Before the Season Starts, Get a Flu Shot
While some people are counting the shopping days until Christmas or Hanukkah, Dr. Peter Chee’s mind is focusing on a different kind of deadline: the beginning of flu season.
Its official debut is usually in December. But time is running out for protecting yourself from that dreaded viral infection of the respiratory tract.
“The best time to get flu shots is October and November,” says Chee, an internist who directs the Cold & Flu Task Force for Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Los Angeles. That’s because it takes about two weeks for the flu shot to become effective. Immunity from a single vaccination lasts for about six months.
This year’s flu season could be worse than last year’s relatively mild season, says Chee. But like other experts, he admits that predicting the severity of a flu season is akin to fortune-telling.
This year, three flu types--Beijing, Taiwan and Panama--are expected to be prevalent. Each year, vaccines are made up of the inactivated viruses expected to strike. But since no one can say for sure which ones will attack, even people who’ve had flu shots can get the flu.
Contrary to myth, a flu shot cannot cause influenza. However, it can cause localized and minor side effects, says Chee. Most often, patients report soreness and aching at the vaccination site. Some people get a low-grade fever.
Who’s a candidate for a flu shot?
* Healthy adults who can’t afford to get sick.
* Healthy people age 55 and above, according to State of California guidelines.
Federal guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control suggest flu shots for:
* Anyone age 65 or above.
* Anyone with chronic heart or lung disease or anyone with a chronic medical condition such as asthma, cancer or AIDS.
Routine vaccination of healthy children isn’t advised. And people who are allergic to eggs or who have ever had a severe reaction to a flu shot should consult their personal physician.
What about those who are HIV-positive but do not have symptoms of AIDS? “There is very little data showing that HIV-positive people without symptoms are at higher risk for flu,” says Dr. Louisa Chapman of the CDC. But in her opinion, these people should get a flu shot if possible.
Once flu strikes, expect symptoms to drag on for several days to a week or more, Chee says.
For information on flu shots, call your county health department or ask your doctor. In Los Angeles, consult the phone book under “County of Los Angeles, Health Care Centers.”
TWO VIEWS
Does Stress Level Affect Susceptibility to Colds?
Are stressed-out people setting themselves up to catch a cold? Pittsburgh psychologist Sheldon Cohen thinks so. He questioned nearly 400 volunteers to assess their stress, then exposed them to common cold viruses. Individuals with high stress levels were twice as likely to develop colds, he says. Not everyone, though, thinks the link is so clear-cut. Here are two views.
Sheldon Cohen, professor of psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh. “Our data suggest people under stress are at higher risk of catching cold. In the study, 25% of the people who scored highest on stress were two times as likely to develop colds as the 25% who scored lowest on stress.
“In terms of evaluating (individual) risk, that’s not helpful. The useful thing is every increment in stress is an increment in risk. The greater the stress, the greater the risk.”
Dr. James Jones, National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Denver. “The concept that stress leads to colds was not proven by this study. The level of stress was not reliably associated with (an increase in) illness.
“Stress was associated with more infection with all the viruses (used in the study). I find it curious because there is so much difference in the way these (different) infectious agents work.
“Stress is an extraordinarily complex issue. Does stress lead to colds? I don’t know.”
SHOPTALK
Another Buffered Aspirin Option
For people with splitting headaches and sensitive tummies, there’s a new aspirin formulation, Extra strength Bayer Plus aspirin with Stomach Guard. Each tablet includes 500 milligrams of aspirin along with “Stomach Guard,” a mixture of buffering agents (calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate and magnesium oxide) designed to protect against stomach upset.
Worth a try?
“For those sensitive to gastrointestinal upset from aspirin, this is one more option in the buffered aspirin arena,” says Christopher Lomax, director of pharmacy services at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “But aspirin is not a choice for children and young adults suffering from flu-like illness or chickenpox,” Lomax warns, “because its use has been associated with Reye’s syndrome, a life-threatening illness.” Reye’s syndrome is marked by brain and liver damage.
