
seasonal flu shot is approved for use in people 6 months of age and
older, including healthy people, people with chronic medical conditions
and pregnant women.
●
The nasal–spray flu vaccine –a
vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu
(sometimes called LAIV for "Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine"). LAIV is
approved for use in healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not
pregnant.
About
two weeks after vaccination, antibodies develop that protect against
influenza virus infection. Flu vaccines will not protect against
flu-like illnesses caused by non-influenza viruses.
The
seasonal flu vaccine protects against the three influenza viruses that
research suggests will be most common. The
2010-2011 flu
vaccine will protect against 2009 H1N1, and two other
influenza viruses (an H3N2 virus and an influenza B virus).
When to
get vaccinated against seasonal flu
Yearly
flu vaccination should begin in September, or as soon as vaccine is
available, and continue throughout the flu season which can last as late
as May. This is because the timing and duration of flu seasons vary.
While flu season can begin early as October, most of the time seasonal
flu activity peaks in January or later.
Who
should get vaccinated?
On February 24,
2010 vaccine experts voted that everyone 6 months and older
should get a flu vaccine each year starting with the 2010-2011 influenza
season.
CDC's Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted for
"universal" flu vaccination in the U.S. to expand protection against the
flu to more people. While everyone should get a flu vaccine each flu
season, it’s especially important that certain people get vaccinated
either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related
complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk
for developing flu-related complications.
Who is
at high risk for developing flu-related complications?
●
Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years
old
●
Adults 65 years
of age and older
●
Pregnant women
●
Also, last flu season, American Indians and Alaskan Natives seemed to be
at higher risk of flu complications
●
People who have medical conditions including:
…Asthma
(even if it’s controlled or mild)
…Neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions [including disorders of
the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle such as cerebral
palsy, epilepsy (seizure disorders), stroke, intellectual disability
(mental retardation), moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular
dystrophy, or spinal cord injury]
…Chronic lung disease (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD]
and cystic fibrosis)
…Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart
failure and coronary artery disease)
…Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
…Endocrine disorders (such as
diabetes
mellitus)
…Kidney disorders
…Liver disorders
…Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and
mitochondrial disorders)
…Weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as people
with
HIV or AIDS,
or cancer, or those on chronic steroids)
…People younger than 19 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin
therapy
…People who are morbidly obese (Body Mass Index [BMI] of 40 or
greater)
Who else should get vaccinated?
Other
people for whom vaccination is especially important are:
●
People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
●
People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications
from flu, including:
…Health care workers
…Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the
flu
…Household contacts and caregivers of children younger than 5 years of
age with particular emphasis on vaccinating contacts of children younger
than 6 months of age (children younger than 6 months are at highest risk
of flu-related complications but are too young to get vaccinated)
Use of
the nasal spray seasonal flu vaccine
Vaccination with the nasal-spray flu vaccine is an option for healthy*
people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant. Even people who live with
or care for those in a high risk group (including health care workers)
can get the nasal-spray flu vaccine as long as they are healthy
themselves and are not pregnant. The one exception is health care
workers who care for people with severely weakened immune systems who
require a protected hospital environment; these people should get the
inactivated flu vaccine (flu shot).
Who
should not be vaccinated against seasonal flu?
Some
people should not be vaccinated without first consulting a physician.
They include:
●
People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
●
People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination in the
past.
●
People who developed
Guillian-Barré
syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine
previously.
●
Children younger than 6 months of age (influenza vaccine is not approved
for use in this age group).
●
People who have a moderate or severe illness with a fever should wait to
get vaccinated until their symptoms lessen.
If you
have questions about whether you should get a flu vaccine, consult your
health care provider.
For more about preventing the flu, see the following:
●
Key Facts About
Seasonal Flu Vaccine
●
Influenza
Antiviral Drugs
●
Good Health
Habits for Prevention
●
The Flu: A Guide
for Parents |
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