KDHE Home - News 2002 - News Release

Kansas
Department of Health & Environment
Bill Graves, Governor
Clyde D. Graeber, Secretary

For Immediate Release

November 25, 2002

Contact: Sharon Watson, 785-296-5795

KDHE Recommends Getting Flu Shot Before Peak Flu Season
CDC Lowers Age of High Risk Category from 65 to 50

If you haven't received a flu shot, don't delay! The peak of flu season is quickly approaching and your upcoming holiday plans could increase your likelihood of coming in contact with influenza. The flu season in Kansas usually peaks after the holidays in January and sometimes in March.

"The period after the holidays is very often the height of the cold and flu season," said Dr. Gail Hansen of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). "That's because over the holidays many families travel and spend time in crowded places and these are conditions which favor the spread of influenza and other respiratory viruses."

High Risk Age Category Lowered
Certain individuals are at greater risk of complications from the flu. The Centers for Disease Control has lowered the age recommendation for the high risk category from 65 to 50. According to CDC, approximately 10 to 13 million adults (24% to 32%) in the 50 to 64 age range have one or more high-risk medical conditions.

Every year 114,000 people are hospitalized with influenza, and sadly, 20,000 people die from the flu annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

KDHE recommends the following:

• Obtain an influenza shot if you have not already done so this year, particularly if you have a chronic health condition or you are over age 50.
• Limit contact with large crowds of people.
• Wash your hands before and after coming in contact with people.
• Contact your medical provider first if you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms that you believe require medical attention.

Flu Symptoms
If you begin to feel achy and feverish with a dry cough, get plenty of rest, drink plenty of liquids, and use aspirin or acetaminophen to reduce fever. Due to the risk of Reye's Syndrome, aspirin and other medicines containing salicylate should not be given to children.

New medications are available to reduce the severity and shorten the duration of influenza, but they must be administered within 48 hours of illness onset.

Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory illness, and its symptoms include sudden onset of fever, sore throat, muscle aches, and non-productive cough. More serious illness can result if pneumonia occurs. Influenza is spread by direct contact with an infected person or by airborne droplets which produce infection when they are inhaled or ingested off the hands. Persons are most contagious during the 24 hours before they develop symptoms and are usually somewhat infectious for the next six or seven days. The incubation period, the time from when the virus enters the body until symptoms appear, is usually one to three days.

Treatment
Treatment for uncomplicated influenza includes bed rest, adequate fluid intake, relief of cough and sore throat symptoms, and aspirin or acetaminophen to reduce fever.

Dr. Hansen noted the flu vaccine is usually around 80 percent effective in preventing illness from influenza virus. This means that it is possible to get influenza after having the vaccine, but even when illness occurs symptoms are usually less severe and complications less frequent.

It takes at least two weeks to build immunity after getting your shot. Fortunately, there is plenty of flu vaccine available for everyone who wants to protect themselves against influenza. Anyone who is in a high risk category should definitely get vaccinated and others should consider it if they want to avoid the flu.

The vaccine itself cannot cause you to get the flu.

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