KDHE Urges Early Flu Vaccination for Vulnerable Individuals

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is encouraging individuals who are most vulnerable to severe complications from influenza to get a flu shot by Oct. 24. KDHE's focus on getting the most at risk individuals immunized early is in line with the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Although the CDC anticipates sufficient flu vaccine supplies for the U.S. this year with 89-97 million doses to be produced by four vaccine manufacturers, it is still early in the season, and better information will be available regarding vaccine availability at a later time. As a precaution, the season's flu shots should be given first to those who most need them.

"Those people most likely to suffer severe complications from the flu include the very young, seniors, and those with weakened immune systems, so we urge them to get a flu shot early to get protected," said Howard Rodenberg, M.D., M.P.H., KDHE Division of Health Director. Healthy people should wait until November before they receive their shot."

An alternative for healthy individuals, ages 5 to 49 (who are not pregnant), is FluMist, a nasal vaccine, which may be given to healthy person aged 5-49 years, including most healthcare workers.

"We encourage healthcare providers to administer early flu vaccine doses only to the most vulnerable to flu complications," Rodenberg added. "By providing the first available vaccines to those who need it most, extreme sickness and complications for those most at risk can be minimized."

"Whether we get the flu vaccine or not, all of us can take certain actions to prevent getting or spreading the flu including washing our hands often, covering our mouths when we cough, and staying home when we're sick ," noted Gail Hansen, State Epidemiologist for KDHE.

Early vaccinations are recommended for:

• People 65 years and older.
• Residents of long-term care facilities.
• People aged 2-64 years with heart disease, asthma, diabetes, kidney disorders, blood disorders, weakened immune systems or conditions that can weaken the respiratory system (including spinal cord injuries or neuromuscular diseases).
• Children 6-23 months of age.
• Pregnant women.
• Healthcare personnel who provide direct patient care.
• Household contacts and out-of-home care givers of children less than 6 months old.

Flu Strains Targeted
The flu strains targeted in this year's vaccine include two from last year
[A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1)-like and B/Shanghai/361/2002-like] and one new virus
[A/California/7/2004 (H3N2-like)].

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.

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 as well. Influenza is spread by direct contact with an infected person or by airborne droplets that produce infection when they are inhaled or otherwise get into the body. 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.

About 36,000 deaths from flu occur in the U.S. each year, mostly among people who are at risk.

Treatment
Treatment for influenza (absent severe complications) includes bed rest, adequate fluid intake, relief of cough and sore throat symptoms, and aspirin or acetaminophen to reduce fever. There are specific medications that can help some people with severe complications, but should only be taken when prescribed by a physician or health care provider.

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 if illness occurs symptoms are usually less severe and complications less frequent.

It takes at least two weeks to build immunity after getting a flu shot. The vaccine itself cannot cause you to get the flu because it does not contain any live virus.

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