It’s that time of the year again, and doctors advise early vaccinations against the flu before the influenza virus starts spreading, even if it’s months away. There is no accurate way to understand when flu season will begin or how severe it will become, but the safest way to avoid it for yourself and your family is to get your annual shot.
It’s better safe than sorry. Flu season commonly begins around October, peaks between December and February, and gradually lessens until May. The population is warned to take preventive measures early on, and make sure that they avoid the influenza virus even months before it appears.
According to Dr. Francisco Albert, from the Lexington Medical Center, it takes around two weeks for the vaccine to properly immunize your system, so the population should be warned that having the injection mid flu-season would not guarantee them instant protection.
In spite the yearly warnings and the average of 25,000 people who die every year due to the influenza virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that less than 50% of the population bothers to get the vaccine. It’s perhaps a cause-and-effect relationship between that and the fact that the flu has become a more common problem since the 1970s.
Getting vaccinated will not only protect yourself, but the health of your family and those around them. It’s an important factor in making sure you remain unaffected, along with not spreading the disease to others.
The influenza virus can cause symptoms that range from the mild runny nose and sore throat, to the harsher high fever, headache and muscle pains, and can evolve into dangerous complications such as asthma and heart failure. It can easily spread from others and infected surfaces, so very few things are safe during flu season.
The general population is asked to make sure they diligently get themselves vaccinated, especially young children above the age of 6 months, elderly over the age of 65, patients suffering from other chronic illnesses, and medical health professionals who might easily spread the virus.
The CDC has put out their recommendation that everyone gets vaccinated, and follow the lesser preventive measures that could be vital to your health between October and May. It’s advised that you wash your hands with soap extensively, keeping unwashed hands away from the eyes, mouth or nose, eat healthy and exercise, and cover your mouth in case of sneezes or coughs.
If they do become infected, patients are asked to take time off work or keep their children at home in order to prevent the spreading of the flu virus, while using the available drugs to bring themselves back to health.
Image source: fifty-five-plus.com
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