The earlier the better when it comes to flu shot
It’s not the cooler evenings or the kids back to school that signals fall around here. Nope. It’s those little signs at the pharmacies and grocery stores saying “Flu Shots Available.” They mean two things. One, the leaves will soon start to turn color and, two, it’s close to flu season.
Every year you’re told that if you’re over six months old, which if you aren’t makes it amazing that you’re reading this, you need a flu shot. Influenza comes on suddenly, is highly contagious and symptoms include a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle and body aches, headaches, fatigue and often in children vomiting and diarrhea.
No one wants to get the flu. According to the Centers of Disease Control, however, 64 children died of influenza during the 2012-13 season. Hospitalization for those over 65 was close to 147,000 people compared to just over 42,000 for those under four years of age and less than 7,000 for children 5 to 17 years old. Oh, yes, those are the kids who get their flu shots every year. See the point?
So, how does a vaccine work? The CDC explains we’re all born with an immune system composed of cells, glands, organs and fluids throughout our bodies. “The immune system recognizes germs that enter the body as ‘foreign’ invaders, or antigens, and produces protein substances called antibodies to fight them.
“A normal, healthy immune system can produce millions of these antibodies to defend against thousands of attacks every day, doing it so naturally that people are not even aware it is happening. Antibodies often disappear once they have destroyed the invading antigens, but the cells involved in antibody production remain and become ‘memory cells.’ Memory cells remember the original antigen and then defend against it if the same antigen attempts to re-infect a person, even after many decades. This protection is called immunity.
“Vaccines contain the same antigens or parts of antigens that cause diseases, but the antigens in vaccines are either killed or greatly weakened. Vaccine antigens are not strong enough to cause disease but they are strong enough to make the immune system produce antibodies against them. Memory cells prevent re-infection when they encounter that disease again in the future. Through vaccination, people develop immunity without suffering from the actual diseases that vaccines prevent.”
About two weeks after getting your shot, the seasonal flu vaccine will protect you against three influenza viruses that research indicates will be the most common during the upcoming season. The CDC says that ideally we’ll all be vaccinated by October as flu season typically starts in November.
We’ve all heard people say that they got the flu after getting their shot, and they’re probably correct, they probably did, but most likely they already had the virus before they got the vaccine. Or, they were lucky enough to get a different strain of virus than the vaccine protected against.
The Food and Drug Administration in concert with CDC “closely monitors for any signs that vaccines are causing any unexpected adverse effects and are working with state and local health officials to investigate any unusual events.”
There are people who should not get the flu vaccine, so if you have any questions, contact your health care provider.
And, one more reminder, this is the last week to complete the survey for Bonner General Hospital and to enter to win a $100 gift certificate to Super 1 Foods. Go to www.YouTellBGH.com to take the quick marketing survey today.
Kathy Hubbard is a trustee on Bonner General Hospital Foundation Board. She can be reached at kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com and 264-4029.