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Flu Season

Show All Answers

1. How do I know that I have the flu?

It is very difficult to distinguish the 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.

2. How does the flu spread?

Medical professionals believe the flu virus spreads from person to person in the respiratory droplets from coughs and sneezes. This can happen when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled (generally up to 3 feet) through the air and deposited on the mouth or nose of people nearby. The viruses also can spread when a person touches respiratory droplets on another person or an object and then touches their own mouth or nose (or someone else’s mouth or nose) before washing their hands.

3. How long is a person with flu virus contagious?

That depends on the age and health of the person. Studies show that most healthy adults may be able to infect others from 1 day prior to becoming sick and for 5-7 days after they first develop symptoms. Some young children and people with weakened immune systems may be contagious for longer than a week.

4. Can the flu be treated?

Yes. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaled powder) that fight against the flu in your body. While CDC recommends flu vaccine as the first and most important step in preventing flu, antiviral drugs are a second line of defense against the flu. Antiviral drugs are not sold over-the-counter and are different from antibiotics. You can only get them if you have a prescription from your doctor or health care provider.

5. Why should people get vaccinated against the flu?

The “flu season” in the United States is usually from November through April each year. During this time, flu viruses are circulating in the population. An annual seasonal flu vaccine provides the best way to reduce the chances that you will get seasonal flu and lessens the chance that you will spread it to others. When more people get vaccinated against the flu, less flu can spread through that community.

Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. Studies going back to 1976 have found that flu-related deaths ranged from a low of 4,700 to a high of 56,600 (average 25,500).

6. When should I get a flu vaccine?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people get their seasonal flu vaccine as soon as vaccine becomes available in their community. Obtaining this vaccination before December is best since this timing ensures that protective antibodies are in place before flu activity is typically at its highest.

7. How do flu vaccines work?

The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are in the vaccine.

8. Is the “stomach flu” really the flu?

Many people use the term "stomach flu" to describe illnesses with nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. These symptoms can be caused by many different viruses, bacteria or even parasites. While vomiting, diarrhea, and being nauseous or "sick to your stomach" can sometimes be related to the flu – more commonly in children than adults – these problems are rarely the main symptoms of influenza. The flu is a respiratory disease and not a stomach or intestinal disease.

9. How many people get the flu each year?

On average, between 5% and 20% of the U.S. population is affected by the flu each year. Furthermore, 200,000 of those are hospitalized from flu complications and approximately 25,000 Americans die each year from flu-related causes.

10. Do other respiratory viruses circulate during the flu season?

Yes. In addition to flu viruses, several other respiratory viruses also can circulate during the flu season and can cause symptoms and illness similar to those seen with flu infection. These non-flu viruses include rhinovirus (one cause of the "common cold") and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which is the most common cause of severe respiratory illness in young children as well as a leading cause of death from respiratory illness in those aged 65 years and older.

11. How soon will I get sick if I’m exposed to the flu?

Medical professionals believe that it takes approximately 1 to 4 days for symptoms to appear after a person has been exposed to the flu virus.

12. How do scientists determine which strains to protect against in a flu vaccine?

Each year, medical professionals change the vaccine based on surveillance and predictions about which virus strains will circulate. By being vaccinated, your body develops immunity to those strains.

13. Can a flu vaccine give you the flu?

No, the viruses contained in a flu vaccine are inactivated. The viruses in the flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. Some minor side effects that could occur include soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given; low-grade fever and aches.

14. Why do I feel sick after getting a flu shot?

The most common side effect of the flu vaccine in adults is soreness at the spot where the shot was given, which usually lasts less than two days. The soreness is often caused by a person’s immune system making protective antibodies to the killed viruses in the vaccine. These antibodies are what allow the body to fight against flu.

The needle stick may also cause some soreness at the injection site. According to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), rare symptoms include fever, muscle pain, and feelings of discomfort or weakness. If these problems occur, they are very uncommon and usually begin soon after the shot and last 1 to 2 days.

15. Why did I still get sick even after I got a flu shot?

The ability of the flu vaccine to protect a person depends on two things:

1. The age and health status of the person getting vaccinated
2. The similarity or “match” between the virus strains in the vaccine and those circulating in the community

If the viruses in the vaccine and the influenza viruses circulating in the community are closely matched, vaccine effectiveness is higher. If they are not closely matched, vaccine effectiveness can be reduced. However, it’s important to remember that even when the viruses are not closely matched, the vaccine can still protect many people and prevent flu-related complications. Such protection is possible because antibodies made in response to the vaccine can provide some protection (called cross-protection) against different, but related strains of influenza viruses.

16. Do I need to get a flu vaccine every year, or will the immunity carry over from last year’s vaccine?

Influenza viruses change from year to year, so it is extremely unlikely that you would be exposed to the exact same strain each year. In addition, the antibodies developed weaken over time, so it’s advised to get a flu vaccine annually.

17. Is it ever too early or too late to get a flu vaccine?

Flu vaccination provides protection against the influenza strains contained in the seasonal vaccine for the entire season. Vaccination can begin as soon as vaccine becomes available. Over the course of the flu season, many different influenza viruses can circulate at different times and in different places. As long as flu viruses are still spreading in the community, vaccination can provide protective benefit. In addition, there are other people who may benefit from seasonal flu vaccination as late as April or May, even if influenza viruses are no longer circulating in the United States. This includes:

• Persons likely to be traveling to the Southern Hemisphere, where influenza may be circulating
• Children younger than 9 being vaccinated for the first time who still have not received their second recommended dose of vaccine. Studies have shown that 2 doses are needed in children younger than 9 the first year they are vaccinated in order to maximize the protective benefit from vaccination.

18. How can I learn more about the progress of the flu season?

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention collects data year-round and reports on influenza (flu) activity in the United States each week from October through May. For more information about CDC's influenza surveillance activities, see the Overview of Influenza Surveillance in the United States. To view reports related to flu activity within St. Charles County, please view online.