HEALTHY BODY · NOVEMBER 2018
FLU
SEASON
AND THE NEW VACCINE
F
all is officially here. For many
of us that means cooler
temperatures and belly-filling
home-cooked meals, but
unfortunately, for many more, it
means flu season isn't far away. After several
years of exceptionally harsh flu seasons,
health officials are more dedicated than ever
to make sure we—citizens and physicians—
are armed with the right tools to protect
ourselves and our families.
The consensus is that the only thing we can all do
to defend ourselves is to get a flu vaccine now
because, although it's still early, you never know
if or when you'll be stricken with this potentially
deadly ailment.
You read that right. Get your flu shot now to be
one step ahead of this year's outbreak. Both the
American Academy of Pediatrics and the federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
recommend getting the vaccine as early as
October when the official flu season begins.
People with some medical conditions and those
vulnerable to an outbreak should get the vaccine
sooner rather than later.
These groups include:
Young children
Pregnant women
People with underlying conditions
and people over 65 years old.
How effective will this year’s
vaccine be? This season’s flu vaccine recommendations
include:
The answer is complicated. Last year's vaccine
proved to be twenty-five percent effective
against the H3N2 strain and forty percent
effective overall against influenzas A and B. While
no vaccine is ever truly one hundred percent
effective, this year's offers the best protection
against this increasingly dangerous illness. A
vaccine could prevent you from ever getting
a dangerous strain of flu and could
prevent you from dying as a result. - The standard dose flu shots injected into
the muscle for people between the ages of 18
and 64
- High-dose shots for those over 65 years old
- The nasal spray vaccine for those who
cannot receive an injection (but the
injectable vaccine is preferred
According to the 2017/18 data, about
710,000 people were hospitalized with
the flu, according to the Centers for
Disease Control.
This year the FluMist is back, but is it right for
your child?
Although it may be easier for children to receive
the nasal spray, the American Academy of
Pediatrics still recommends that your child receive
a traditional flu vaccine, via a needle injection. The
FluMist should only be used when the regular
vaccine is not an option. Any child six months or
older should get the vaccination
because it will make it less likely that you or your
child will spread the virus to others.
18 HEALTHY MAGAZINE
The 2018/19 flu vaccine protects against these
strains:
- H1N1
- H3N2
- Victoria Lineage Virus
- Yamagata Lineage Virus—Quadrivalent
(four component) vaccine
The timing of the flu season is unpredictable.
Do your due diligence. Speak to your
medical provider to learn which strains
may be prevalent or likely to hit your
area and make the right decision for you
and for your health. There is no way
of knowing who or when someone
might fall ill, so it's better to be fully
prepared for when the time comes.
By Jaime Lopez