Dear Dr. Jeff: I've got some questions for you, about flu shots.
First, why should I get vaccinated against the flu?
Influenza is a serious disease, and people of all ages can get it. In this country, flu is the cause of over 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths (mostly among those aged 65 years or older).
"Flu season" usually starts in November and lasts into April. Fortunately, Bowdoin students who come down with the flu almost never develop the more serious complications?but they do get good and sick. And that means missed work, missed classes, missed practices, games and performances?and a good deal of achy misery for at least three to five days.
Flu symptoms are well-known to be awful. In central Texas, people with the flu have been heard to say that they felt like they'd "been 'et by a coyote and sh-t off a cliff!"
Should all of us get vaccinated against the flu?
The federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) strongly recommends that certain groups of people get vaccinated each year: those with chronic lung disease (including asthma), heart or kidney disease, diabetes, immune problems, and anyone over the age of 65.
The CDC also strongly recommends that anyone who will be traveling to a foreign country or anyone who will be living or working with someone who falls into one of the higher risk groups should get vaccinated.
Also, the CDC strongly recommends that anyone who wishes to lower her own chances of getting the flu should be vaccinated.
How effective is the flu shot?
The vaccine prevents influenza in about 70 to 90 percent of healthy people younger than 65. For college students, it may be close to that 90 percent level.
Why do I need to get vaccinated against the flu every year?
Influenza viruses mutate frequently, and the dominant strain changes each year. That's why you don't develop protective immunity that keeps you from getting the flu the following year or years. And that's also why the flu vaccine is updated each year to include that year's most common viral subtypes.
Annual flu shots are very simply the most effective protection you can have against seasonal influenza.
Will I get the flu from the flu shot?
No. Flu shots are created from killed viruses that are not capable of infecting you or spreading to anyone else.
What are the side effects of flu shots?
For the vast majority, flu shots cause no side effects whatsoever. Less than one-third will end up with some mild soreness at the vaccination site, and less than 10 percent might develop a low-grade fever or headache. If you are allergic to eggs, though, you should not get a flu shot. During vaccine manufacture, the virus is grown in egg cultures.
Can I still get the flu after I get the flu shot?
It's possible. The vaccine takes a week or two to work fully, so if you're exposed to influenza sooner than that, you may be susceptible. And after that initial period, even for healthy college students, flu vaccine is not 100 percent effective (no vaccine is.) Still, nearly 90 percent protection is nothing to sneer at!
Is there a shortage of flu vaccine this year?
For the first time in several years: No! We have more than enough vaccine this year for all students who'd like a flu shot.
So come on in! Get your flu shot before you head home, and protect yourselves and your families! We'll be offering free flu shots for students today between noon and 1:30 p.m. in the Hutchinson Dining Room, for those of you eating lunch in Thorne. Vaccinations will also be available Monday and Tuesday at the Health Center, by appointment.
Safe and Happy Thanksgivings to you all!
Jeff Benson, M.D.
Dudley Coe Health Center