Flu refers to illnesses caused by a number of different influenza viruses. Flu can cause a range of symptoms and effects, from mild to lethal. Symptoms may include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, chills and fatigue.
Most healthy people recover from the flu without problems, but certain people are at high risk for serious complications.
Annual outbreaks of the seasonal flu usually occur during the late fall through early spring. A seasonal flu vaccine is available. In a typical year, approximately 5 to 20 percent of the population gets the seasonal flu. Flu-related deaths range from 3,300 to 48,600 (average 23,600).
A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza A virus emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human population; the virus causes serious illness and spreads easily from person-to-person worldwide. For the 2009-2010 flu season, the pandemic H1N1 flu virus caused more illness in young people and pregnant women than is usual for prior flu seasons. Like seasonal flu, illness in people with H1N1 can vary from mild to severe.
H5N1 (Bird) flu is an influenza A virus subtype that is highly contagious among birds. Rare human infections with the H5N1 (Bird) flu virus have occurred. The majority of confirmed cases have occurred in Asia, Africa, the Pacific, Europe and the Near East. Currently, the United States has no confirmed human H5N1 (Bird) flu infections, but H5N1 (Bird) flu remains a serious concern with the potential to cause a deadly pandemic.
All people 6 months and older are now recommended to receive an influenza vaccination each year. The 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against three different flu viruses: an H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus and the H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season. This means you only need one flu vaccine this year and most people will only need to get vaccinated once. The one exception to this is that children aged 6 months through 8 years of age who have never received a seasonal flu vaccine need to get two doses of vaccine spaced at least 4 weeks apart.
Certain people are at "high risk" of serious complications from seasonal influenza. These include people 65 years and older, children younger than five years old, pregnant women, and people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions.
Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine. Even people who got vaccinated with the 2009 H1N1 vaccine or last year's seasonal vaccine need to be vaccinated with the seasonal flu vaccine this year. The best time to get vaccinated is as soon as the vaccine is available. You can still get a flu shot through the fall, winter or spring, since flu season usually peaks in February but continues through May.
Call Hamilton County Public Health at 518-648-6497 to make an appointment today.
World Health Organization (WHO) Influenza Website
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