Ask Your Pharmacist – The FLU
A CAPSULAR MOMENT
INFLUENZA AND THE FLU VACCINE
By David Bodunde
Influenza commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza A and/or B virus. Although influenza A is more common and tends to cause more severe illness, it is impossible to differentiate clinically between both strains.
Symptoms
The flu usually has an abrupt onset with symptoms including fever (39 degrees or more) muscles ache, headache, fatigue, nasal congestion, sore throat and non productive cough.
Transmission
The flu is spread by direct contact with the virus and is highly contagious. It is spread in three ways: by direct transmission (when an infected person sneezes mucus directly into the eyes, nose, or mouth of another person); the airborne route (when someone inhales the aerosols produced by an infected person coughing, sneezing or spitting); and through hand- to e-ye, hand- to -nose, or hand -to –mouth transmission, either from contaminated surfaces or from direct personal contact such as a hand-shake. The virus can survive outside of the body on hard, non-porous surfaces such as plastic for two days and if it is present in mucus, this can protect it for longer (up to 17 days on banknotes).
Who is immunization recommended for?
Anyone who wishes to avoid becoming ill with influenza, or who wants to avoid transmitting influenza to other vulnerable people should get vaccinated. Immunization is specifically recommended for the following groups
- People at high risk of complications from influenza ( e.g. adults and children with chronic health conditions like diabetes)
- People capable of transmitting influenza to those at high risk
- People providing essential community services (police, firemen e.t.c )
- Morbidity obese people, aboriginal people and children between 2-4
Healthy persons aged 5-64 years are also encouraged to receive the flu vaccine even if they are not in one of the high risk groups
Who should not be vaccinated?
- Persons with a reason or a factor that makes it inadvisable to prescribe the flu vaccine (contraindication)
- People who have had a serious anaphylactic reaction to previous dose of influenza vaccine (NOT fever or muscle ache)
- Persons with known serious allergic reaction to eggs
- Persons known to have had Guillain-Barre syndrome within 8 weeks of a previous flu vaccination
- Infants less than 6 months – the vaccine does not work as well in this age group.
Influenza prevention
- Get the flu shot ( best prevention)
- Wash hands with soap and water at every opportunity, at least 5 times a day
- Keep an alcohol – based hand sanitizer handy at work, home and in your car
- Cover the mouth and nose with a tissue to cough or sneeze and throw the tissue out. Cough into the upper sleeve if a tissue isn’t available
- Stay home when sick. Avoid crowds where virus can spread easily
- Keep common surfaces and items clean
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the flu vaccine safe?
It is very safe because the virus used in making the vaccine is dead and not able to cause influenza. In adults it causes injection – site soreness lasting up to 2 days which rarely interferes with normal activity. There is no increased risk of fever or other systemic symptoms as compared to placebo (e.g. inoculating with sterile water)
In children it is safe and well tolerated with mild local reactions like soreness at the vaccination site and fever in less than 12% of children 1-5years.
How well does the flu vaccine protect against influenza? ;
- Efficacy depends on match of vaccine with circulating strain, patients age and immune status
- With a good match, the vaccine has been shown to prevent the flu in 70-90% of healthy children and adults, 76% of infants (6-23 months) and 50% of the elderly
I am pregnant, should I get the flu shot?
- The vaccine is safe in pregnancy and does NOT cause autism
- Pregnant women are at increased risk of complications from the flu
- Vaccinating pregnant women protects their babies from the flu for the first 6 months of life
- Pregnant women who are vaccinated are less likely to have babies who are small for gestational age or of low birth weight
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To speak with David Bodunde, Rph in person, visit the Manitouwadge Pharmacy, Unit 2, Hallmarket Square in Manitouwadge or call 826.3888
The opinions expressed on OntarioNewsNorth.com and by David Bodunde,Rph are published for educational and informational purposes only, and are not intended as a diagnosis, treatment or as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis and treatment. Please consult a local physician or other health care professional for your specific health care and/or medical needs or concerns.
Neither OntarioNewsNorth.com nor David Bodunde,Rph endorse or recommend any commercial products, medical treatments, pharmaceuticals, brand names, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and education of the viewing public, and the mention of any of the above on OntarioNewsNorth.com does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by OntarioNewsNorth.com or David Bodunde, Rph.
