If you think that just because you haven’t gotten sick yet, you’ve successfully avoided the flu this season – think again.
Healthcare experts at Parkland Health & Hospital System are reminding Dallas County residents that the flu season often continues into March and even later. So there still is plenty of time to get vaccinated and avoid the misery that the flu brings.
“The best way to lessen the chance of getting the flu is still by receiving the flu vaccine,” said Pranavi Sreeramoju, MD, Chief of Infection Prevention at Parkland. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all persons aged 6 months and older should be vaccinated annually.”
Anywhere from 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population is affected by the flu virus every season and about 36,000 people die.
The flu vaccine is important for everyone, but benefits are greater for children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years and pregnant women. In addition, people at high risk for flu complications include those with asthma, diabetes, heart disease, HIV infection, cancer, history of stroke, adults 65 and older, and those who have family members at high risk.
Influenza complications include pneumonia, MRSA infection, increased risk of heart attack and heart failure, and involvement of the brain.
“It’s extremely important for everyone to get the flu vaccine because flu reduces productivity and can be associated with complications and, rarely, can even lead to death,” Dr. Sreeramoju said. “Pregnant women especially should get vaccinated against influenza. Newborn babies cannot get the flu vaccine, but they are very susceptible to influenza infection. Pregnant women and family members can protect themselves and their newborn infants by getting the flu vaccine.”
Patricia Chenault-Salisbury, M-MSc, WHCNP-BC, Women’s Health Clinic Manager at Parkland’s E. Carlyle Smith Jr. Health Center in Grand Prairie, said most leading medical organizations such as the CDC, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine encourage pregnant women to get vaccinated against the flu.
“Some women fear that the vaccine will adversely affect their babies, but research has shown that there are health benefits for the unborn babies and those benefits continue for up to six months,” Chenault-Salisbury said. “Flu shots have not been shown to cause harm to the mothers or their unborn children.”
Health experts also offer several tips to help reduce the risk of catching the flu:
- Keep your distance from others who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick so that you don’t pass the virus to others.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing to help keep from spreading germs.
- Clean your hands often using soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
- Practice good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, exercise, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.
