Vaccines and Common Sense Measures

By Elizabeth McClure, M.D., M.P.H.

As the weather turns colder and the holiday season approaches, Minnesotans will also face another season, an unwelcome one: Influenza, or flu, season.

The flu, caused by the influenza virus, is a contagious respiratory sickness.  It is most commonly spread from person to person by coughing or sneezing, or by coming into contact with an infected surface and then touching the mouth, nose or eyes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year between 5 and 20 percent of people in the United States will get the flu. Thus far, the Minnesota Department of Health has not confirmed any flu activity. Some areas have reported flu outbreaks, but these cases have not been confirmed in the department’s laboratory. 

Common symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, muscle ache, stuffy nose and sore throat.  The severity ranges from mild to severe—people who are very young, old or have compromised immune systems are at greater risk for severe flu.

The good news is there are ways you can protect yourself.

The first and most effective way is to get vaccinated.  Nearly everyone can get the flu shot; check with your doctor to see if there are any medical reasons that preclude you from getting the vaccination. Contrary to popular belief, you cannot get the flu from getting the flu shot—the vaccine uses a killed virus. Some people get achy after getting the shot, but the feeling passes within days. 

This year, there is no shortage of the vaccine, so everyone should consider getting vaccinated. It’s not too late to get the flu vaccine. Ideally, you should get vaccinated in October or November, but since flu season lasts into the spring it’s not too late to protect yourself. Remember, it takes about two weeks for the vaccination to work.

In recent years, another option became available for certain groups of people. Unlike the flu shot, the nasal spray, or FluMist, is a live, but weakened virus, and should only be given to healthy people ages 5–49 who are not pregnant.

The University of Minnesota was one of four groups across the country studying FluMist as a way to prevent the spread of flu in schools. Schoolchildren in St. Cloud had the option of participating in the research.  Research results showed that for children vaccinated with FluMist, it reduced episodes of flu-like illness, work-time lost by their parents and school days missed by the children.

Finally, use common sense measures to avoid spreading illness:  Wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes to prevent the virus from getting into your respiratory system.  Do your part to prevent the spread of the disease by staying home from work or school if you do get the flu.

Elizabeth McClure, M.D., M.P.H., is the Medical Director of the University of Minnesota’s Office of Emergency Response. Health Talk & You is an educational service of the University of Minnesota. Advice presented should not take the place of an examination by a health-care professional. For more health-related information, go to http://www.healthtalk.umn.edu/