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If you have watched the news or read the newspaper recently you noticed numerous headlines about the rapid spread of the flu throughout the nation. Major cities have declared public health emergencies as the number of people infected grows and the death toll increases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) keeps up-to-date information posted on their website so that people can know the symptoms of the flu, how to help protect themselves from it, and to how to help prevent the spread of it. The following information is from the CDC.

Flu Can Be Serious

Influenza, commonly called the “flu,” is a contagious viral infection that affects the respiratory system — your nose, throat and lungs. Symptoms of the flu can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people may also have vomiting and diarrhea.
Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently. CDC estimates that from the 1976-1977 flu season to the 2006-2007 season, flu-associated deaths each season ranged from a low of about 3,000 people to a high of about 49,000 people.

Get a Flu Vaccine

The first and most important step is to get a flu vaccination each year. If you haven’t gotten vaccinated yet, you should still try to. With very few exceptions, everyone 6 months of age and older should get an annual flu vaccine as soon as vaccines are available. Vaccination is especially important for people at high risk to decrease their likelihood of getting sick and possibly having serious illness. People at high risk of serious flu complications include young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions (like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease), and people 65 years and older.
At this point flu vaccine may be harder to find now than it was earlier in the season. You may need to contact more than one provider (pharmacy, health department, or doctor) to find available vaccine. The flu vaccine locator may be helpful to you in your search.

If you’ve already been vaccinated this season, you have taken the most important step to protect yourself and those around you from flu. Unfortunately, there are a couple of reasons why it’s still possible to get the flu despite being vaccinated. First, people may be exposed to a flu virus shortly before getting vaccinated or during the two-week period it takes the body to develop an immune response following vaccination. Second, there’s a possibility of catching a different flu virus not included in the vaccine. Most of the viruses characterized by CDC have been like the viruses in the vaccine, but the flu vaccine is not likely to protect against other viruses. And last, sometimes the flu vaccine doesn’t work as well for some people, which means that some people can get sick with the flu despite being vaccinated. The ability of flu vaccine to protect a person depends, in part, on the health and age of the person being vaccinated. In general, the flu vaccine works best among young healthy adults and older children. Some older people and people with certain chronic illnesses may develop less immunity after vaccination. For that reason, it’s important to know what else you can do to help keep you from getting sick, and what to do if you do get sick with flu.

Take Everyday Preventive Actions to Stop the Spread of Germs

Everyday preventive actions are steps that people can take to help slow the spread of germs that cause respiratory illness, like flu. They are not a substitute for vaccination. These include the following personal and community actions:

• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you or your child gets sick with a respiratory illness, like flu, limit contact with others as much as possible to help prevent spreading illness. Stay home (or keep your child home) for at least 24 hours after fever is gone except to seek medical care or for other necessities. Fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.
• If an outbreak of flu or another illness occurs, follow public health advice. This may include information about how to increase distance between people and other measures.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. This will block the spread of droplets from your mouth or nose that could contain germs.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

Take Flu Antiviral Drugs if Your Doctor Prescribes Them

If you do get the flu, there are antiviral drugs that can treat your illness. They are a second line of defense. This type of medication is not available over-the-counter so you will need a prescription, but antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and shorten the time you are sick. They are most effective when started within 2 days of getting sick, though starting them later can still be helpful, especially for those with high risk conditions. Early treatment is especially important for people who are at high risk of flu complications. Your doctor will decide whether you need antiviral drugs and CDC has provided guidance on who should be treated.

Let’s all do our part to prevent the flu.

[Information Source]

The following questions and answers are from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and they help us to know what to expect from the flu season this year.

Questions & Answers

2011-21012 Influenza Season: Disease Activity

What sort of flu season is expected this year?

Flu seasons are unpredictable in a number of ways. Although epidemics of flu happen every year, the timing, severity, and length of the epidemic depends on many factors, including what influenza viruses are spreading and whether they match the viruses in the vaccine.

Will new strains of flu circulate this season?

Flu viruses are constantly changing so it’s not unusual for new flu virus strains to appear each year. For more information about how flu viruses change, visit How the Flu Virus Can Change.

When will flu activity begin and when will it peak?

The timing of flu is very unpredictable and can vary from season to season. Flu activity most commonly peaks in the U.S. in January or February. However, seasonal flu activity can begin as early as October and continue to occur as late as May.

What should I do to prepare for this flu season?

CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older as the first and most important step in protecting against this serious disease. While there are many different flu viruses, the flu vaccine is designed to protect against the three main flu strains that research indicates will cause the most illness during the flu season. For information about which viruses this season’s vaccine will protect against visit Vaccine Selection for the 2011–2012 Season. Getting the flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available each year is always a good idea, and the protection you get from vaccination will last throughout the flu season.

How effective is the flu vaccine?

Inactivated influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) can vary from year to year and among different age and risk groups. For more information about vaccine effectiveness, visit How Well Does the Seasonal Flu Vaccine Work?

Will this season’s vaccine be a good match for circulating viruses?

It’s not possible to predict with certainty which flu viruses will predominate during a given season. Flu viruses are constantly changing (called drift) – they can change from one season to the next or they can even change within the course of one flu season. Experts must pick which viruses to include in the vaccine many months in advance in order for vaccine to be produced and delivered on time. (For more information about the vaccine virus selection process visit Selecting the Viruses in the Influenza (Flu) Vaccine.) Because of these factors, there is always the possibility of a less than optimal match between circulating viruses and the viruses in the vaccine.

How do we know if there is a good match between the vaccine viruses and those causing illness?

Over the course of a flu season CDC studies samples of flu viruses circulating during that season to evaluate how close a match there is between viruses in the vaccine and circulating viruses. In addition, CDC conducts vaccine effectiveness studies to determine how well the vaccine protects against illness. However, it’s important to remember that even during seasons when the vaccine is not optimally matched to predominant circulating viruses, CDC and other experts continue to recommend flu vaccine as the best way to protect against the flu. (continue reading…)

This short video reviews what you can do to make sure you don’t get the flu, including the new H1N1 flu, and how you can be sure not to spread the flu to others. Also, find out how to reduce your risk of becoming ill with an influenza virus.

Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
Running Time: (1:47) Release Date: 10/30/2009

This article was originally published on CNN.com

By Elizabeth Cohen
CNN Senior Medical Correspondent

(CNN) — Next week, the long-awaited H1N1 vaccine is expected to arrive. At least three of the four vaccine makers have begun shipping their products to undisclosed distribution centers.

There are two types of the vaccine available: the flu shot, an inactivated vaccine containing fragments of killed influenza virus, and a nasal spray, which is made using a weakened live flu virus. The nasal spray will most likely be the first to be widely distributed, however certain groups, including pregnant women, young children and people with compromised immune systems, cannot receive the nasal spray.

So far officials of the National Institutes of Health say that in clinical trials they’ve seen no serious side effects and that study subjects who have been immunized have generated a good response.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vaccine for certain high-priority groups because they are more likely to have serious complications if they develop swine flu. These groups include: pregnant women; caregivers and household contacts of children younger than 6 months; everyone between the ages of 6 months and 24 years; and people ages 25 to 64 with existing health problems.

Even people who are not in these groups can get the vaccine. But now the vaccine is almost here, the question is, “Do you want it?” We looked through our Empowered Patient inbox and it turns out that many of our readers still have questions. We consulted a team of experts to get their answers, which are edited for brevity and clarity.

When can I expect the H1N1 vaccine to be available where I live?

While the first supplies of the H1N1 vaccine are due out next week, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be available in your city. Since only 6 million to 7 million doses are expected next week, you might have to look around for it at the beginning. However, federal health authorities have stressed that within the next few months there will be plenty of vaccine to go around; 75 million doses will be produced before the end of the year.

Where can I find the vaccine when it comes out?

Check with your doctor, your children’s school and your local public health department. Right now there’s no central list of locations where swine flu vaccine will be offered, but the Department of Health and Human Services plans on putting information on Flu.gov as soon as possible.

For more answers to questions, continue this story at CNN.com

Get CDC Weekly Updates on H1N1 Flu & Vaccine Situation via Webcast visit Flu.Gov Live

(article Via The Medical News photo source)

This flu season more than 2900 Rite Aid pharmacies are offering regular seasonal flu shots and starting September 1, flu shot locations and clinic dates will be available at www.riteaid.com and by calling toll-free 1-866-751-1494.

Many Rite Aid pharmacists have already been giving regular seasonal flu shots following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advice that anyone who wishes to reduce the risk of getting the regular seasonal flu get a flu shot as soon as they are available. More than 2,000 certified immunizing pharmacists in more than 1,500 Rite Aid stores will give regular seasonal flu shots now and throughout the flu season. After locating a Rite Aid store with an immunizing pharmacist at www.riteaid.com or toll-free 1-866-751-1494, customers should call the store to check if appointments are necessary. Rite Aid pharmacists also can counsel customers and answer questions about both the regular seasonal flu and H1N1 flu.

Nurses will be giving regular seasonal flu shots on a first come, first served basis at flu shot clinics in more than 1,800 Rite Aid stores from September 23 through mid-December. Clinic locations will be available September 1 at www.riteaid.com or by calling toll-free 1-866-751-1494. (continue reading…)