Dear Dr. Jeff: Can I get a flu shot to prevent bird flu? E.O.
Dear E.O.: Unfortunately, you can't?at least not yet. Vaccines for the H5N1 avian flu virus are still under development. However, you can get a flu shot for "regular" seasonal flu, and there are a number of reasons why you should.
Seasonal flu is most effectively prevented by vaccination, and avoiding the illness will save you a considerable amount of suffering. Getting vaccinated will also decrease the likelihood that those around you will acquire the flu.
There are also some connections between seasonal flu shots and bird flu prevention.
Remember that at present, the bird flu virus does not easily infect people, and almost never spreads from one person to another. In order to do so, it would need to mutate genetically, and the fastest way for it to mutate would be to co-infect an animal, or a person, at the same time as another, more infectious type of flu virus. As both viruses reproduce in the host, they can somewhat readily exchange genetic material. Under these circumstances, the bird flu virus could pick up the ability to infect people easily, which, in combination with its virulence, could make it the agent of a worrisome pandemic.
One way to try to keep this from happening is simply to have less regular flu virus around and available for this kind of genetic re-assortment. However infectious a bird flu virus might turn out to be, we will all be less susceptible to it if we avoid catching the seasonal flu in the first place.
Finally, at the Avian Influenza Summit in Augusta last month, there was some pointed discussion about the fact that vaccine manufacturers in this country primarily consider market forces, and not public health needs, when committing manufacturing capacities to one vaccine versus another. Believe it or not, apparently the best way to convince U.S. vaccine manufacturers that they need to be gearing up for bird flu vaccine production is to buy lots of seasonal flu vaccine!
And we've bought a lot! There will be no shortage of vaccine this year. We're ready to start vaccinating students first, and then staff, faculty and Bowdoin community members. We'll be offering free flu shots to all students on Wednesday, October 25, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Saturday, October 28, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Tuesday, October 31, between 10 a.m. and noon.
Come on in to the health center one of those days, no appointments are necessary. The flu shots only take a minute, and they are free to students. We'll be setting up flu shot clinics for faculty, staff, and community members in early November, and we anticipate having plenty of vaccine for all.
Because avian influenza has not yet been reported in this country, even in wild birds, there is nothing you need to do right now to protect yourself from it. However, if you are traveling to or from an affected area like Southeast Asia, read up on disease risks and health recommendations from the Center for Disease Control web site.
What you should do now, though, is to take good care of yourself and practice good hygiene.
Eat well, stay active, and get enough sleep.
Don't drink excessively, and don't smoke at all!
Cover your coughs and sneezes with your elbow.
Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.
And get a flu shot in the next two weeks!
Be well!
Jeff Benson, M.D.
Dudley Coe Health Center