Community health director encourages flu vaccination

BY BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

Shots. It?s not most people?s favorite part of a visit to the doctor. And when it comes to getting a flu shot, it might seem easier, cheaper and less painful to do without. However, with flu season now in its prime, medical professionals are encouraging people to make the trip to the local hospital and get vaccinated.

?Every year in Iowa and the U.S., thousands of people are hospitalized and some even die, from influenza,? says Travis Johnson, Community Health Director at Henry County Health Center (HCHC). ?Many people just don?t understand that getting the flu is not just like getting the stomach flu or getting a cough. It?s a very miserable thing to go through.?

Influenza, otherwise known as the flu, is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza A or B viruses. The flu virus attacks the body by spreading through the upper and/or lower respiratory tract.

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), over a period of 31 seasons between 1976 and 2007, estimates of flu-associated deaths in the U.S. range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people. During recent flu seasons, between 80 and 90 percent of flu-related deaths have occurred in people 65 years and older.

Flu season in the U.S. can begin as early as October and last as late as May.

This year, HCHC has already given out close to 1,000 flu vaccines, according to Johnson. And while that may seem like quite a bit, he says that number is low compared to past years.

?To be honest, I don?t know why our numbers are lower this year,? Johnson says. ?I really hope it?s because people are going other places to get vaccinated. From a public health standpoint, we don?t care where people are getting it (the vaccine), we just want them to get it.?

Flu vaccines help the body by causing antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These good antibodies provide defense against infection with the viruses that are in the vaccine. According to the CDC, everyone six months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every season.

At HCHC, there are two methods in which the flu vaccine may be administered. The first, and most traditional method is via an injection. The second, which Johnson says has become increasing popular, especially amongst children and those with a phobia of needles, is via a nasal spray.

Anyone between the ages of two and 49, who is generally healthy and not pregnant, is typically eligible for the nasal vaccine. However, it is recommended that patients consult with a trusted medical advisor before getting either the shot or the nasal spray.

And while in past years, the availability of flu vaccines was lower at times last year, Johnson says HCHC?s supply of flu vaccine injections are still plenty. However, due to the popularity of the nasal spray and shortages from the spray?s manufacturers, availability of that form of the vaccine is scarcer compared to past years.

Now, despite the dangerous nature of influenza, there are still some who may be skeptical of a flu vaccine?s effectiveness. According to Johnson, many who experience side effects from a flu vaccine attribute the ailments to the vaccine itself being faulty. However, he says this is highly unlikely.

?A low-grade fever, headache and muscle aches may occur after getting a flu shot, but this doesn?t mean a shot didn?t work,? says Johnson. ?Flu vaccines might cause minor side effects, but they don?t give a person a full-fledged case of the flu. Despite some of the minor side effects, I still highly recommend getting the vaccine.?

For more information about flu vaccines through HCHC, visit their website at www.hchc.org/communityhealth/immunizations.