Dear Nurse Bonnie:
I am 66 years old and I have never gotten a flu shot. Why should I start now? Mr. B.
Dear Nurse Bonnie:
I got a flu shot one year and got the flu anyway. I don't see why I should get the flu shot. I think it gave me the flu. Mrs. G.T.
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Dear Mr. B and Mrs. G.T.,
According to the Center for Disease Control: "A flu shot is still the best protection against influenza". An estimated 900 deaths and 1,300 hospitalizations can be prevented for each million high risk persons vaccinated this flu season. You are considered at high risk if you are: 65 years and older; resident of a nursing home or chronic care facility; adults and children aged 6 months and older with chronic pulmonary or cardiovascular disease, including asthma, or who have required regular medical follow up. Hospitalization in the past year due to chronic metabolic disease, diabetes, kidney dysfunction, blood disorders or HIV, or immune suppressed due to medication, chemotherapy or radiation.
Influenza is an infection of the respiratory tract caused by the flu virus. Compared with most other viral respiratory infections, it causes a more severe illness, which includes fever (usually 100 to 103 F in adults), cough, sore throat, runny/ stuffy nose, headache, muscle aches and extreme fatigue. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are rare. Most people recover in 1 - 2 weeks but high risk people can develop serious and potentially life threatening complications, such as pneumonia.
Much of the illness and death caused by flu can be prevented by annual flu shots. Overall vaccine effectiveness varies from year to year, depending upon the degree of similarity between the virus strains, both in the vaccine and that circulating during the flu season. These strains must be chosen 9-10 months before the flu season since flu viruses change over time. The ability of the vaccine induced antibody to protect against the newly changed virus can be reduced. Also, the flu vaccine's effectiveness varies from one person to another. It is reduced in the elderly, but is STILL very effective in reducing the severity of the flu and risk of serious complications and death.