11-9-17 get a flu shot

You can avoid the flu this season by taking one simple step: Get a flu shot.  There are many reasons why people don’t get the flu vaccine – cost, time constraints, or they are concerned that a flu shot will make them sick or make them more likely to catch the flu.  Flu season can start as early as October and peak anywhere from late December to early April. This fall, by the end of September, Wisconsin had 19 cases of influenza and eight hospitalizations, which is earlier than usual.  “The single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccination each year,” according to Kimberly Mueller, Fond du Lac County Public Health officer. “It takes about two weeks after being vaccinated to develop enough antibodies to protect you against influenza virus. But remember, the influenza flu vaccine will not protect against food borne, flu-like illnesses caused by non-influenza viruses.”     Your best defense against the flu is to get vaccinated.   “A flu vaccine is recommended for everyone who is six months of age or older,”  Mueller says.   “Some people have risk factors that make influenza more serious and more likely to result in complications. Individuals who are at higher risk include: very young children, people over age 65, pregnant women, and people with chronic medical conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart disease.    Some people shouldn’t be vaccinated for the flu before talking with their healthcare provider. These are reasons to talk with your healthcare provider:

• You have a severe allergy such as an anaphylactic reaction to chicken eggs.
• You had previously developed Guillain-Barré syndrome in the six weeks after getting a flu shot.
• You currently have an illness with a fever. Wait until symptoms improve before getting the vaccine.

Children younger than six months of age should not be vaccinated against the flu. Flu vaccines haven’t been approved for that age group.   There are steps you can take to prevent getting the flu.
“Flu viruses are spread by contact with droplets sneezed or coughed from an infected person,” says Kayla Ericksen, RN, BSN, Agnesian HealthCare infection preventionist. “Inhaling the droplets is the most common route to getting the flu. Touching objects on which droplets have landed also infects many people. You can spread the virus to others before you feel sick yourself. Individuals are contagious a day before symptoms start and up to five days afterward.”     Individuals can protect themselves against the flu by doing simple things like washing their hands before eating and not putting their hands near their face or in their mouth.    If you are concerned about the cost of a flu vaccine or have further questions, contact the Fond du Lac County Public Health department at (920) 929-3085. Many insurers cover flu vaccines at no cost to their members.