Bad flu season predicted — did you get your shot?

What can we expect from the flu season this year? Unfortunately, many experts are predicting an active, and possibly severe, flu season. This projection is based on data from Australia, where the flu season is just wrapping up. Australia was hit early and hard by flu this year: over 300,000 patients had laboratory-confirmed influenza, a record number of cases. Flu outbreaks in the Southern Hemisphere happen during our summers, and they often give us a clue as to what we should expect when the flu lands on our shores in the fall. Who should get the flu vaccine? Basically, everybody over the age of 6 months, except for those who have had a life-threatening reaction to a flu shot in the past, should get it. People with egg allergies will likely be able to receive a newer version of the flu vaccine, as described below. It is especially important to get vaccinated if you are in a high-risk group for developing life-threatening complications from the flu. This includes people over age 65 people who have heart failure and other cardiac conditions, or suffer from asthma, COPD, or other lung diseases people who have Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, strokes, or other neurological problems pregnant women and new mothers residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities people who have diabetes, weak immune systems, and chronic liver or kidney disease. Most people who are hospitalized with influenza have one or more of these risk factors. When to get the flu vacc...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Cold and Flu Health Prevention Vaccines Source Type: blogs