Influenza (cont.)
What is the key to flu prevention?
Flu vaccine
Much of the illness and death caused by influenza can be prevented by annual influenza vaccination. Flu vaccine (influenza vaccine made from inactivated and sometimes attenuated [non-infective] virus) is specifically recommended for those who are at high risk for developing serious complications as a result of influenza infection. These high-risk groups for conventional flu include all people aged 65 years or older and people of any age with chronic diseases of the heart, lung, or kidneys; diabetes; immunosuppression; or severe forms of anemia. However, with the novel H1N1 flu, the CDC has listed these groups listed below as being at high risk and should obtain the novel H1N1 vaccine as soon as it is available to them:
- pregnant women,
- people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age,
- health-care and emergency-services personnel,
- people between the ages of 6 months through 24 years of age and children 5-18
years of age who have chronic medical problems, and
- people from 25-64 years of age who are at higher risk for novel H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.
Other groups for whom conventional flu vaccine is specifically recommended are residents of nursing homes and other chronic care facilities housing patients of any age with chronic medical conditions and children and teenagers who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who may therefore be at risk for developing Reye syndrome after an influenza virus infection. Influenza vaccine is also recommended for people who are in close or frequent contact with anyone in the high-risk groups defined above. These people include health-care personnel and volunteers who work with high-risk patients and people who live in a household with a high-risk person.
Because the flu is easily spread among children and because many children require hospitalization with the flu, the CDC now advises that all children 6-59 months
of age receive a yearly conventional flu vaccination.
Next: Are any side effects associated with the flu vaccine? »
- oseltamivir, Tamiflu - Learn about Tamiflu (oseltavivir), a drug prescribed for the treatment of flu infections including H1N1 (swine flu) infections. Tamiflu is recommended for pregnant women, adults, and children one year of age or older.
- Flu Vaccine - Get the facts about influenza vaccine (flu shot) ingredients, side effects and vaccination effectiveness. Learn who should (children, pregnant women, elderly) and shouldn't get a flu shot.
- Swine Flu - Get the facts on swine flu (swine influenza A H1N1 virus) history, symptoms, how this contagious infection is transmitted, prevention with a vaccine, diagnosis, treatment, news and research.
Latest Medical News
Cold and Flu RSS