November 28, 2003


Flu season expected to be a nasty one
Shots advised, even for the young

By Kymberli W. Brady

Every year, a host of dreaded sniffling, sneezing, stuffy, achy symptoms invade our homes with the intensity of uninvited guests. Yes, it’s flu season again, and with it all the miserable late-night journeys to the local drug store in search of the latest get-well-quick remedy that promises to have you back on top of the world by morning. What ever your preference, be it medication, echinacea, vitamin C, chicken soup or all of the above, it may not be enough this time around.

According to health officials, evidence suggests that flu season has arrived much earlier this year and with a vengeance that could be more severe than in the past several decades. Although most people who get influenza tend to treat it as they would a bad cold and recover in a week or two, as many as 36,000 people each year die from complications related to the disease. That number could go as high as 50,000-70,000 this year, according to infectious disease specialist Dr. Gregory Poland. Additionally, more than 114,000 people are hospitalized on average each year as a result of the flu.

Kaiser Permanente helps monitor flu activity in California for the Department of Health Services, and has reported 18 cases in Northern California, including Santa Clara County during the first week of November. According to infectious disease consultant Roger Baxter, only one or two cases had been reported during the same time in years past, citing it as an unusually high number prior to December or January.

Influenza (aka the flu) is a contagious disease caused by the influenza virus that attacks the nose, throat and lungs. Unlike the common cold, symptoms come on suddenly and may include fatigue, headache, fever, cough, sore throat, congestion and body aches.

Anyone can get the flu, even healthy people, and serious problems, including pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections, and ear infections can develop at any age. In the past week, four children in Colorado have died of flu-related illnesses, two of which were perfectly healthy until contracting the disease and showed few symptoms.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that young children, people over 65, healthcare workers and anyone with chronic medical conditions that could result in serious complications from influenza get their flu shots as soon as possible, as maximum protection from the vaccine will take approximately two weeks to develop.

If you do get the flu, it is important to rest, drink plenty of liquids, avoid using alcohol and tobacco products, and take medication prescribed by your doctor or over-the-counter remedies designed to relieve flu symptoms. Since influenza is caused by a virus, antibiotics such as penicillin will not work. Never give aspirin or medications containing aspirin to children or teenagers with flu-like symptoms as it could cause Reye syndrome, a rare but serious illness.

The best preventative medicine is an annual flu shot before it strikes, and even though the season is well underway, it’s still not too late. The American Lung Association recommends getting vaccinated every year, because the virus is constantly changing and new vaccines are developed annually to protect against new strains. However, before getting the shot, check with your doctor, as there are some who should not get it, including people who are allergic to hens’ eggs, have had a severe reaction to a flu shot in the past or have developed Guillian-Barre syndrome after getting the vaccination.

If you decide not to get the shot, it probably wouldn’t hurt to have an ample supply of tissue, medication, juices, Vitamin C—even chicken soup handy in the event the flu strikes someone in your home in the middle of the night. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.