| Seasonal Flu / Influenza - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS |
Q. What is influenza (the flu)?
A. Influenza, commonly called "the flu," is caused
by the influenza virus, which infects the respiratory tract (nose, throat,
lungs). The seasonal flu usually spreads from person to person when an infected
person coughs, sneezes, or talks and the virus is sent into the air.
Unlike many other viral respirat
For the Current Seasonal Flu Shot Schedule
CLICK HERE |
|
MORE INFORMATION
CLICK
HERE for a fact sheet on influenza and pneumonia shots.
CLICK HERE for
the main Seasonal Flu page.
OR CALL
the Division of Public
Health Flu Vaccination Hotline
at (609) 677 5720 |
|
For more Information on
Novel H1N1 (Swine) Flu
CLICK HERE |
ory infections, such as the common cold,
the seasonal flu causes severe illness and life-threatening complications in many
people.
Q. What are the symptoms of the seasonal flu?
A. Influenza is a respiratory illness. Symptoms of seasonal flu include
fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy
nose, and muscle aches. Children can have additional gastro-intestinal
symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, but these symptoms are
uncommon in adults. Although the term "stomach flu" is sometimes
used to describe vomiting, nausea, or diarrhea, these illnesses are caused
by certain other viruses, bacteria, or possibly parasites, and are rarely
related to influenza.
Q. Does the seasonal flu have complications?
A. Yes. Some of the complications caused by seasonal flu include bacterial
pneumonia, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such
as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes. Children may get sinus
problems and ear infections as complications from the seasonal flu. Those aged
65 years and older and persons of any age with chronic medical conditions
are at highest risk for serious complications of seasonal flu.
Q. How do I find out if I have the seasonal flu?
A. It is very difficult to distinguish the seasonal flu from other viral
or bacterial causes of respiratory illnesses on the basis of symptoms
alone. A test can confirm that an illness is influenza if the patient
is tested within the first two to three days after symptoms begin. In
addition, a doctor’s examination may be needed to determine whether
a person has another infection that is a complication of influenza.
Q. How soon will I get sick if I am
exposed to the seasonal flu?
A. The time from when a person is exposed to seasonal flu virus to when
symptoms begin is about one to four days, with an average of about two
days.
Q. How long is a person with seasonal flu virus
contagious?
A. The period when an infected person is contagious depends on
the age of the person. Adults may be contagious from one day prior to
becoming sick and for three to seven days after they first develop symptoms.
Some children may be contagious for longer than a week.
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A Flu Shot Can Prevent Flu |
Q. What can I do to protect myself against
the seasonal flu?
A. By far, the single best way to prevent the seasonal flu is for individuals,
especially persons at high risk for serious complications from the seasonal flu,
to get a seasonal flu shot each fall.
Q. Who should get a seasonal flu shot?
A. The most important groups of persons who should get seasonal flu shots
are those who are at highest risk for developing serious complications
from the seasonal flu. The Atlantic County Division of Public Health offers seasonal flu
shots for county residents over age 50 and individuals with certain chronic
illnesses. Call 609-645-5933 for more information about our seasonal flu shot program.
Q. Can antiviral drugs cure the seasonal flu?
A. Not exactly. When started within the first two days of illness,
they can reduce the duration of the disease but cannot cure it outright.
Four different antiviral drugs (amantadine, rimantadine, zanamivir, and
oseltamivir) have been approved for treating the seasonal flu. All four drugs can
reduce the duration of seasonal flu by about one day if taken within 2 days of
when symptoms begin. The four drugs differ in terms of side effects. In
some patients, amantadine (Symmetrel®, others) can cause symptoms
such as nervousness, difficulty concentrating, or lightheadedness. Rimantadine
(Flumadine®) can also cause similar types of side effects, but less
often. Caution is advised if zanamivir (Relenza®) is used by people
who have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, because the
airways of these people may suddenly grow smaller after using zanamivir,
leading to difficulty breathing. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) can cause
nausea and vomiting in some people.
All of these drugs must be prescribed by a doctor. These drugs are effective
against seasonal flu viruses, but they are not effective against other viruses
or bacteria that can cause symptoms similar to influenza. These drugs
are not effective for treating bacterial infections that can occur as
complications of influenza.
Q. Can antiviral medications prevent
the seasonal flu?
A. Three of the antiviral drugs (amantadine, rimantadine, and
oseltamivir) have been approved for prevention of the seasonal flu. These drugs
are not, however, a substitute for influenza vaccination. All of these
drugs are prescription drugs, and a doctor should be consulted before
the drugs are used for preventing the seasonal flu.
Q. When is the seasonal flu season in the United
States?
A. In the United States, the peak of seasonal flu season can occur anywhere
from late December through March. The health impact (infections and deaths)
of a seasonal flu season varies from year to year.
Q. How many people get sick or die from the
seasonal flu every year?
A. Each seasonal flu season is unique, but it is estimated that approximately
10% to 20% of U.S. residents get the seasonal flu, and an average of 114,000 persons
are hospitalized for seasonal flu-related complications. About 36,000 Americans
die on average per year from the complications of seasonal flu.
Q. Do other respiratory viruses circulate
during the seasonal flu season?
A. In addition to the seasonal flu virus, several other respiratory viruses
also can circulate during the seasonal flu season and can cause symptoms and illness
similar to those seen with seasonal flu infection. These non-flu viruses include
rhinovirus (one cause of the “common cold”).
Q. What are some of the myths?
A. There are several common myths about seasonal flu, including:
| Myth #1:Influenza is merely a nuisance. |
Wrong. Influenza is a major cause of illness and death
in the United States and leads to an average of about 36,000 deaths
and 114,000 hospitalizations per year. |
| Myth #2:Flu shots cause the seasonal flu. |
Wrong. The licensed injectable seasonal flu vaccine used in the
United States, which is made from inactivated or killed seasonal flu viruses,
cannot cause the seasonal flu and does not cause seasonal flu illness. |
| Myth #3:Flu vaccine doesn’t
work. |
Not exactly. When the viruses in the vaccine and circulating
viruses are similar, the seasonal flu shot is very effective. There are several
reasons why people think influenza vaccine doesn't work. People who
have gotten a seasonal flu vaccination may then get sick from a different virus
that causes respiratory illness but is mistaken for seasonal flu; the seasonal flu shot
only prevents illness caused by the influenza virus. In addition,
protection from the vaccine is not 100%. Studies of healthy young
adults have shown seasonal flu vaccine to be 70% to 90% effective in preventing
the seasonal flu. In the elderly and those with certain long-term medical conditions,
the seasonal flu shot is often less effective in preventing illness. However,
in the elderly, seasonal flu vaccine is very effective in reducing hospitalizations
and death from seasonal flu-related causes. |
| Myth #4:There is no need to get a seasonal flu vaccine every
year. |
Wrong. The seasonal flu viruses are constantly changing. Generally,
new influenza virus strains circulate every seasonal flu season, so the vaccine
is changed each year. |
Q. Where can I learn more about seasonal flu?
A. For information on seasonal flu, contact our expert nurses in the Community
Health/Clinical Services Unit at 609-645-5933 or visit the resource pages
below:
Communicable Disease Control–
Information and services from the Atlantic County Division of Public
Health
Flu and Pneu Fact Sheet
New Jersey
Department of Health and Senior Services Flu Information
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