Health Officials Advise Flu Shots for All County Residents

By KARIMA A. HAYNES

Oct. 8, 1999 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

You can get through flu season without a runny nose, hacking cough, sore throat or high fever, but it’s going to take a little preventive medicine.

That’s what health experts are telling the millions of Los Angeles County residents expected to come down with the flu between December and March, the peak period for infection.

Influenza--”the flu”--is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract. Typical symptoms include a high fever, headache, extreme fatigue and head and chest congestion.

Although most people recover after two weeks, health officials said others may develop serious and potentially life-threatening complications, such as pneumonia.

To battle the bug, medical specialists are encouraging all county residents to get a flu shot--particularly those 60 years and older, pregnant women, and adults and children suffering from chronic illnesses.

Free or low-cost influenza vaccines are being offered at numerous hospitals and health clinics across the county, health official said.

“Only a relatively small amount of people are getting the flu shot even though it is 70% to 90% effective,” said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of public health and health officer for the county health services department.

Some 2 million county residents could come down with the flu this season, Fielding said, yet only a tenth are likely to be inoculated at a county facility.

While Fielding acknowledged that residents can get vaccinations elsewhere, he said he is “always amazed by how so many people play roulette with their health when there is a safe and effective prevention method available.”

This year’s influenza vaccine provides protection against the three strains of the virus most likely to cause illness in the United States: Type A/Beijing, Type A/Sydney and Type B/Beijing.

An aggressive virus similar to the A/Sydney strain didn’t even wait until the official start of the flu season to infect nearly 500 cruise ship passengers touring Alaska and the Yukon Territory in June, health experts said.

The particularly virulent Australian strain of the flu caused so many serious illnesses in December 1997 that hospitals in both Los Angeles and Ventura counties declared a crisis.

Hospital staff managed the 1997 onslaught by diverting patients from overflowing emergency rooms and general care wards to other locations, such as surgery recovery areas or children’s floors.

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta confirmed the outbreak in June, but were not alarmed.

Such activity does not predict the start or peak or severity of influenza activity during the fall and winter months, CDC officials said.

Even so, health experts say the early arrival of the virus underscores the need for flu shots.

The shots keep healthy adults from becoming ill with flu 70% to 90% of the time, according to the CDC’s influenza branch.

The shots are more critical for senior citizens, children with asthma or who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy, pregnant women in their second or third trimester and anyone with diabetes, renal dysfunction or a compromised immune system.

Elderly people make up more than 90% of the nation’s estimated 20,000 flu-related deaths, especially those with chronic medical conditions, CDC officials said. If inoculated, they can avoid being hospitalized more than half the time.

In Los Angeles County, health officials are advising residents to get flu shots this month to make sure the vaccine has enough time to become effective in the body before flu season begins.

“It is hard to tell in advance how bad the flu season is going to be,” Fielding said, “but it very important to get a flu shot and to get it early.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Preventive Medicine

Medical specialists urge people to get flu shots now to give the body time to build antibodies against the three influenza strains likely to cause illness in the U.S. this year.

FLU FACTS

Flu strains expected this season:

Type A/Beijing

Type A/Sydney

Type B/Beijing

Symptoms

*--*

Influenza Common Cold Fever, usually sudden Fever Chills Chills Sweating Stuffy nose Aches and pains Sore throat, Weakness hoarseness Headache Aches and pains Stuffy nose Loss of appetite Sore throat, hoarseness Loss of appetite

*--*

A flu shot will not protect against

the common cold.

When to Call a Doctor

* if your symptoms are worsening

*if you have a high fever

FLU SHOTS

Flu shots should be administered now. Flu season typically runs from December through March.

The Ventura County Health Services Department will offer free flu shots to some county residents.

Those eligible for free flu shots must be:

* 60 or older

* anyone with a chronic health condition such as heart or lung disease, diabetes, asthma or a compromised immune system such as those suffering from AIDS

* caregivers of the above or health care workers

Flu shot phone numbers for clinics in Los Angeles County

* Health Services Department Hotline: (800) 427-8700

* Info-Line: (800) 339-6993

* Los Angeles County Department of Community and Senior Citizens Services: (213) 738-4004

* Los Angeles: (213) 686-0950

* San Gabriel Valley: (626) 350-6833

* San Fernando Valley: (818) 501-4447

* Burbank/Glendale: (818) 956-1100

* West Los Angeles: (310) 551-2929

* L.A. Airport Area: (310) 671-7464

* TDD (for the hearing-impaired): (800) 660-4026