El Paso Health | About Your Health | Fall 2018

Fight the flu—get vaccinated! family health Sources: expressnews.com/news/local/article/Flu-killed-nearly-10-000-Texans-in-2017-2018-13028706.php; cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm; familiesfightingflu.org/flu-facts-vs-fiction/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIi63KmqTy3AIVTL7ACh1EfQjpEAAYASACEgIKKPD_BwE; familiesfightingflu.org T he flu is a serious illness. It causes missed work and school, hospitalizations—and even death. In June 2018, the San Antonio Express News reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had estimated that nearly 10,000 people died from the flu and related complications in the 2017 to 2018 season in Texas alone. Fifteen of this season’s deaths involved children while the majority were senior citizens. Nationally, 143,000 people, including 172 children, died from the flu and pneumonia in 2017 to 2018 through mid-May, which is the usual end of the flu season. But you can protect yourself and your family from the flu with an annual flu shot. Myths and facts about the flu vaccine Myth 1: You can get the flu from the flu vaccine. False. Families Fighting Flu states that this is impossible. The flu vaccine contains an inactivated virus or no flu virus at all, so it cannot give you the flu. Myth 2: The flu is just a bad cold. False. The flu is a serious disease. It is highly contagious and is a viral infection of the respiratory tract that can cause other complications and attack other organs in the body. Every year in the U.S., nearly 200,000 people are hospitalized and many die due to the flu. Myth 3: It is not necessary for children to receive a flu vaccination. False. Children are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop the flu than adults because of their less-developed immune systems. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older should get the flu vaccine every year. Myth 4: The side effects of the vaccine are worse than the flu itself. False. Most people have no side effects or reactions to the flu vaccine. Some do develop redness and slight swelling at the site of injection. Myth 5: You must be vaccinated in the fall to be protected against the flu. False. It is recommended that you get the flu vaccine as soon it is available in your community but the vaccine can be given at any time during the flu season. Myth 6: The flu vaccine is 100% effective in preventing the flu. False. Although the flu shot is not 100% effective, it has been shown to reduce the risk of flu illness by up to 60%. It is also found to prevent death in otherwise healthy children by as much as 65%. Myth 7: Getting the flu shot every year isn’t necessary. False. The flu strain changes every year, therefore the flu shot is updated from 1 season to the next to protect against the most recent and most common strain circulating in communities. For this reason, it is recommended to get the flu shot every year. Myth 8: Healthy people don’t need a flu vaccine. False. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older should get the flu shot against the flu every year. Infants younger than 6 months are too young to be vaccinated. Protect them by getting yourself, other children, and family members in close contact with your baby vaccinated. This will help in preventing spreading the virus to infants. 2