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SHARON – As flu season approaches, Dr. Elias Shattahi urges people to get vaccinated, not only for themselves, but for their loved ones as well.
"Being vaccinated against the flu is the best Christmas gift that Shattahi, infectious disease specialist at Sharon Regional Medical Center.
Shattahi said that this year's flu season had Not yet started, but the virus had killed 80,000 people in 2017-18, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The number of deaths last year – the worst since 1976 – makes the influenza vaccine urgent. , he said.
The flu spreads through direct contact and overhead viruses, and people can pbad it on even before they show symptoms. To prevent the disease from spreading, it do not catch it in the first place.
"The result is that people will spread the virus even before they know they are sick, which facilitates the spread of the virus," he said. he said. "We do not fully understand the factors that end the scope of the flu epidemic. "
Kathi Duncan, Nurse and Occupational Health Coordinator at UPMC Jameson in New Castle, said that healthy people should avoid contact with family members, including cuddling and cuddling.
"The flu is contagious and is transmitted by airborne droplets," Duncan said. "If you cough on someone by snuggling it up, it's a way to get the flu."
The CDC estimates that the vaccine can reduce the risk of contracting the influenza virus by 40-60%. is well adapted to the influenza strain that circulates in a given year. The federal agency also recommends pregnant women to get flu shots to protect their mother and baby.
Shattahi said the vaccine was effective, even though it was not working completely.
develop flu, your symptoms will probably be less severe, "he said.
The UPMC system requires all its 80,000 employees to benefit from the flu shot, Duncan said , unless for a medical reason, such as compromised immunity
Duncan and Shattahi both agree that the best way to avoid influenza is to receive the vaccine, and the CDC recommends to be vaccinated as soon as possible, optimally, by the end of October.
Joe Yarzab, co-owner of The Medicine Shoppe pharmacies in Hermitage and Greenville, said he was promoting the vaccine. As in other pharmacies, its stores offer vaccines against influenza.
"You do not have to make an appointment. You can just come in and we can give you that chance, "said Yarzab.
It costs between 25 and 35 dollars, he says.
" Most insurance companies cover it and pay you back Yarzab said.
When people contract the flu, Shattahi says that they sometimes ask for antibiotics, forcing the doctor to play the role of educator.
"The flu is a virus," said Shattahi. "Antibiotics can not help you if you have a virus."
But people who are sick of it still have some options to mitigate the effects of the flu, even though they are by no means a cure.
Patients can take over. Over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen and naproxen sodium reduce symptoms, including fever, Duncan said. The CDC also recommends the use of antivirals like Tamiflu or Xofluza, approved last week by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of influenza in patients 12 years and older.
This is the first new drug approved by the agency for influenza in 20. Shattahi said the country's doctors were still solving the problem of the flu season of the last year, which had widespread effects.
"We found that all age groups were very severe," he added. "We can not determine the cause."
In addition to receiving the vaccine, the most important way to avoid getting the flu and stopping its spread is to do what mom said.
"It's important to wash your hands," Shattahi said. "This can prevent you and others from getting the flu."
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