Gambling On the Seasonal Flu Shot To Stay Healthy?
Posted: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
by Gerry Charbonneau
http://nibblednews.typepad.com
Are you, like myself, having second thoughts about getting your annual flu shot this year? Is the media hype and gloomy speculation among health professionals and health care providers causing you to doubt the effectiveness of the vaccine?
Are you an individual in the high risk category who should be immunized but is now uncertain about the course of action you will take this year to stay healthy and protect yourself from the physically harmful and deadly effects of the regular seasonal flu?
This vaccine takes about two weeks to provide protection from the flu and it's your best protection to prevent the most common types of flu this coming season. Unfortunately, this vaccine will not provide protection against 2009 H1N1 flu also known as Swine Flu.
Medical studies have shown that the seasonal flu vaccine works but how well it works can change from year to year and results vary among different groups of people. However, even for high risk individuals the seasonal flu vaccine still can offer protection against getting severe complications from seasonal flu.
Among elderly nursing home residents the seasonal flu shot was reportedly most effective in preventing severe illness and complications that may follow the flu (like pneumonia) and deaths related to the flu.
Because children younger than five years of age are at an increased risk of severe flu illnesses, children aged six to 59 months and the household contacts and care givers of children from birth to 59 months are also encouraged to get the seasonal flu vaccine every year.
This vaccine can prevent 66 per cent or more influenza infections in young children with even higher estimates for older children when the vaccine strains are well-matched to the flu viruses causing the illness.
It will not however protect against the new H1N1 flu virus but it will reduce the risk that immune systems will have to fight off two different viruses this year. It is very important for people to get the flu shot because the seasonal flu can become serious and it kills upwards of 36 thousand Americans a year.
Like the seasonal flu vaccine the H1N1 vaccine will be offered as a shot ( injected through the skin) or as a nasal spray ( into the nasal cavity). This new virus never disappeared during the summer months as the seasonal flu virus does and it is spreading.The Swine Flu Vaccine is scheduled to be used in addition to the seasonal flu vaccine.
The worst of the seasonal flu season is usually late December through March. If you are pregnant or breast feeding you are urged to check with your doctor before being immunized for the seasonal flu.
The seasonal flu is dangerous bu it's getting lost in all the fervor and media hoopla and hype built up against the H1N1 virus. The seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against the swine flu virus nor does the swine flu vaccine protect against the seasonal flu.
Who should get the seasonal flu vaccine? Health officials recommend children between six months and 18-years-old, adults 50 years of age and older, and people with certain medical conditions.
Because the seasonal flu is a different strain of flu from the N1H1 it is still important for everyone to receive a seasonal influenza vaccination in order to be protected from seasonal flu.
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