It's More Than "Just The Flu"
(continued)
Debunking the Myths, Misconceptions, and Misinformation
About the Flu:
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MYTH: You can get the flu from the vaccine.
False. The vaccine is made with inactivated organisms that can't cause
disease.
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MYTH: The vaccine is only for seniors. The
flu vaccine is for anyone at-risk. See list below.
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MYTH: The vaccine prevents influenza completely. The
influenza vaccine's effectiveness varies each year and depends on two things:
the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) prediction and the strength of a person's
immune system. The CDC predicts what strains will cause the next year's outbreak.
In 1997-1998, however, the dominant influenza strain didn't evolve until after
the vaccine was made, so its effectiveness was diminished. All vaccines give
some immunity to related strains and make antiviral medications work better,
so receiving a vaccine is still beneficial. Immune system function varies considerably.
Ironically, the vaccine is less effective for those people who need it most,
such as those over age 65 or those taking medications for AIDS or cancer.
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MYTH: Only old people get bad flu. False. People
of all ages get flu. People over 65 do have less protective immune systems just
as do children under 12. Both age groups may experience more severe symptoms
as a result. Several other groups are at high risk as well (see below).
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MYTH: Flu can't kill you or cause any other serious problems.
False. 20,000-40,000 Americans will die each year from complications
of the flu. Influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia together are the 6th
leading cause of death in Americans over age 65. In addition, some experts
believe that one of the long-term complications of the flu may be chronic fatigue
syndrome, a debilitating condition that affects apr. 500,000 Americans.
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MYTH: If I take Echinacea, I don't have to worry. False.
In clinical studies, Echinacea was found to be as effective as placebo in preventing
colds and the flu. Some studies suggest that this herb improves immune function
and may reduce the severity and duration of a cold, not the flu.
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MYTH: I take Vitamin C; I have nothing to worry about.
False. While there is a belief that Vitamin C may reduce the frequency,
severity and duration of colds, this has not been proven in clinical trials.
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MYTH: It's too late to get the flu vaccine this season.
False. It takes 4-6 weeks for the vaccine to build sufficient flu-fighting
antibodies. If you get the vaccine right away, you may be able to prevent this
season's flu, which peaks between Dec. and March.
- MYTH: Influenza is the same every year. The influenza virus
changes every year. Sometimes new strains develop which even seriously affect
the healthy. Two particularly deadly mutations in the influenza virus caused
the 1918 Spanish Flu, which killed 500,000 people, and the Asian Flu in 1957-58
which killed 70,000 people in the US alone. Type A Sidney, new in the 1997-98
flu season, appeared to be responsible for doubling the flu's death toll last
year. Some researchers are warning that we are overdue for another major
flu epidemic in the near future.
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MYTH: It's easy to know when you have the flu. Influenza
is actually difficult to diagnose without a test. Specialists trained in recognition
of influenza will typically diagnose influenza correctly only a third of the
time. In patients that later prove to have influenza, doctors often make a diagnosis
of a bacterial illness like sinusitis, pharyngitis or bronchitis nearly two
out of three times. These diagnoses, of course, lead to treating patients with
antibiotics. Inaccurate diagnosis is the common reason for overuse of antibiotics
and the related complications.
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MYTH: There is no way for doctors to diagnose influenza
for sure. A new rapid throat swab test
that is 99.9% accurate for influenza prevents the wrong diagnosis and subsequent
antibiotic usage.
- MYTH: There is no treatment for influenza except rest, Tylenol and
chicken soup. There are now three FDA-approved medicines for treat
influenza: amantadine, rimanatadine, and zanamir (Relenza®). They will be
used more often now that there is a reliable test to diagnosis influenza.
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MYTH: The flu vaccine is expensive. Because this
is such a contagious threat to the public heath, many public health departments
give the vaccine for free to those at high risk and at greatly reduced cost
($5-$10) for all others. There are vaccine days at malls and town halls. Call
your local municipality for further information. In addition, if your physician
gives you your vaccine, it is covered by Medicare as well as most insurance
carriers for those at increased risk.
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MYTH: I got vaccinated last year- I don't need to go again. False. The dominant strains of the flu are different each year and the vaccine is different each year.
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MYTH: I've already had the flu this year; I can't get it
again. Not necessarily. You may have had one strain of the flu and
later get the other!
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There are 40--90 million cases of influenza reported in the U.S. each year.
It is expected that there will be 110,000 Americans hospitalized with
flu complications this year.
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