Be sure to get your annual flu shot
Published 6:00 pm Monday, September 30, 2019
Flu season is fast approaching and if you aren’t already protected against this dangerous disease, now is the time to get vaccinated.
Fall and winter are the most active seasons for the spread of the influenza virus, and the Centers for Disease Control has been busy finding the best recommendation for the composition of U.S. flu vaccines to protect people against the three or four most common strains of the virus.
For the 2019-2020 flu season, the CDC is recommending that vaccines contain:
• A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1) pdm09-like virus (updated)
• A/Kansas/14/2017 (H3N2)-like virus (updated)
• B/Colorado/06/2017-like (Victoria lineage) virus
As well, CDC recommended the quadrivalent (four-component) vaccines, which protect against a second lineage of B viruses, contain:
• The three recommended viruses above, plus B/Phuket/3073/2013-like (Yamagata lineage) virus.
The Federal Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) and the World Health Organization have also selected the H1N1 and B components.
In addition, flu vaccination is recommended for everyone 6 months and older before flu activity begins in their community. CDC recommends getting vaccinated by the end of October.
Vaccination is especially important for high risk persons, including young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease and people 65 and older.
Another group that needs vaccination is health care workers, and other people who live with or care for high risk people to keep from spreading the flu to them.
Other tips from CDC include avoiding close contact with sick people, as well sick people with a flu-like illness should limit contact with others are much as possible to keep from infecting them.
If you become sick with flu, you can also take antiviral drugs if your doctor prescribes them. Studies show that flu antiviral drugs work best for treatment when they are started within 48 hours of getting sick.
The CDC has loads of additional information on the flu, including more trips on how to avoid it, how to treat it, and much more at www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/prevention.htm.
(Associated Press)
