Why You must take the Flu Shot this Flu Season?

Each winter, millions of people suffer from the flu. Flu—the short name for influenza—is caused by viruses. Viruses are very small germs. Some viruses can spread easily from one person to another. They cause illnesses or infections like the flu.

For some people, flu is a mild illness. For older people, especially those who have health problems like diabetes or heart disease, the flu can be very serious.

How Serious Is Flu?

Most people who get the flu feel much better in a week or two. But, some people can get very sick. For example, because your body is busy fighting off the flu, you might pick up a second infection. Older people are at great risk of these secondary infections, such as pneumonia.

How Does Flu Spread?

It was mid-November, and Ellen had not gotten a flu shot. One day she was out having lunch with a friend and noticed people sneezing and coughing at the next table. Two days later, Ellen woke up feeling achy and had a fever. She had the flu. Her husband Jack took care of her and was careful to wash his hands after touching Ellen’s dishes. But, a few days later he too was sick. Maybe he used the phone just after Ellen finished talking with their son. Or, maybe he touched a doorknob Ellen used after sneezing. Flu spreads easily from one person to another.

The flu is contagious—that means it spreads from person to person, often through the air. You can pass on the infection before you feel sick. You are contagious for several days after you get sick. You can catch the flu when someone near you coughs or sneezes. Or, if you touch something the virus is on, like Ellen and Jack’s phone or doorknob, and then touch your nose or mouth, you could catch the flu. The flu virus can live on a surface like a book or doorknob for a number of hours. Remember to wash your hands often when you are around someone who is sick. Make a point of washing them before eating and touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. If you can, stay away from sick people. That will help stop the flu from spreading.

Is It the Flu or a Cold?

It’s easy to confuse a common cold with the flu. A cold is milder than the flu, but since the flu can make older people very sick, you should know the difference. That way you will know when to call the doctor who might want to give you a prescription for medicines that can help you get over the flu.

People with the flu can have fever, chills, dry cough, general aches and pains, and a headache. They feel very tired. Sore throat, sneezing, stuffy nose, or stomach problems are less common. What some people call “stomach flu” is not influenza.

Why Do You Need A Flu Shot Every Year?

Flu viruses change often. Each year’s virus is just a little different than the year before. So every year the vaccine in the flu shot is changed. That’s one reason why you need a flu shot every fall.

Are There Side Effects?

Most people have no problem with a flu shot. In fact, for most people, the flu is more dangerous than the flu shot. When you get the flu shot, your arm might be sore, red, or swell a bit. These side effects may start shortly after getting the shot and can last up to 2 days. They should not get in the way of your daily activities. A few people do have a headache or a low-grade fever for about a day after they get the shot. The flu shot cannot cause you to get the flu. If you are allergic to eggs, you should not get the flu shot. Because eggs are used to make the flu vaccine, people who are allergic to eggs could have a serious reaction to the shot.

What Can I Do if I’m Sick?

If you get the flu, there are things you can do to feel better. First, call your doctor to see if there are medicines that can help. Remind him or her if you are taking drugs to fight cancer or other medicines that make it hard for your body to fight illness. There are prescription drugs, called antivirals, that are used to treat people with the flu. If you take them within 48 hours after the flu begins, these drugs can make you feel better more quickly. Antibiotics do not help you get over the flu. They are sometimes prescribed to help you get over a secondary infection if it is caused by bacteria. Bacteria are a different type of germ than viruses.

Antivirals can also be used to prevent flu. If you hear that there is a flu outbreak in your area, check with your doctor. He or she could prescribe an antiviral that might protect you. Prevention is key. The first choice for preventing the flu is a flu shot.

If you are sick, try to rest in bed and drink plenty of fluids, like juice and water but not alcohol. Medicine such as aspirin or acetaminophen can bring down your fever, which might help with the aches and pains. It is important not to smoke if you are sick with the flu. It is a respiratory illness that can infect your lungs, as well as your nasal passages. These same areas are also bothered by smoking. Take it easy as much as you can until you are well.

Can Flu Be Prevented?

Getting a flu shot every year can help you stay healthy. A flu shot contains the flu vaccine, which could keep you from getting the flu. Medicare will pay for the shot, and so will many private health insurance plans. You can get a flu shot at your doctor’s office or from your local health department. Sometimes grocery or drug stores offer flu shots.

A flu shot won’t keep everyone healthy. But, getting the flu shot every year can mean that if you do get the flu, you might have only a mild case.

Who Should Get a Flu Shot?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, part of the Federal Government, says that people age 50 and older should get a flu shot every year. Anyone who lives with or takes care of people age 50 or older should also have a flu shot every year.

When Should I Get My Flu Shot?

Most people get the flu between November and April. That’s why that time is called the flu season. It takes at least 2 weeks for your shot to start working, so try to get your flu shot in October or early November. Don’t worry if you can’t get your flu shot before the flu season starts. The shot can help keep you healthy no matter when you get it.

What Can I Do if I’m Sick?

If you get the flu, there are things you can do to feel better. First, call your doctor to see if there are medicines that can help. Remind him or her if you are taking drugs to fight cancer or other medicines that make it hard for your body to fight illness. There are prescription drugs, called antivirals, that are used to treat people with the flu. If you take them within 48 hours after the flu begins, these drugs can make you feel better more quickly. Antibiotics do not help you get over the flu. They are sometimes prescribed to help you get over a secondary infection if it is caused by bacteria. Bacteria are a different type of germ than viruses.

Antivirals can also be used to prevent flu. If you hear that there is a flu outbreak in your area, check with your doctor. He or she could prescribe an antiviral that might protect you. Prevention is key. The first choice for preventing the flu is a flu shot.

If you are sick, try to rest in bed and drink plenty of fluids, like juice and water but not alcohol. Medicine such as aspirin or acetaminophen can bring down your fever, which might help with the aches and pains. It is important not to smoke if you are sick with the flu. It is a respiratory illness that can infect your lungs, as well as your nasal passages. These same areas are also bothered by smoking. Take it easy as much as you can until you are well.

It is important to check with your doctor when you first get the flu. Also, call your doctor if:

* your fever goes away and then comes back; you may have a more dangerous infection.
* you start having breathing or heart problems or other serious health problems.
* you feel sick and don’t seem to be getting better.
* you have a cough that begins to make thick mucus.

What About the “Bird” Flu?

Sometimes a new, different kind of flu virus appears. You may have heard about the avian or bird flu. This flu is an example of how changes in a flu virus might lead to serious illness. However, there is some good news about bird flu. It is rare in people. In most cases, the bird flu has not passed from one person to another, and so, it might not become widespread in humans. But this could change over time. Scientists are working on new vaccines that can help protect people from bird flu. Right now, the flu does not protect you against bird flu.

Things to Remember About the Flu

* The flu can be dangerous for older people.
* The flu can be prevented.
* Older people need a flu shot every year.
* Medicare pays for the flu shot.
* The flu shot is safe.

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What You Need to Know About Seasonal Flu Vaccine

The single best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each year.

There are two types of vaccines:

* The "flu shot"— an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions.

* The nasal-spray flu vaccine — a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for “live attenuated influenza vaccine” or FluMist®). LAIV (FluMist®) is approved for use in healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.

Each vaccine contains three influenza viruses-one A (H3N2) virus, one A (H1N1) virus, and one B virus. The viruses in the vaccine change each year based on international surveillance and scientists' estimations about which types and strains of viruses will circulate in a given year.

About 2 weeks after vaccination, antibodies that provide protection against influenza virus infection develop in the body.
When to Get Vaccinated

Yearly flu vaccination should begin in September or as soon as vaccine is available and continue throughout the influenza season, into December, January, and beyond. This is because the timing and duration of influenza seasons vary. While influenza outbreaks can happen as early as October, most of the time influenza activity peaks in January or later.

Who Should Get Vaccinated

In general, anyone who wants to reduce their chances of getting the flu can get vaccinated. However, it is recommended by ACIP that certain people should get vaccinated each year. They are either people who are at high risk of having serious flu complications or people who live with or care for those at high risk for serious complications. During flu seasons when vaccine supplies are limited or delayed, ACIP makes recommendations regarding priority groups for vaccination.

People who should get vaccinated each year are:

1. Children aged 6 months up to their 19th birthday
2. Pregnant women
3. People 50 years of age and older
4. People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
5. People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
6. People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
a. Health care workers
b. Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
c. Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)

Use of the Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine

It should be noted that vaccination with the nasal-spray flu vaccine is always an option for healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.
Who Should Not Be Vaccinated

There are some people who should not be vaccinated without first consulting a physician. These include

* People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
* People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination.
* People who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine.
* Children less than 6 months of age (influenza vaccine is not approved for this age group), and
* People who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever (they should wait until they recover to get vaccinated.)

Vaccine Effectiveness

The ability of flu vaccine to protect a person depends on the age and health status of the person getting the vaccine, and the similarity or "match" between the virus strains in the vaccine and those in circulation. Testing has shown that both the flu shot and the nasal-spray vaccine are effective at preventing the flu.
Vaccine Side Effects (What to Expect)

Different side effects can be associated with the flu shot and LAIV.

The flu shot: The viruses in the flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. Some minor side effects that could occur are

* Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
* Fever (low grade)
* Aches

If these problems occur, they begin soon after the shot and usually last 1 to 2 days. Almost all people who receive influenza vaccine have no serious problems from it. However, on rare occasions, flu vaccination can cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. As of July 1, 2005, people who think that they have been injured by the flu shot can file a claim for compensation from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).

LAIV (FluMist®): The viruses in the nasal-spray vaccine are weakened and do not cause severe symptoms often associated with influenza illness. (In clinical studies, transmission of vaccine viruses to close contacts has occurred only rarely.)

In children, side effects from LAIV (FluMist®) can include

* runny nose
* wheezing
* headache
* vomiting
* muscle aches
* fever

In adults, side effects from LAIV (FluMist®) can include

* runny nose
* headache
* sore throat
* cough

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Controversial Vaccine Drops Cases Of Meningococcal B In Rotorua And Taupo In News Zealand

Alison Brown

A drop in the number of cases of meningococcal B in Rotorua and Taupo is proof a controversial vaccine is working, health experts say.

There have been no cases of meningococcal B in Rotorua or Taupo this year. Nationally, 76 people have contracted the potentially deadly illness.

The figures are well down on the hundreds of cases reported at the height of the epidemic, which has swept the country for 16 years.

Bay of Plenty medical officer of health Phil Shoemack says there's no doubt the immunisation campaign has been effective.

"The vaccine has accelerated the natural decrease in the epidemic. When you look at how much of an impact it's had, we wish we could have had it earlier so fewer kids would have got the disease."

Since 1991 about 6000 New Zealanders - half of them under 6 - have been struck down by the disease and 245 people have died. At the height of the epidemic, Bay of Plenty was among the worst regions affected, recording double the rate of cases as the rest of the country.

In the two years before the vaccine became available in the Bay of Plenty, 107 cases were reported - 29 in 2004 and 78 in 2003. Two people died.

Meningococcal B is an infection of the fluid of the spinal cord and fluid surrounding the brain. It is caused by bacterium and can kill within 24 hours. Other strains of the disease are caused by a virus. Symptoms can be mistaken for influenza and include fever, severe headaches, vomiting, drowsiness, muscular aches and a stiff neck.

In an attempt to control the epidemic, the Ministry of Health launched a massive $220 million vaccination programme targeting babies and teenagers in 2004. Free but not mandatory, it became available in Rotorua and Taupo in February 2005. About 32,100 people under 20 in the Lakes district have been eligible for the vaccine - 82 per cent or 26,400 have completed the programme.

The figures are slightly less for Maori, with 78 per cent of eligible Maori receiving all their doses.

About 5800 out of 7629 preschoolers (76 per cent) have been immunised. Of the 4139 Maori under fives eligible for the vaccine, 2730 (66 per cent) have completed the programme.

Vaccination rates for school-aged children are higher. Of the 24,540 eligible for the vaccine, about 20,600 (84 per cent) have completed the programme. About 9600 out of 11,740 Maori school children and teenagers (82 per cent) have received their three doses.

The school-age immunisation campaign has finished but the health ministry has indicated vaccinations will continue to be available for under-5s until 2009.

Health Rotorua chief executive and Maori health manager Eugene Berryman-Kamp said Lakes has had more success reaching Maori in all age groups than other regions.

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New Vaccine To Control Immune System Of Alzheimer's Sufferers

Researchers at the NYU Medical Center believe that a new vaccine can harness the immune system in Alzheimer. The vaccine can fight the pathological form of tau protein, a key protein related to Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers created the vaccine in mice that suppresses aggregates of tau protein which otherwise amasses into dangerous tangles in the memory center of the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. The research was led by Einar Sigurdsson Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pathology at New York University School of Medicine.

The vaccine successfully slowed the deterioration of motor abilities produced by excessive amounts of tau in the central nervous system of mice, according to the study published in the August 22, 2007 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. Dr. Sigurdsson plans to conduct follow-up studies using mice that slowly develop tangles and cognitive impairments without movement problems.

The study used mice that were genetically engineered to produce abnormal tau proteins early in life. These became entangled in several regions of the central nervous system. The resulting loss of motor coordination was significantly reduced in those immunized with a specific piece of the detrimental tau protein. By producing antibodies that could enter the brain and bind to irregular tau, the immune system prevented their harmful aggregation and associated behavioral impairments.

“This approach may have extensive therapeutic implications because you can specifically target the problematic protein,” said Dr. Sigurdsson. “Tau aggregates are inside the cell, making it especially difficult to develop a therapy to target and clear them from the cell.” Alzheimer’s disease is estimated to affect five million Americans. While treatments exist that may modestly alleviate its symptoms, none delay or prevent the onset of the disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

The disease is associated with neurons in the memory center of the brain becoming choked by the buildup of two types of proteins: tau, which turns destructive when it is prone to forming fibrous tangles, and amyloid beta. Compared to extracellular amyloid plaques, tau aggregates are confined inside of brain cells, making them more difficult to reach.

“It’s likely that there’s a synergism in the pathology,” said Dr. Sigurdsson. “Amyloid pathology may cause tau pathology and tau pathology might cause more amyloid pathology. What you have is a vicious cycle. If you can target both of these proteins you’ll likely have more efficacious treatment.”

The therapeutic approach is based on using fragments of abnormal tau protein as a vaccine. These fragments are studded with phosphate groups, which are thought to promote the aggregation of tau. The antibodies generated by the vaccine are therefore likely to bind to abnormal tau and promote its breakdown. Normal tau, which would be far less affected, has such important biological functions as facilitating transport of chemicals within neurons and maintaining their structure.

In previously published studies and in ongoing work, Dr. Sigurdsson has been developing ways to target the amyloid beta peptide, the other major hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Those experiments employed a different but complementary approach and were performed in collaboration with NYU School of Medicine’s Thomas Wisniewski, M.D., Professor of Neurology, Pathology and Psychiatry, David Quartermain, Ph.D., Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience and Physiology and Blas Frangione, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Pathology and Psychiatry.

The transgenic mice in the new study were predisposed to forming tau tangles early in life. Although a decline in motor abilities had progressed by eight months, the mice still remained healthy enough to walk, feed and attempt simple behavioral tasks. But the mice did not undergo thorough cognitive testing, which requires intact mobility to navigate various mazes.

The battery of behavioral tests at five and eight months of age showed that immunized mice performed better—they traveled faster during exploratory activity, exhibited better balance on a rotating rod and committed less foot-slips while traversing a narrow wooden beam. These mice were also found to have less tau protein tangles in the brain. Object-recognition test showed that immunized mice and their controls remained cognitively normal, although mental deficits were expected to appear after the maximum 8-month period allowed in the study.

The mice in the study also had tau aggregates in the hippocampus, a brain region important for cognition and memory. The vaccine cleared tangles in this region as well, suggesting the immunotherapy could improve cognition.

The antibodies raised by the vaccine must reach the brain by traversing the organ’s protective blockade, the blood brain barrier. “Normally antibodies aren’t getting into the brain in any large quantities,” said Dr. Sigurdsson. “In this animal model—and also in Alzheimer’s disease—there’s a breakdown of the blood brain barrier.

In addition, it is well established that neurons have receptors that can bind to and promote uptake of antibodies and our studies seem to indicate that sick neurons that are accumulating tau aggregates take up more antibodies than healthy neurons. The antibodies then end up at the site where they can interact with pathological tau protein in the neuron, and promote its clearance.”

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