Each year, health officials determine three viruses they think will be
circulating in the community and develop a vaccine. According to the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC), two of the three virus strains last year were not good
matches and the vaccine was only 44 percent effective in protecting Americans
against the flu. Usually it's between 70 and 90 percent effective. The Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) updated all three strains for this year's virus with
the hopes that it will provide better protection.
"Despite the numbers from last year, a flu shot is still your best protection against the flu," said Dr. Jeff Kalina, associate medical director of emergency medicine at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. "Since the season starts in November, it's important to get a shot as soon as possible because it takes two weeks to take effect."
For children who are afraid of needles, a nasal-spray flu vaccine has been proven to provide protection against strains of the flu. The flu virus is spread mainly from person-to-person when the infected person coughs or sneezes. However, you can also catch it by touching something with flu virus on it and then putting your hand to your nose or mouth. This is why it is especially important to practice good hand hygiene during flu season.
Between five and 20 percent of the population gets the flu every year. More
than 200,000 people are hospitalized with flu-like symptoms and more than 35,000
people die from the flu every year. The Houston-area experienced a very bad flu
season in 2004 because of a shortage of vaccine. This year there appears to be
no shortage.
"The elderly, and people with heart disease, kidney failure,
diabetes, and HIV/AIDS are all in the high risk category for contracting the
flu," Kalina said. "Influenza kills thousands every year, and what's sad is the
illness is totally preventable. All you have to do is get a flu shot once a
year."
However, there are groups who should not receive the vaccine.
Those include people with a severe allergy to chicken eggs, people who have had
a severe reaction to the vaccine in the past, children less than six months of
age, and people with illness who have a high fever should wait until the
symptoms lessen.
Many people who have a common cold, but think they have
the flu, unnecessarily crowd emergency rooms during the winter. It's important
to know the difference.