Book free flu jab early to avoid crisis, Scots urged

In 2017-2018, the USA faced the most severe seasonal flu outbreak across all age groups since at least 2003, according to CDC data.

About 2,000 people are hospitalised with flu each year but last year the number of cases more than doubled, contributing to overcrowding in hospitals.

Influenza is a viral respiratory infection and most deaths are caused by the resulting complications rather than the virus itself. The United States experienced a bad season last winter, driven by a particularly severe strain of the virus that led to more hospitalizations and deaths, especially among children and elderly.

Wilcox said some people in Columbia even have a hard time fitting a flu shot into their schedule. “Flu vaccine uptake in Ireland among healthcare workers now compares favourably with other countries in Europe where traditionally uptake has been low”, according to interim head of the HSE National Immunisation Office, Dr Sean Denyer.

The flu season usually begins in October, and continues through April, says Smith.

Georgia Southern University master of public health and doctor of public health students recently partnered with the South Central Health District, the public health authority for 10 counties in middle Georgia, to make getting flu shots a little easier. But without knowing exactly which strains will get people sick, it’s impossible to predict exactly how effective it will be in any given year.

This year’s vaccine aims to offer protection against four strains for most age groups, and is created to target both over-65’s and also younger people who have chronic illnesses which can make flu much more unsafe. The whole process takes about six weeks.

San Juan Basin Public Health has a limited supply of specialized flu vaccine, including high-dose flu shots for seniors and a preservative-free vaccine for pregnant women, according to a news release.

Some services the Health and Wellness Center provides to subside the flu are doctor check-ups, dietitian services and massage therapy.

Where can you get the flu shot for free? The report evaluates the present as well as future visions of the global Flu Vaccine (Influenza Vaccine) market.

If you get the flu, the Health Department says stay home from work or school until you are free of fever for 24-hours.

No, flu vaccines can not cause the flu illness.

Besides being vaccinated, avoiding the flu in the first place is also a good measure.

Jane Devenish, pharmacist at Well Pharmacy which commissioned the research, said: “The only way to catch flu is by being exposed to the flu virus, and the virus peaks in winter”. If you get the nasal spray, you may experience a runny nose, headache, sore throat or cough.

The survey comes nearly a month after England’s chief nurse Professor Jane Cummings revealed that some NHS staff are choosing not to have the flu vaccine because they incorrectly believe it will give them flu, which she confirmed is a myth. “So it’s not necessarily a bad thing that you might feel that way”. There’s also a chance the strain you caught wasn’t covered by the vaccine. “So the flu can be very risky and getting your flu shot is the best way to protect against this type of severe disease, particularly for older people, young children, women who are pregnant, and people with weakened immune systems”.

If you’re severely allergic to the flu shot or any of its components, you should not get vaccinated, the CDC says.

“People don’t really understand the need for herd immunity – that we protect those who are most vulnerable”, said Clark. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get it at any point in the season.

It’s time to roll up you sleeve.