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80,000 People Died Last Winter, It’s Time to Get Your Flu Shot

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2018 flu shot

Last year’s flu season was one of the worst seen in the United States in 40 years – resulting in as many as 80,000 deaths. With that in mind, many doctors are urging patients to get their flu shot now before the sickness begins spreading.

The 2017-2018 Flu Season Was Deadly

According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 80,000 flu-related deaths during the 2017-2018 flu season, 180 of which were pediatric deaths. Additionally, there were about 900,000 people hospitalized for the flu, resulting in the highest rate of hospitalization in modern history. Although these numbers are just preliminary, it was undoubtedly one of the deadliest flu seasons the U.S. has ever seen.

“Last year was just a horrible season. It was just a tremendous amount of disease. – Daniel Jernigan, head of the CDC’s influenza division”

Last Year’s Flu Shot

Part of the reason the 2017-2018 flu season was so terrible was the strain going around. The influenza A strain H3N2 spread quickly and vaccines were only 25% effective against it. The vaccine still saved lives though. It was 40% effective in preventing the flu from all three major strains last season. In age groups known to be at a higher risk, its effectiveness was even better.

Throughout the 2012-2013 flu season, 56,000 people died. The vaccine, which was relatively ineffective against H3N2, could have prevented more than 10,000 of those deaths.

Although Americans were urged to get a flu shot last year, the average number of people who got the vaccine remained largely unchanged. Eighty percent of the children who died last year were not vaccinated.

Doctors are reporting some cases of influenza already popping up in school-age children this year. Although the flu season doesn’t normally get into full swing until after November, now is the time to get vaccinated.

How Effective is the 2018 Flu Shot?

If you’re asking yourself how effective this year’s shot will be, you’re not alone. Plenty of people are wondering if it will be worth the time.

However, there’s no way to tell how effective the vaccine will be until the flu season is in full swing. This year’s flu shot does look promising though. The Food and Drug Administration, World Health Organization, and the CDC review data each year to determine which strains to include in that year’s flu shot. Officials chose what strains to include in March to have vaccines ready for fall.

One of the reasons last year’s flu season was so deadly is that the virus continued to mutate. “We guessed right about the common strains that dominated last year’s flu season,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb stated. “It’s now believed that part of the reason that the vaccine was not as protective is that the flu strain used to manufacture the vaccine mutated very subtly during the development process.”

Currently, flu patterns in the Southern hemisphere depict the 2018 flu shot should be effective.

“One of the challenges in fighting flu is that the viruses can change their genetic make-up rapidly — not only between flu seasons, but also during the course of a single season,” Gottlieb said. “As a result, the seasonal influenza vaccine needs to be evaluated annually to see whether its composition needs to be adjusted.”

CDC officials are planning to release more information later this year about how much illness the vaccine prevented during the 2017-2018 flu season. However, the agency’s message is fairly clear. Make sure to get your flu shot this year.

FDA and CDC officials recommend the flu shot for children 6 months and older. They also recommend it for pregnant women, senior citizens, and very young children.

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US Flu Epidemic in Full Swing

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CDC says flu at epidemic levels in US
Winter is upon us and that means that flu season is also here. Getting the flu can hurt a family’s finances as parents have to miss work to recover themselves, or stay at home to take care of sick kids. That’s not to mention the cost of doctor’s visits and medicine. By far the best way to protect your budget is preventative and to not get the flu in the first place.

According to the CDC’s most recent FluView report, “The 2014-2015 flu season shows that flu season in the United States has begun and about half the country is experiencing high levels of flu activity. Reports of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths are elevated.” According to USA Today, “The flu is now so widespread across the USA that it’s officially considered an epidemic by the [CDC], but it’s too soon to tell how particular bad it will be.”

News articles and content seem to corroborate this report; many across the country have reported on the deaths of previously healthy teenagers and adults, though older individuals have died at higher rates than others due to their vulnerability to this year’s most prevalent strain, H3N2.

In order to protect oneself, the CDC recommends an annual flu vaccine shot for those 6 months and older. The CDC carefully outlines the benefits of flu vaccination including a reduction in flu-related hospitalizations, deaths and absenteeism from work and school.

However, Michael Jhung, a medical officer with the CDC’s influenza division, told USA Today that H3N2 is “not a good match for the strains covered by the current vaccine, although the vaccine should still provide some protection,” which can reduce the occurrence of more severe outcomes.

Other mechanisms to protect oneself from the flu include employing “preventative actions” to prevent the spread of germs (e.g. wash your hands, avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, remain home when sick, etc.) and taking antiviral medications if one happens to become infected.

According to Jhung, “Such antivirals can significantly reduce the flu’s severity when taken soon after symptoms begin, ideally within the first 24 hours.” This is especially important for older individuals, children under 5 and those with weak immune systems, who are collectively most susceptible to infection. USA Today reports that major drug chains have reported “spotty outages of anivirials,” but manufacturers have promised the CDC that more will be produced in order to protect people during this year’s flu season.

Though flu-season seems to be in “full-swing,” it is not expected to peak until early to mid-February. Thus, it is imperative that individuals get vaccinated now, especially given the two weeks necessary for the vaccine to produce antibodies and render the body ‘ready for battle.’

CDC Recommends Flu Vaccinations to All 6 Months and Older as Flu Season Nears

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Flu season is near. Time to get a flu shot vaccine
Last year the flu took the lives over over 100 children in the US. Many of these deaths could have been prevented by a flu shot. Public Health Departments have made getting vaccinated possible with affordable flu shots now available at clinics across the country. It’s a simple step that could protect your child from serious illness, or even death, so visit Flu.gov to find a place to get the vaccination nearest you.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending vaccinating everyone from the ages of 6 months old to seniors. A flu shot will cost you approximately $6 per child. Medi-Cal for children and Medicare Part B will be accepted, and it will take about two weeks for the vaccine to take effect.

CDC Director, Dr. Tom Frieden, said, “The best way to protect yourself against the flu is to get a flu vaccination.” A recent report from his organisation said the flu kills around 24,000 Americans each year, but less than half of the population gets an annual flu shot.”

The vaccination is especially important for children, and the government hopes to increase on last year’s percentages, which had over 70% of children under five years receiving the jab. The CDC hopes that by getting more parents to vaccinate their children, there will be less hospitalizations of children.

The number of vaccinated dropped when it comes to school age children. Only 55% were vaccinated last year and with the school term beginning, now is a good time to get it done. Dr. Paul Offit of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia said, “Parents need to realize that flu vaccine is crucial even for otherwise healthy children. At least 100 U.S. children died of flu last year, only half of whom had lung conditions or other illnesses that put them at high risk and most of whom weren’t vaccinated.”

There is another option for children between 2-8 years old for the first time this year. The Ouchless FluMist Nasal Spray is an alternative option to a shot, and research shows it is more effective. It’s also a great alternative for kids who are resistant to needles. The CDC doesn’t currently recommend one type of vaccination over the other, but it’s best to take whatever vaccine is available to you if only one type is available in your area.

There are 150 million doses being shipped this year and so far, there’s no sign of a shortage. However, U.S. manufacturers are in the process of improving the vaccine so half of the supply will protect against 3 strains and the other half, 4 strains of influenza. Vaccines may be available at doctors’ offices, health clinics, pharmacies and clinics in the community.

(Photo courtesy of Daniel Paquet)

New Single Dose Peramivir Treats Flu with One-Time Shot

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New drug Peramivir can treat flu symptoms in one dose
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals say they have developed a new drug which safely inhibits flu symptoms if administered to patients within the first 48 hours from the onset of the flu. Peramivir, BioCryst’s new neuraminidase inhibitor (NAI) vaccine, is also known as RAPIVAB. A new study that was recently released shows a single dose of this NAI can effectively and safely relieve symptoms related to the influenza virus, such as virus shedding and reducing fevers. This is taken after contracting the flu, not a pre-flu vaccine.

The study evaluated the results from phase 2 and phase 3 clinical studies. According to presenting author Rich Whitley of the University of Alabama in Birmingham, “Based on clinical data, peramivir is the first neuraminidase inhibitor (NAI) that has shown to be safe and effective as a single-dose therapy for patients with acute, uncomplicated influenza. According to a retrospective combined analysis of two clinical studies, a single dose of peramivir, administered intramuscularly (IM), alleviated flu symptoms, including fever, significantly faster than the studies’ placebo arms.”

In the two controlled studies that were conducted, 427 adults who showed flu-like symptoms received a single injection of peramivir in the first 48 hours of showing signs. Those injected with the drug found that their fevers were alleviated 24 hours sooner than those who received the placebo. Other symptoms were reduced as soon as 22 hours before the placebo recipients as well.

Although the drug itself isn’t exactly new, it’s not currently available in the United States, as the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet approved it. If this drug meets the FDA’s standards and requirements, BioCryst’s peramivir would be the first new NAI to become available in approximately 10 years. It would also be the only single dose injection treatment for the influenza virus in the United States.

In Japan and Korea, peramivir has been approved since 2010. Around 1 million Japanese patients have received the drug to date, while there have also been about 27 clinical trials in which approximately 2,700 subjects have participated in clinical studies. The flu hospitalizes an estimated 200,000 thousand people annually and claims 36,000 lives. Influenza is a virus that is constantly mutating, which makes keeping up with the vaccinations a tricky and complicated process.

(Photo courtesy of Steven Depolo)

Flu Shots Will Save Money in the Longrun

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There is nothing good about influenza. People who have experienced a bout with the flu know that it is a miserable experience that brings fever, chills and muscle pain, among other symptoms. You will know when you have a bad case of the flu when you feel like you have been hit by a truck, but you are not lying in the middle of the road.

Flu season is now upon us. That means that, at least in the United States, a lot of money is being lost as a result of the spread of the flu. Worker productivity is down as workers stay home because of sickness or to care for sick dependents, or just show up for work sick (spreading the flu to their co-workers). People have to spend money on visits to the doctor and on medicine.

Of course, this year we also have to contend with the H1N1 flu virus, more commonly known as Swine Flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the H1N1 virus was first detected in the United States in April, 2009. By early June, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) had declared a global Swine Flu pandemic.

There are a lot of steps that we can take in an effort to protect ourselves and those around us from contracting any type of flu virus. This year, there will actually be two “flu shots” available. The first is already being offered by doctors and pharmacies and will help to protect people from contracting the various flu viruses, other than the H1N1 virus, that experts believe will be prevalent this year. In about a month, the medical community also expects an inoculation for the H1N1 virus to be available.

Flu shots typically cost $20 to $25 and we should all take the time to get both shots this year, both to protect ourselves and to protect the people who we might infect. Here are some other preventive steps that we should all be taking:

Proper Hygiene: Wash your hands with hot, soapy water often throughout the day, especially after sneezing or coughing. Also, it is best to carry an alcohol-based water-less hand cleaner so that you can clean your hands when a sink is not available. If you sneeze or cough into a tissue, make sure you promptly and properly dispose of it. In addition, try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth so that you can limit the transmission of the virus inside your body.

Stay Home if You are Sick: If you develop flu-like symptoms, stay home until you have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours. Of course, if you or your child develop extreme symptoms such as those described on the CDC website you should seek emergency medical care.

By observing proper hygiene habits and doing your best not to infect other people, we can get through this flu season causing a minimum disruption to our economy, and that should be good for all of us in the long run. If you do get the flu, you will miss work and you will feel miserable, so the best way to avoid that possible loss of income and the certain misery that you will experience is to take as many preventive steps as possible, starting with your flu shot. Getting the flu is going to cost you money, time and pain so the only way to avoid those costs is to be smart now, and perhaps to stock up on over the counter medicines while they are on sale. You may not need them, but it will be better to have them ready in case you do.

What do you think? How will you avoid the flu this year? Do you get a flu shot or do you just trust to luck? If you do get the flu, will your employer still pay you on your sick days? What do you think a week of convalescence from the flu will cost you and how are you planning for those costs?