October 28, 2004 The continuing demand for flu vaccinations raises the question of who really needs to get a flu shot. The answer is, only those who fall into a high-risk category -- infants, the elderly, those with chronic health conditions and health-care workers.
In fact, most healthy people don't need flu shots and won't get the flu. In a normal year, about 80% of those who aren't vaccinated don't get the flu. In healthy individuals, the flu is normally a minor illness, something that lasts only a few days.
Here are some questions and answers that may help you decide what to do.
Is this expected to be a bad flu year?
No. The strain of flu circulating this year is similar to last year's, which was relatively mild.
If I got a flu shot last year, will it help me this year?
It might. Since the flu strains are similar, you may indeed have some carryover protection. This would also be true if you had the flu last year -- your body would have built an immunity to that flu strain.
But in previous years, everyone was urged to get a flu shot. Why the differing messages?
In a perfect world, everyone would get a flu shot every year -- not because everyone needs protection from the flu, because most healthy people fight off the flu with no trouble. But protecting healthy people also provides an extra measure of protection to those who are vulnerable.
If you are healthy and get a mild case of the flu, you're perfectly capable of passing it on to your grandmother, your neighbor's infant or a co-worker who suffers from congestive heart failure. It could have serious consequences for them even though you might hardly notice you were sick.
OK but flu is still a killer, right?
Yes. Each year the flu kills about 36,000 people in the U.S. and sends 200,000 more to the hospital. Most of these patients fall into one or more high-risk category.
How many flu shots do we have?
The U.S. has about 58 million doses of flu vaccine from Aventis and about three million doses of nasal vaccine from FluMist. Last year, only 44% of people at highest risk were actually vaccinated. There are about 100 million in the high-risk category, so if last year's pattern held true, there would be plenty of vaccine to go around.
I have heart disease, diabetes and emphysema but haven't been able to get a flu shot. What should I do?
Check with your doctor. Most physicians can guide high-risk patients to a reliable source of vaccinations. Also, ask your doctor for a pneumococcal vaccine. This will lower your risk for pneumonia, which is the most common complication of the flu in high-risk patients.
I saw flu vaccine advertised on a Web site for $120. It's a lot of money but it would be worth it.
No it wouldn't. First, you have no way of knowing whether the vaccine is genuine, whether it's contaminated or outdated. The Internet is no place to buy vaccines. Check with your doctor if you feel you really must have a vaccination this year.
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