It’s that time of the year again. While the alarmingly premature Thanksgiving displays and already audible choruses of “Jingle Bells” would have you believe that you should be wrapping up your holiday shopping, don’t forget that it’s also that other time of the year. Ah, flu season. The influenza virus wouldn’t dare take a sabbatical if that would mean missing out on another chance to leave you feeling like you’ve been hit, perhaps repeatedly, by a speeding Mack truck.
Flu season begins as early as October but usually doesn’t hit its peak until January or February. Vaccines are usually available throughout the season. Along with your regular (undoubtedly impeccable) hygiene regimen, the vaccine is your best shot (pun absolutely intended) for staying healthy during flu season. Unfortunately, there are a number of myths and misconceptions about the flu — and the vaccine in particular — that hinder people from getting vaccinated.
Myth #1: The flu shot is only necessary for the elderly or for people with chronic medical conditions.
While vaccination is certainly important for Grandpa Joe and Bubble Boy, the flu can be anything from inconvenient to life-threatening in healthy folks. The flu virus affects five to 20 percent of Americans per year and is responsible for approximately 36,000 deaths annually. Although not a common situation, the flu can land you in the hospital with dehydration or pneumonia (especially for smokers and asthmatics). At the very least, it usually takes one or two weeks to recover from the virus, which is a long time to miss out on things you like to do. Also, the flu is extremely contagious (and is transmitted from the respiratory system, such as when you cough), so you run the risk of passing it on to Grandpa Joe, which wouldn’t really be keeping with the holiday spirit.
Myth #2: The flu shot only covers one type of flu virus and therefore can’t be very effective.
Actually, the flu shot contains three different kinds of killed flu viruses, chosen based on which viruses are predicted to be the predominant pathogens in a given year (check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site for details). Your body recognizes specific proteins on these viruses and makes antibodies to them, which takes a week or two. Then, if your roommate sneezes the real thing in your face, your body already has a defense in place. Scientists study the effectiveness of the vaccines, measured by how close a match there was between the vaccine and specific viruses found during flu season. During “good” years, the effectiveness ranges from 70 to 90 percent, although last year the CDC estimated the overall effectiveness at 44 percent. The flu virus is a slippery one, in that it constantly changes its coat to avoid being put out of business. Luckily for us, even if the exact strain is not represented in the vaccine, it may still alleviate your symptoms, thanks to the viruses being related.
Myth #3: You can get the flu from the flu shot itself.
Although the flu shot and the nasal spray vaccine (available if you are 2 to 49 years of age, non-pregnant and healthy) may cause you to have muscle aches, low-grade fever, headache and similar symptoms, there is an unbelievably small risk of them causing the flu. As I mentioned before, the flu shot is a soup of dead viruses. The nasal spray contains live viruses, but they are weakened to the point that they are as good as dead. For all practical purposes, they will not cause the flu in healthy people. The side effects from either vaccine should be short-lived if they occur at all. If you do get the flu right after you got the vaccine, you probably got it from the aforementioned inconsiderate sneezing roommate.
Myth #4: If I do get the flu, there’s nothing I can do to make myself feel better.
I am not a proponent of wallowing. While the flu will make you feel absolutely wretched, it is important to take care of yourself. Avoid alcohol and tobacco (like you always do, right?) and drink as much water as you can stand. If you notice symptoms early, your doctor can prescribe a medication to shorten the duration of your symptoms or give you something to help with the muscle aches.
Want to get through the season without dealing with this at all? Get yourself to Newcomb Hall for the Student Health Flu Shot Clinic Nov. 6.
Emily is a University Medical student. She can be reached at e.graham@cavalierdaily.com.
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