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Div. of Media Relations
1600 Clifton Road
MS D-14
Atlanta, GA 30333
(404) 639-3286
Fax (404) 639-7394 |
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June 22, 2000
Contact: CDC, Division of Media Relations
(404) 639-3286
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Flu Season 2000-01 |
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FLU BASICS |
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- Influenza, commonly called "the flu," is caused by the influenza
virus, which infects the respiratory tract.
- The virus generally spreads from person-to-person when an infected
person coughs or sneezes.
- Compared with other respiratory infections like the common cold,
the flu can cause severe illness and lead to serious, and
life-threatening complications in all age groups.
- Typical flu symptoms include fever, dry cough, sore throat, runny
or stuffy nose, headache, muscle aches, and extreme fatigue. Children
may experience gastrointestinal problems like nausea, vomiting, and
diarrhea but such symptoms are not common in adults. Although the term
"stomach flu" is sometimes used to describe gastrointestinal
illnesses, this is caused by other organisms and is not related to
“true” flu.
- There are several common misconceptions about the flu including:
- Flu is merely a nuisance.
Flu is a major cause of illness and death in the U.S. and leads on
average to approximately 20,000 deaths and >110,000 hospitalizations
each year.
- Flu vaccine causes the flu.
The licensed flu vaccine used in the United States, which is made
from inactivated or killed influenza viruses, cannot cause influenza
infection and does not cause influenza illness.
- Flu vaccine is not very effective.
When the vaccine viruses and circulating viruses are well matched,
vaccine can be very effective. However, flu vaccine only provides
protection against influenza. People who have received flu vaccine
may subsequently develop a respiratory illness that is due to
another virus, but is mistaken for flu. In addition, protection from
the vaccine is not 100%. Studies of healthy young adults have shown
flu vaccine to be 70% to 90% effective in preventing illness. In the
elderly and those with certain chronic medical conditions, the
vaccine is often less effective in preventing illness. However, the
vaccine is effective in reducing flu-related hospitalizations and
deaths among older adults.
By far, the most common side effect of flu vaccine is arm soreness
and swelling at the site of injection. Some people, usually children
who have not been exposed to influenza virus in the past, may have
fever and body aches after vaccination. These symptoms, if they
occur, usually start 6-12 hours after vaccination and can continue
for 1 or 2 days.
Less common side effects that can occur after vaccination include
allergic reactions (particularly in people who have a severe allergy
to eggs), and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a severe paralytic
illness. In 1976, swine flu vaccine was associated with an increased
number of cases of GBS. Influenza vaccines since then have not been
clearly linked to GBS. However, if there is a risk of GBS from
current influenza vaccines, it is estimated at 1 or 2 cases per
million persons vaccinated.
- Influenza viruses continually change over time, and each year the
vaccine is updated to include the viruses that are most likely to
circulate in the upcoming influenza season. The influenza vaccine (flu
shot) that has been produced for the 2000-01 flu season contains three
influenza virus strains designated A/Panama,
A/New Caledonia, and
B/Yamanashi.
- In addition to flu viruses, other respiratory organisms also
frequently circulate during the same time period and can cause similar
respiratory illness. For example, respiratory syncytial virus is the
most common cause of severe respiratory illness in young children.
- The best time to get a flu shot is from October through
mid-November. However, shots can be taken at
any time during flu season. It takes 1–2 weeks, after
receiving the shot, for a person to develop protective antibody.
- Flu vaccines are 70%–90% effective in preventing influenza among
healthy adults. Among elderly or people with chronic conditions, the
vaccine may be less effective in preventing disease than in preventing
serious complications and death.
- The most important major group
who should receive flu vaccine are people 50 years or older; residents
of nursing homes; children and teens on long-term aspirin therapy;
women who will be in their second or third trimester during flu
season; and people of any age with chronic diseases of the heart,
lung, and kidneys, or who have diabetes, immunosuppression, or severe
forms of anemia. The second major group who should be vaccinated
against flu are those who are in close or frequent contact with anyone
in the high-risk groups listed above. These people include healthcare
personnel and volunteers, and people who live in a household with a
high-risk person.
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Flu Season 2000-01: See also...
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