An ounce of prevention

By Alex P. Vidal

“Treatment without prevention is simply unsustainable.”—Bill Gates

WE invite those who easily get sick (like me) when the weather suddenly changes from humid to cold to get a flu shot this early, or before the real battle royal—the winter season, which will officially kick off on December 21 in the East Coast.

I was a non-believer of flu shot until I contracted the flu for straight five years during the winter season—except in the last two years when I decided to start taking the flu shot at Walgreens.

Afraid to catch the cold, I again took my flu shot for this year’s winter season at Walgreens in Queens on October 17.

I was injected on my left muscle with 0.5ml of Flucelvax PFS good for 2022-2023. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

I was wrong when I thought that with my “excellent” immune system, I could battle the flu, a contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract, when the symptoms showed up in my first five winter seasons in New York.

Flu is, perhaps, the most common illness seen throughout the winter, aside from the common cold at least.

The flu, according to health authorities, is caused by an influenza virus (the exact strain or strains vary from year to year) and the symptoms can be mild to severe.

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Symptoms typically commence two days after exposure to the virus and most last less than a week, although the cough may last for more than two weeks, according to health authorities.

Anyone can get the flu (even healthy individuals), and serious problems related to the flu can happen at any age.

Influenza might be just a minor two-week annoyance for us. However, according to my source, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the flu causes more hospitalizations and deaths in children, seniors, and those with compromised immune systems compared to any other vaccine-preventable disease in North America.

For instance, during the 2019–2020 flu season, approximately 434 children reportedly died from influenza-related complications. While seniors, aged 65-years and older, had 13,673 deaths reported by the CDC.

The flu shot vaccination is reportedly shown to reduce our chances of catching the flu.

The effectiveness has varied year to year, in 2019-2020 it was 39-percent effective, said the CDC.

Most t of us can get a flu shot free of charge. The CDC in the U.S. makes many flu shot clinics, as well as shots through our medical practitioner available free of charge.

Why wouldn’t we take advantage of a free flu shot to protect ourselves against influenza?

We have been told that those with certain allergies or conditions should not get the flu shot. Infants under 6-months and those with life-threatening allergies to one or more of the influenza vaccine ingredients should not get the flu shot.

If we’re thinking about forgoing a flu shot this season, Joseph DeVeau, M.D., a Piedmont primary care physician, gives us 10 reasons why we should reconsider.

1. A flu shot can save our life. The flu can cause some serious complications that sometimes require hospitalization, such as dehydration, worsening of chronic illnesses, bacterial pneumonia, ear infections and sinus infections.

“Every year, about 200,000 people are hospitalized because of the flu,” says Dr. DeVeau.

In fact, influenza can lead to death in serious cases. During the 2017-2018 flu season, the CDC estimates 80,000 people died.

2. Getting a flu shot can reduce your sick days.

Whether you are hospitalized or take time off to recuperate at home, it’s going to cost you and your employer. The flu accounts for 111 million lost workdays and nearly $7 billion in lost productivity and sick days annually, says Flu.gov.

3. Most people are eligible to get the flu shot.

The CDC has made it easy to know who should get a flu shot.

“Pretty much anyone over six months of age should get a flu shot,” says Dr. DeVeau.

4. There is a needle-free flu vaccine. Afraid of needles? No problem – a needleless flu vaccine is available.

“A nasal spray can be given to people between the ages of 2 and 49 who are healthy, not pregnant and don’t have asthma,” he says.

Another version, the intradermal shot, has a very small needle that can be used on people 18 to 64.

“Really, you can’t feel the needle at all,” he says.

5. There is a flu shot for older adults. There’s the regular flu shot that’s given to people over the age of six months, as well as a version suitable for people 65 and over, which gives them even better protection against the flu.
6. You won’t get the flu from the flu shot. A common misconception is that you can contract the flu from a flu vaccine, but Dr. DeVeau says that is not possible because the shot uses a deadened form of the virus.
7. The flu shot changes each year. Before each flu season, the CDC determines which strains of influenza appear to most likely to occur that year. The vaccine will still reduce your chances of contracting certain strains of the virus and if you do get sick, having the vaccine can significantly reduce the severity of your symptoms.

“They kill that strain and they introduce it through the flu shot into our body,” he explains. “When your immune system comes into contact with that killed virus, it activates the immune system and creates antibodies. When you do come across the real flu, then you’re ready to fight it off and not get sick from the flu.”

8. Flu shot side effects are usually mild. There are a few possible side effects from the vaccine, such as headache, stuffy nose or sore throat. While many people experience no side effects, if you do, they should only last for a day or so. Considering that the flu itself typically lasts for one to two weeks and the symptoms can be severe, the flu shot is a better alternative.
9. The sooner you get the flu shot, the better.

Flu season usually starts sometime in October and can last until May, so it is important to get vaccinated early.

“We used to want to wait until later in the flu season to give the shot, but because it’s so variable, the CDC now recommends that when you’re able to find a flu shot, you go ahead and get the flu shot at that time,” says Dr. DeVeau.

Ideally, the flu shot would take effect right away, but it takes about two weeks for your body’s immune system to create the necessary antibodies to fight off the flu so you’re protected against getting sick.

10. The flu shot helps with herd immunity.

“There’s a concept called herd immunity that refers to populations getting immunizations,” he explains. “If we all get immunizations, of course we can’t spread the virus elsewhere, so we’re all protected from it.”

The flu virus spreads easily – we can contract it when an infected person coughs, talks or sneezes and droplets get in our nose or mouth. We can also get the flu by touching something that has the virus germs on it, then touching our eyes, nose or mouth.

“It’s easy to give to other people, and we see people all over the place, so you really are at risk,” says Dr. DeVeau. “The bottom line is definitely get your flu shot. It’s so important not only for yourself, but for the community to get your flu shot and keep us all protected.”

It’s not too late to get a flu shot. Flu shots are also available at Piedmont’s urgent care locations, primary care offices and at many pharmacies.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)