By Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

FLU SHOTS PREVENT MISERY AND THE SPREAD OF INFECTION TO OTHERS

Question: Many of my co-workers got flu shots last year, but I didn’t because the place where I work ran out of the vaccine before I got one. I wasn’t sure if I needed one anyway. Could you refresh my memory about who should get a flu shot? Several of my co-workers get one every year? Should I?

Answer: I will be happy to take this opportunity to tell you again who should get a flu shot, when you should get it, how long it will last and why it’s important to be vaccinated against the flu.

The short answer to who should get a shot is: Everyone over six months of age when there is no shortage of the vaccine. Groups of people who should always receive flu shots are those who are in high risk groups for complications from the flu. These high risk groups include people over 65, those with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women (yes, flu shots are safe for pregnant women), and young children. Children who have never had a flu shot before need to get two doses of vaccine, at least four weeks apart.

All health care workers, including nursing and medical students, should get flu shots to avoid spreading infection. For the same reason, primary caregivers, day-care workers, and anyone else who is in regular, close contact with people in any of the high risk groups should be vaccinated.

Anyone in doubt about whether or not they need a flu shot should check with his or her own primary care physician or local health department.

That addresses who should get a flu shot. Now, I’ll address when you should get your shot. When the vaccine becomes available in the fall is the best time to get your shot since the flu season usually begins just a little later. It takes about two weeks after the flu shot is given for you to develop immunity. And yes, if you’re in a high risk group--or even if you aren’t, but there is enough vaccine available--you should get one every year. New studies are showing that the immunity from the vaccine is lasting about a year.

If, on the other hand, you don’t get your shot in the fall, it is still not too late to get a flu shot. Influenza cases peak in February, but they can go on into April. So if for some reason you were unable to get a flu shot in the fall, you can get the vaccine in January or beyond. As I mentioned, the limiting factor is the availability of the flu vaccine, and for this year’s flu season, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) feels there will be adequate vaccine supplies. Flu vaccine can be given in a shot form or in nasal spray for certain groups of people.

You can still get influenza if you have had a flu shot, but it is usually a milder case. The symptoms of influenza are a sudden onset of high fever, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat, runny nose and body aches. If you have these symptoms, you should see your doctor, especially if you are at high risk for flu complications. Even in this era of medical research and expanding knowledge, hundreds of thousands of people annually are hospitalized because of flu complications, many of them children. And there are still around 36,000 deaths each year from influenza.

There is antiviral medication available to treat the flu, but it needs to be started early.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, P.O. Box 110, Athens, Ohio 45701, or via e-mail to readerquestions@familymedicinenews.org. Medical information in this column is provided as an educational service only. It does not replace the judgment of your personal physician, who should be relied on to diagnose and recommend treatment for any medical conditions. Past columns are available online at www.familymedicinenews.org.