Flu season trends in Australia are often good predictors of what is to come for America. This year, a particularly severe Australian flu season has led to 662 deaths and approximately 270,000 hospitalizations. Doctors are now encouraging the public to get their flu shots before the month ends.
As of recently, there have been a few hundred cases reported and this is a valid signal that there could be an onset or an epidemic in the coming weeks if not prevented. However, several flu-related deaths, including that of a 4-year old from California with underlying health conditions, raise concern.
Dr. Cameron Kaiser from the public health office of Riverside County says, "We should never forget that the flu still kills." Kaiser also added that a fatality recorded so early in the flu season suggests that the virus may have mutated or could be worse than the usual.
Vaccines are updated yearly according to what research says will be the most dominant viral strains for the season. The CDC reports that this year's vaccines are quadrivalent or designed to protect against four different strains. This includes the H3N2 virus which caused the most problems last year.
However, viruses are unpredictable. Vaccinated people may still come down with the flu if (a) they caught the virus before the vaccine could take effect, (b) they get infected by a strain that wasn't included in the updated vaccine, or (c) the vaccine didn't have the desired effect on them for some reason.
Although vaccines are not a hundred percent assurance of immunity, experts say they still reduce the duration and severity of symptoms if one does contract the flu. Most importantly, it prevents the spread of flu viruses.
Around 5% to 20% of Americans get the flu each year. Symptoms include fever, cough and sore throat, muscle pain and headaches. These are often manageable enough for healthy adults but can be deadly for very young children, pregnant women, elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. Children under 6 months can't get the vaccine yet, hence great care should be taken to prevent them from contracting the illness.
People with common illnesses like asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure are also at high risk for developing more serious forms of the flu. Complications like pneumonia and ear infections can develop quickly, at best resulting in lengthy hospital admissions.
Flu cases begin to climb from October or November, reach their peak from December to February, and may last up to May for particularly extreme seasons. Doctors urge patients to keep in mind that the flu vaccine takes up to two weeks to work and lasts up to about a year.
Aside from vaccines, flu prevention includes frequent hand washing, keeping distance from sick family members or friends, and staying home if symptoms present themselves. When you feel that you are coming down with flu or experiencing symptoms for at least 2 days, the best thing to do is go to the doctor on the 3rd day to determine the exact cause of the symptoms. The earlier the diagnosis is, the higher the chance that you will get better and avoid complications that come with the illness.