Flu Season And The Flu Shot Are Here

November 5th, 2022

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The flu season has arrived in Iowa, and it’s hitting hard.

The CDC reports, “While the timing and severity of the upcoming flu season cannot be predicted, the United States has experienced little flu for the past two seasons. Reduced population immunity, particularly among young children who may never have had flu exposure or been vaccinated, could bring about a robust return of flu. CDC is particularly concerned about drops in flu vaccine coverage in the past two years among higher-risk groups, including children and pregnant people. ILI visits at this time are highest among children 0-4 years, followed by people 5-24 years. Often flu activity first increases in children and then spreads to older age groups.”

Oskaloosa News reached out to Mahaska Health for their advice about the upcoming flu season and the flu shot to help you fight off the yearly scourge.

We asked the experts at Mahaska Health the following questions:

• Q: How serious is the flu? …

Influenza (flu) can be associated with serious illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths, particularly among older adults, very young children, pregnant persons, and persons of all ages with certain chronic medical conditions

• Q: How do I know if I have the flu or COVID-19? …

Viral infections from common cold, influenza (flu), and/or the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) viruses cause similar signs and symptoms. The only definitive way to know which virus is making someone sick is through testing. The onset of flu symptoms is abrupt, with fever or feeling feverish or chills for 3-4 days, body aches, tiredness, chest discomfort and cough, and headache.

• Q: What complications can having the flu cause? ..

Sinus and ear infections are examples of moderate complications from flu, while pneumonia is a serious flu complication that can result from either flu virus infection alone or from co-infection of flu virus and bacteria. Other possible serious complications triggered by flu can include inflammation of the heart, brain or muscle tissues, and multi-organ failure (for example, respiratory and kidney failure). Flu also can make chronic medical problems worse. 

• Q: Last year, I got sick from the shot. …

The viruses in a flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you cannot get flu from a flu shot. Some minor side effects that may occur are soreness, redness, and/or swelling where the shot was given, fever, muscle aches, headache (low grade), nausea, and fatigue. These minor side effects are expected and part of the immune system developing antibodies for protection against the influenza virus. Antibodies that provide protection develop in the body about 2 weeks after vaccination.

• Q: Tell me why I should get this vaccine again. …

Influenza is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and flu can affect people differently, but during typical flu seasons, millions of people get flu every year, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and thousands to tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes. Flu can mean a few days of feeling bad and missing work, school, or family events, or it can result in more serious illness. An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to help reduce the risk of getting flu and any of its potentially serious complications. Vaccination has been shown to have many benefits including reducing the risk of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and even the risk of flu-related death.

• Q: Is there anyone who shouldn’t get the flu vaccine?

Everyone 6 months of age and older should get an influenza (flu) vaccine every season, with rare exceptions. Different influenza vaccines are approved for different age groups. Some people (for example, pregnant people and people with some chronic health conditions) should not get some types of influenza vaccines, and some people should not receive flu vaccines at all (though this is uncommon). People who should not get a flu shot include children younger than 6 months, and people with severe, life-threatening allergies to any ingredient in a flu vaccine (other than egg proteins). People who had a severe allergic reaction to a dose of influenza vaccine should not get that flu vaccine again and may be able to receive other influenza vaccines.