What is Influenza (also called Flu)?
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccination each fall.
Every year in the United States, on average:
- 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu;
- more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and;
- about 36,000 people die from flu.
Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.
Symptoms of Flu
Symptoms of flu include:
fever (usually high) headache
extreme tiredness dry cough
sore throat runny or stuffy nose
muscle aches Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, also can occur but are more common in children than adults
Complications of Flu
Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.
How Flu Spreads
Flu viruses spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 days after becoming sick. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm
Q: Can I get the flu from the flu shot?
A: This is a common myth, probably due to a very small percentage of people developing some mild "flu-like" symptoms (mild aches and low grade fever) that results from the body's immune reaction to injected viral particles. The flu shot is a "killed" virus vaccine that cannot give you the flu.
Q: If I get a flu shot, can I still get the flu later in the season?
A: This is very unlikely and is usually the result of the vaccine recipient contracting a severe "common cold" with similar symptoms to the flu.
Q: Who should not get a flu shot?
A: Talk with your doctor before getting a flu shot if you have an allergic reaction to eggs or have a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Q: Will this flu shot protect me from the avian flu that has been in the news recently?
A: The flu shot is formulated for three common strains of "seasonal flu", but is not formulated for the avian flu (also known as H5N1 or Bird Flu). There is currently no FDA-approved vaccine for the avian flu.
For questions and answers about both the seasonal flu and the avian flu, visit the CDC website:
www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/flushot.htm
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