With flu season around the corner, health officials urge vaccination

You’re over 21. You’re not a kid anymore. The timing of flu is very unpredictable and can vary from season to season. In contrast, the mild flu season in 2013-2014 was attributed to a well-matched vaccine. If you are 65 or older, it lowers your risk of death by 48%.

Herpes zoster (60 years old and up), 24.2 percent. Flu may also worsen underlying chronic medical conditions. The best way to prevent getting the flu is to get vaccinated. That said, as long as the flu virus is circulating, it’s not too late to get a shot. For more information, call 969-6363. Since 2010, the Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practices has recommended that everyone older than 6 months receive vaccination for influenza. “People can be infected and not realize it and still spread the virus”. And, as the CDC reported, there are racial and ethnic disparities in vaccination coverage.

It was found that rates of influenza related illnesses among the elderly dropped a significant 21 percent when 31 percent of young adults in a community were vaccinated. Transplant patients have a suppressed immune system, and the effects of earlier vaccinations wear off. Pneumococcal vaccines will be available for $83-$172. So it is important everyone gets a shot. “It’s made their life a lot easier”. This trivalent vaccine, however, is recommended only to adults, ages 18 to 64. On average, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized annually for seasonal flu-related complications.

If you’re thinking about skipping the flu shot this year, think again. If you have vomiting and diarrhea without fever and body aches you probably have a gastrointestinal virus but not the flu. If you have an egg allergy, you should get Flucelvak or FluBlok instead. Among children aged under-18 years, it offered almost similar level of protection against the strains of influenza A. “This includes both people who have elderly relatives in their households and people who have routine contact with the elderly”.

Last year, about 52 percent of flu strains mutated from the vaccine, potentially decreasing the flu shot’s effectiveness, according to the CDC.

The shingles vaccine is not the only shot that public health officials are struggling to persuade older Americans to get. One reason people avoid the flu shot might come from anti-vaccine propaganda widespread in the media, mostly on the Internet.

The health department offers flu vaccines – right now, they are waiting for state vaccine for children.

It varies every year, but in Texas the flu tends to hit hardest December through March.

“There are a number of outbreaks of pertussis”, Dr. Nace said. “Those are the individuals who can pass it along to kids”. Getting vaccinated as early as possible has advantages since it takes about two weeks for antibodies to develop and provide protection.