Health officials warn: Get flu shot now for what could be bad season
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Now is the time to get a flu shot to protect against what could be a bad season, health officials said — that’s if Australia’s season is a good predictor of North America’s.
Shasta County Public Health clinic supervisor Scott Bray said there’s a 50% chance Australia's flu season will predict the Northern Hemisphere’s, and that country broke a record this year with more than 257,300 confirmed cases in a country of 24.6 million people. That means the 2019-2020 flu season may hit Americans harder than usual, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Since vaccines take about 10 to 14 days to be fully effective and the North State's flu season generally runs from November 1 to April 30, Bray and the CDC urge most people to get this year’s flu shot by mid-October.
But Bray's advice is the same every year: Almost everyone six months and older should get a flu shot because influenza and its complications can be fatal.
The CDC estimates as many as 42.9 million people contracted influenza last year. Of them, about half a million were hospitalized and as many as 61,000 died. go to https://bit.ly/2RPfzxH for more information.
Complications that can kill include secondary infections, pneumonia and heart inflammation, Bray said. The people most at risk are those 50 and older, those with chronic health conditions like asthma and lung diseases, and those with weakened immune systems, as well as anyone who's had a stroke.
In Shasta County, two other common health issues — cardiovascular disease and diabetes — also put people at greater risk, Bray said.
“Any chronic medical condition you have, the flu can make that worse. If your body is under stress” you’re at greater risk, he said.
You can't get flu from the shot, but here's what to expect
The most common complaint after a flu shot is a sore arm, Bray said. That's because the vaccine is injected into muscle.
Some people get a fever and body aches. These are indications the vaccination is kicking up an immune response in your body, Bray said.
You can't get the flu from a flu shot, so those who get sick after one were probably developing that before getting the shot, he said.
This year’s cocktail is based on what strains showed up in the Southern Hemisphere, with some adjustments.
“Flu vaccines contain usually either three or four strains” of the flu virus, Bray said. Public Health’s doses have four strains.
Preservative-free shots available
Bray said some people don’t get a flu shot because they don’t want Thimerosal, a mercury derivative. The preservative is used in containers with multiple doses in them so, once opened, they don’t go bad.
But you can request a Thimerosal-free shot at the Public Health office, Bray said. Pregnant women and children two years old and younger only receive preservative-free doses.
At Public Health, the price is the same for both kinds of shots: $13 and free to people on Medicare and Medi-Cal.
Flu shots are available at the Public Health branch office at 2650 Breslauer Way in Redding. Call 225-5591 for appointments. There’s also a drive-through shot clinic from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Shots are also available at some pharmacies and doctors’ offices.
Jessica Skropanic is features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers lifestyle and entertainment stories, and weekly arts feature d.a.t.e. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.