Time for a shot in the arm

Act now to ward off flu, health providers say

It’s time for people to roll up their sleeves and get their annual flu shot, according to local health officials.

“We’re already starting to see some flu,” said Dr. Matt Young, emergency room physician and physician owner of Texarkana Emergency Center. “Flu is popping up about the same time frame as usual but because of the amount of people that got the flu last year and more importantly those with devastating consequences such as hospitalizations or death, it’s just very, very important for us to be aware that the flu season is here.”

An ounce of prevention can save a life, Young said.

“With any type of illness where there is a vaccination or the ability to protect yourself or your loved one, prevention is the cure,” he said.

“The flu vaccine is recommended for babies over 6 months of age and the common flu vaccination is recommended for those up to 65. When patients get above 65 sometimes they may need a booster,” Young said.

Flu season normally peaks in the area in late January or early February, but that isn’t always the case. Once cases start popping up, the season of sickness can ramp up quickly.

“Absolutely now is the time to get the vaccination. If we’re already seeing a few scattered flu-positive patients in our area, it will soon become rampant in its spread,” Young said. “It routinely takes about two weeks after the vaccination to develop immunity.”

One myth Young wanted to debunk is that the flu shot can cause the flu.

“The flu shot does not cause the flu. One reason people think they may have gotten flu from getting flu vaccination is their body is trying to build an immunity and they have an actual reaction to their body devel-

oping … flu-fighting capabilities. They may develop body aches and fever but they’re not developing the actual flu. Then also during that two week period when they are developing immunity, if they’re exposed, they can still potentially get the flu after the vaccination within that window. However receiving the vaccination and being exposed within that two week period still does provide the patient some protection,” Young said.

Getting a flu shot can help protect vulnerable family members or friends.

“It’s absolutely important that those taking care of others and those with elderly family members they look after get the flu vaccination. If they have been exposed to flu virus, they may not know it because of their health but they can accidentally expose that person to something that could potentially send them to the hospital or unfortunately could have a deadly outcome,” Young said.

Last year’s flu season was a bad one.

“Last year was the worst we’ve seen in recent years, and if there is potential to protect yourself, please get the vaccination. … The pediatric deaths with last year’s influenza season, 80 percent of those children did not receive the influenza vaccination, and for the adult population the numbers where near the same,” Young said.

But getting the flu shot isn’t the only thing people can do to protect themselves.

“It’s important to realize after the vaccination there are still some protective measures we can do to prevent the spread,” Young said.

Those measures include good hand hygiene, avoiding coughing, sneezing or rubbing the nose or mouth. And avoid crowds when the flu is prevalent in this area. People with fever or flu-like symptoms should also excuse themselves from their job, school or social obligations to prevent spreading the disease.

“On top of that if you do have the symptoms be sure to see medical provider within first 24 to 48 hours so we can potentially decrease severity of symptoms (by prescribing an antiviral) and help to rule out any potential life-threatening or other disease processes we need to treat,” Young said.