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SAN JOSE, CA — Health officials warn there are scarier things than ghosts and goblins around Halloween.
This is the time they suggest American citizens above the age of six months and even pregnant women get their flu shots — and for good reason if the past is any indicator.
Influenza killed 80,000 people last season (183 children) in what turned out to be most lethal flu epidemic to hit in decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. About 900,000 were hospitalized. For those fortunate enough not to die or end up in the hospital, some people were laid up for weeks and weeks with a memorable experience of symptoms such as aches and pains, along with a pounding head and a cough-up-a-lung tickle that lasted a long time.
The flu vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of the illness as well as eliminate more serious outcomes if one were to get it. A first of its kind, a CDC study last year revealed the vaccination may cut the chance of getting “children with underlying high-risk medical conditions” in half (51 percent). For healthy children, the risk level was cut by nearly two-thirds at 65 percent. The research has carried over into a sub-study evaluating people over age 65, children under 5 and pregnant women.
The research on children is especially notable as health officials are quite aware that a segment of the population has chosen to opt out of vaccinations. There’s also a sentiment claiming the flu shot gives one the flu. Vaccines today are made with killed viruses. The notion doesn’t add up for wellness officials, notably the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.
“I want to be very clear — the flu shot will not give you the flu. However, some people may catch the flu despite having had the shot,” said Dr. Sara Cody, the Santa Clara County Health Officer. Cody explained that someone may have been exposed to the flu strain before the vaccine has had sufficient time to work.
Like a lot of people, Cody, shown here, looks away from the needle going in but insists she routinely receives it.
The most important advice health officials provide to guard against the flu is “wash your hands.”
More information may be obtained by visiting https://www.sccgov.org/sites/phd/DiseaseInformation/Influenza/Pages/flu-home.aspx.
–Image via Shutterstock, YouTube video courtesy of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.
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