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                         November 2, 2001

What you should know before flu season strikes

Submitted by Lt. Col. Michael K. Bayles
USMA Community Health Nurse

Editor’s note: The following information from comes Sierra Military Health Services’ monthly base article.

Each winter, millions of people are stricken with a highly contagious virus that infects the nose, throat and lungs. This virus (and the associated infection) is called influenza, or more commonly, the flu.

The flu virus is usually transmitted through the air and spreads very easily anytime an infected person sneezes, coughs or even speaks.

More severe and longer-lasting than common cold symptoms, the flu can cause headache, fever, chills, muscle aches, extreme fatigue, dry cough, stuffy nose and sore throat. These symptoms will often begin abruptly, and in the case of a normally healthy person, will usually resolve themselves completely within two weeks.

However, the flu can also be life threatening for the aged or those who are chronically ill. According to the National Institute on Aging, in the United States during an average year, 20,000 will die from the infection, while thousands will require hospitalization.

People who are vulnerable to the development of more serious complications are considered "at risk."

At risk groups include people 65 years or older, residents of nursing homes or other long-term facilities, healthcare workers or caretakers in contact with high risk groups, or anyone with chronic heart, lung or kidney disease or any severe form of anemia. These people are also at greater risk than others to develop a secondary infection that can lead to a more serious illness like pneumonia.

One means of prevention that can greatly reduce the risk of infection is the flu vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends annual vaccinations for people at risk.

Since the flu virus changes itself continuously, the flu vaccine is updated each year to meet those changes.

The flu shot is not necessary for everyone, and in fact, people who have a severe allergy to eggs should not receive the vaccine. Since the viral material for the flu vaccine is grown in eggs, seriously adverse reactions may occur in anyone with an egg allergy.

Also, despite common belief, receiving the flu shot does not necessary guarantee immunity. The flu vaccine is not 100 percent foolproof. However, it will significantly lessen the severity of the flu symptoms.

Flu season in the United States usually occurs from November until April. The best time to receive the flu shot is between September and mid-November, because it takes the body approximately 1 to 2 weeks to develop full protection against the virus.

Another common misconception is that receiving the flu vaccine will cause a flu infection. Although the vaccine is made from inactive flu virus, it is not possible for a person to become infected with the flu from the flu shot. In fact, most people experience no adverse side effects. Only about 5 to 10 percent will experience even mild side effects like headaches or low-grade fever, and these normally last no longer than a day.

If you should get the flu, proper treatment can help greatly reduce the length and severity of the illness.

To treat the flu, plenty of bed rest and fluids are recommended. For relief of body ache and fever, acetaminophen or aspirin is considered most effective (always avoid using aspirin for children).

Signs of a more serious infection include persistent fever, difficulty breathing, a cough that produces phlegm or symptoms that do not improve. In such cases, a doctor should be notified.

While there are no antibiotics that will effectively treat the flu virus, four prescription drugs may help reduce the duration of flu symptoms and speed recovery time overall (if taken within 48 hours of the infection’s onset). Those drugs are: amantadine (Symmetrel), rimantadine (Flumadine), zanamivir (Relenza), and oseltamivir (Tamiflu).