The Flu is extremely contagious and reaches its peak during the months between October and May of each year. It is usually passed from person to person by sneezing, coughing, and close contact with an infected person. The infected person can be contagious before they are exhibiting symptoms.
It can strike suddenly and last for seven days or more. Each age will trigger different symptoms, but here are some that you might suffer from:
- Cough
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Sore throat
- Muscle aches
- Fever/chills
The Flu can cause you to develop blood infections, pneumonia, diarrhea and with children, they may exhibit seizures. If you suffer from lung or heart disease, the flu can make it much worse.
Everyone should take the Flu vaccine if they are not allergic to it or its components because:
- It can keep you from contracting the flu
- If you should contract the flu, it should be less severe
- It should keep you from giving it to others in your family or friends
- It may have parts that hang around to help you be immune to the next flu season
Children that are six months old thru eight years might need to get two doses in the same flu season. Others need only one dose.
If you do not remember anything else from this information, please remember this: there is NO LIVE FLU VIRUS CONTAINED IN THE FLU SHOT. BECAUSE OF THIS THE FLU SHOT CANNOT CAUSE THE FLU.
The flu viruses are changing every day, every year. Thus the reason they have survived since the dawn of man. What is encountered each year is a new strain of the flu. Making it necessary that the flu vaccine needs to be developed differently to protect people against the new strain every year. The vaccine that is given to everyone contains either three or four types of viruses that scientists have found to be the most likely that will be encountered for the year you are being vaccinated. If you should contract a flu strain that does not match the vaccine you received, it should still provide you with some protection. The flu, if you contract it, should be a lighter case or maybe not last as long.
After you have taken your vaccine, it will be two weeks before your protection will begin. The protection should last through the main part of the flu season.
There are some of the population who really should NOT take the vaccine:
- If you have ever had any life-threatening allergies. (Flu vaccine has a small amount of eggs in it.)
- If you have ever had Guillain-Barre’ Syndrome.
- If you don’t feel good, like you are coming down with something or are running a temperature.
In the past, there has been nasal spray vaccination offered for children, but this year the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and the WHO (World Health Organization) feels that this is not an effective method for vaccinating children.
Flu shots are only effective if you take them. It can be deadly to those who are compromised. Those who are most at risk if they should contract the flu are babies, young children, pregnant women, those with weak immune systems, and the elderly.