| Influenza |
| What is influenza? |
| Influenza, commonly called "the flu," is caused by one of the family of influenza viruses. There are many types of animal and human flu viruses. Ordinary human flu viruses affect millions of people each year. This influenza is a contagious infection of the respiratory tract, which affects people of all ages. In many cases, flu is short-lived and can resolve on its own. However, in the very young, the elderly, and people with chronic diseases, influenza can cause severe illness and life-threatening complications. Influenza kills 250,000 to 500,000 people worldwide each year. |
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| How is influenza spread? |
| Human influenza is easily passed from person to person through the air by tiny droplets that are released when an infected individual coughs or sneezes. Influenza can also be picked up on the hands from virus on surfaces and reach oral or nasal mucosa. |
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| What are the symptoms of influenza? |
The typical symptoms of ordinary influenza include fever, sore throat, cough, nasal congestions, body aches, extreme tiredness, and headache. Most people recover completely within a week or two.
In higher risk populations, complications from influenza may appear. Some of the complications of influenza include bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes. Children may get sinus problems and ear infections. |
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| What should I do if I am pregnant and think I have the flu? |
If a pregnant woman thinks she has flu, she should call her doctor right away. If needed, he or she will prescribe an antiviral medicine that treats the flu. The medicine is most helpful if it is started soon (within the first 48 hours) after the pregnant woman becomes sick.
Not everyone with flu in the general population needs to get antiviral medicines. Flu antiviral medicines should be used mostly to treat people with the flu who have a condition that increases their chances for serious problems from flu, such as pregnant women. These medicines are also used to treat people with flu who have more severe flu illness or who are in the hospital.
Clinical judgment is needed to decide if a person should be treated with antiviral medicines. |
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| If I’ve already had the flu, can I get it again? |
In general, exposure to a particular strain of flu virus will protect you against that strain in the future. However, it will not protect you from infection by other flu virus strains.
Please also note that it is possible for a person to be infected with the seasonal influenza (flu) virus more than one time in a season, because several strains of flu virus circulate each year. |
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| Who should get the seasonal flu shot? |
Anyone who wants to reduce the likelihood of becoming ill with influenza or spreading influenza to others should get a seasonal flu shot.
- All children 6 months and older and all older adults:
- All children from 6 months through 18 years of age.
- Anyone 50 years of age or older.
- Anyone who is at risk of complications from influenza, or more likely to require medical care:
- Women who will be pregnant during infl uenza season.
- Anyone with long-term health problems with:
- heart disease
- kidney disease
- liver disease
- lung disease
- metabolic disease, such as diabetes
- asthma
- anemia, and other blood disorders
- Anyone with a weakened immune system due to:
- HIV/AIDS or other diseases affecting the immune system
- long-term treatment with drugs such as steroids
- cancer treatment with x-rays or drugs
- Anyone with certain muscle or nerve disorders (such as seizure disorders or cerebral palsy) that can lead to breathing or swallowing problems.
- Anyone 6 months through 18 years of age on long-term aspirin treatment (they could develop Reye Syndrome if they got influenza).
- Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities.
- Anyone who lives with or cares for people at high risk for influenza-related complications:
- Health care providers.
- Household contacts and caregivers of children from birth up to 5 years of age.
- Household contacts and caregivers of
- people 50 years and older, or
- anyone with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe complications from influenza.
- Health care providers may also recommend a yearly influenza vaccination for:
- People who provide essential community services.
- People living in dormitories, correctional facilities, or under other crowded conditions, to prevent outbreaks.
- People at high risk of influenza complications who travel to the Southern hemisphere between April and September, or to the tropics or in organized tourist groups at any time.
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| When should I get my seasonal flu shot? |
Yearly flu vaccination usually begins in September or as soon as the flu vaccine is available. Vaccination should continue throughout the flu season, into December, January, and beyond. This is because the timing and duration (length) of the flu season varies. While flu outbreaks can happen as early as October, most of the time, influenza activity peaks in January or later.
Children under 9 years of age will need 2 doses of the vaccine the first year they are vaccinated. The first dose would ideally be given in September or as soon as the vaccine is available. The second dose should be given at least 28 days (4 weeks) after the first dose. If a child needs 2 doses, it is best to begin the process early so that the child is protected before flu season starts circulating in his or her community.
Certain groups of people may benefit from vaccination as late as April or May. This is true even if flu viruses are no longer circulating in the U.S. These groups include:
- People who will travel to the Southern Hemisphere where flu viruses may be circulating before the following year’s vaccine is available
- Children younger than 9 who were vaccinated for the first time and still have not received their second dose.
- The vaccine should continue to be offered to unvaccinated people throughout the flu season, as long as it is available.
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| Should doctors give the flu vaccine to persons who have an allergy to eggs? |
Asking persons if they can eat eggs without adverse effects is a reasonable way to determine who might be at risk for allergic reactions from receiving influenza vaccines. Persons who have had symptoms such as hives or swelling of the lips or tongue, or who have experienced acute respiratory distress after eating eggs, should consult a physician for appropriate evaluation to help determine if influenza vaccine should be administered.
Persons who have documented (IgE)-mediated hypersensitivity to eggs, including those who have had occupational asthma related to egg exposure or other allergic responses to egg protein, also might be at increased risk for allergic reactions to influenza vaccine, and consultation with a physician before vaccination should be considered. |
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| What is the most effective way to prevent the spread of flu? |
Steps to prepare for flu season and limit the spread of the flu virus include some everyday actions that you and your family can take to stay healthy.
- Get vaccinated!
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. No tissue available? Cough into your sleeve or elbow, not your hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
- Follow the advice of your local public health department regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other measures to reduce flu transmission.
- If you get sick, stay home. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
- Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.
All Americans share in the responsibility to plan for this fall’s flu season. Given the unique combination of regular seasonal flu, as well as the H1N1 virus, it’s important for everyone to take action to reduce the transmission of influenza. |
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| What is the best technique for washing my hands to avoid getting the flu? |
| Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. CDC recommends that when you wash your hands -- with soap and warm water -- that you wash for 15 to 20 seconds. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. You can find them in most supermarkets and drugstores. If using gel, rub your hands until the gel is dry. The gel doesn’t need water to work; the alcohol in it kills the germs on your hands. |
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| Can Lysol brand or other disinfectants protect against the flu virus? |
There are several chemical germicides (substances that kill disease-causing germs) that are effective against flu viruses, such as:
- chlorine,
- hydrogen peroxide,
- detergents or soaps,
- iodine-based antiseptics (substances that stop the growth of germs), and alcohols.
These products are effective if the right amount is used, for the right period of time. For example, wipes or gels with alcohol in them can be used to clean hands. The gels should be rubbed in until they are dry. Influenza virus, or the flu virus, is also destroyed by exposure to heat of 167 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit (75 to 100 degrees Centigrade). |
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| What can families, students, and school personnel do to keep from getting sick and spreading flu? |
Families, students, and school staff can keep from getting sick with flu in three ways
- Practicing good hand hygiene. Students and staff members should wash their hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
- Practicing respiratory etiquette. The main way that the flu spreads is from person to person in the droplets produced by coughs and sneezes, so it’s important to cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands.
- Staying home if you’re sick. Keeping sick students at home means that they keep their viruses to themselves rather than sharing them with others.
Students, staff, and their families must take personal responsibility for helping to slow the spread of the virus by practicing these steps to keep from getting sick with flu and protecting others from getting the flu. |
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| How long should a sick student or staff member be kept home? |
In the current flu conditions, students and staff with symptoms of flu should stay home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have fever or do not feel feverish, without using fever-reducing drugs.
If the flu conditions become more severe, CDC recommends that a sick person stay home for 7 days.
A person who is still sick after 7 days should stay home until 24 hours after the symptoms have gone away. In addition, this longer period should be used in health care settings and in any place where a high number of high-risk people may be exposed, such as childcare facilities for children less than 5 years of age.
Sick people should stay at home, except to go to the doctor’s office, and should avoid contact with others. Keeping people with a fever at home may reduce the number of people who get infected. Because high temperatures are linked with higher amounts of virus, people with a fever may be more contagious. |
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| Should family members of sick students stay home too? |
| Not unless the flu conditions are determined to be more severe. If flu conditions are more severe, school-aged children should also stay home for 5 days from the time someone in their home became sick. It is possible that family members could already be sick with flu and not be showing symptoms yet. The 5-day period provides enough time to know if anyone else is sick with flu. Parents should continue to monitor their health and the health of the sick child, as well as the health of their other children. |
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| What household cleaning should be done to prevent the spread of influenza virus? |
| To prevent the spread of influenza virus it is important to keep surfaces (especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, kitchen counters and toys for children) clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label. |
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| Does the flu vaccine work right away? |
| No, it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against influenza virus infection. In the meantime, you are still at risk for getting the flu. That’s why it’s better to get vaccinated early in the fall, before the flu season really gets under way. |
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| Is the flu vaccine ok for babies? |
| Infants younger than 6 months should not receive the flu vaccine, which is why it is important for infant caregivers be vaccinated and for families to take everyday actions to stay healthy. Babies older than 6 months are a part of the priority group recommended by the CDC to receive the vaccine. |
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| What about breastfeeding? Should I stop if I am ill? |
| No, not unless your health care provider advises it. Studies on other influenza infections show that breastfeeding is most likely protective for babies - it passes on helpful maternal immunities and lowers the risk of respiratory disease. Breastfeeding provides the best overall nutrition for babies and increases their defense factors to fight illness. |
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