Did You Know?...

WE HAVE SEASONAL FLU VACCINE

Protect yourself and your family today

Recommended for groups at increased risk for flu or complications

• Adults over age 50
• Children 6 months to 18 yrs
• Household contacts of children < 6 months of age
• Individuals with heart, lung, liver, kidney, cognitive, neurologic, hematologic, or metabolic disease including asthma & diabetes
• Pregnant women
• Health care workers
• Anyone who lives with or cares for people in the above groups & Anyone who wishes to prevent the flu this winter

All insurance companies will pay for the flu vaccine
(unless your policy excludes immunizations)

FLU SHOT - Inactivated influenza vaccine - $35

STEPS TO PREVENT INFECTION

Most of the winter infections are spread by aerosol droplets that are inhaled, or by touching the germs that people cough or sneeze. The cool dry air and closed crowded rooms of the season are a good environment to allow spread of these respiratory infections. There are several easy steps that have been proven to reduce the passage of the winter illnesses.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with tissues or your arm to keep your infection from spreading. Also try to avoid touching others when you or they are sick.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. Use alcohol-based hand wipes when out in public.
• Eat Vitamin C rich foods and if there is an infection in the house, school, or work take Vitamin C tablets - 500 mg a day for adults, 250 mg for children > 5, and 100 mg for younger children.
• Dress warm and get enough sleep – your mother was right.
• Daily moderate exercise (walking, aerobics, etc.) reduces the chance & severity of infections by 40%.
• Allow your body to rest when you are ill.
• Get a Flu shot or Flu Mist to decrease your risk of this more serious respiratory infection.
• Most colds, bronchitis and sinusitis are viral and don’t respond to antibiotics.

FLU VACCINES 2009

The emergence of H1N1 (Swine Flu) this summer causes the CDC and TVPC to strongly recommend flu vaccines to all of our patients this fall. H1N1 influenza has persisted over the summer and is expected to become more frequent when children return to their school classrooms. Illness due to H1N1 virus has more complications and deaths than regular flu, is more contagious in younger (born after 1957) than older people and has the potential to be a true epidemic. H1N1 vaccine is being developed but will not be available until late fall and will require two separate doses for protection.

Influenza is a respiratory illness that strikes suddenly with high fever, muscle aches, weakness, sore throat, congestion and cough, all of which last 5-7 days usually requiring rest in bed. Although we can diagnose and treat both types of influenza; the treatments are different (seasonal flu has developed resistance to our usual anti-viral drugs) and there is no quick test to distinguish one from the other. Since prevention of influenza is simple and effective we strongly advise everyone to receive the seasonal (regular) flu vaccine as soon as possible.

SEASONAL INFLUENZA

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) recommends that all children ages 6 months – 18 years should receive annual flu vaccine. We have learned that school age children are the main agents of spread of influenza virus which they acquire in the school environment and take home to their families. Influenza illness is then more severe in their younger siblings (less than 5 yrs of age) and older relatives. This flu vaccine is still advised for persons > age 50, pregnant women, health care personnel, persons with chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, cognitive, neurologic, hematologic or metabolic disorders (including diabetes), household contacts and caregivers of the above groups or anyone who wishes to reduce their chance of illness. The flu vaccine has very few side effects (sore arm or low fever for 1 day) and cannot cause any disease but does not offer any protection against regular winter colds, sinusitis or bronchitis.

H1N1 INFLUENZA

A vaccine to protect against H1N1 influenza has been developed but needs testing and production before it can be released for use possibly in mid October. It will be given first to school age children (probably in the schools), pregnant women and health care workers and then to the general public. TriValley Primary Care is monitoring all the information and hopes to have this vaccine in our offices that we can administer with the seasonal flu shot.