In the U.S., flu season occurs in the fall and winter, with peaks from December to February, but can last until May.
Influenza is a virus that affects the upper and lower respiratory tracts.
Symptoms can include runny nose, cough, sore throat, high fever, fatigue, chills, headache and muscle aches and inflammation (usually Influenza B)
Patients are contagious with the flu for 1 day BEFORE symptoms begin up to 5-7 days AFTER becoming ill.
Young children can also have gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, but these are usually not the main symptoms of influenza.
On physical exam the patient is typically ill-appearing, but the lung examination is usually unremarkable.
Complications usually are associated with children under 5 years of age, and they include secondary infections of the middle ears (otitis media), sinuses (sinusitis), and lungs (bronchitis, pneumonia).
The virus is transmitted by breathing in secretions from an infected individual who coughed, sneezed, or was even talking in close proximity.
It does not respond to antibiotic therapy.
The acute illness lasts for several days, but the cough and fatigue may last for weeks.
Influenza is believed to affect 20% of children and 5% of adults worldwide every year.
Because the virus changes each year, you are not immune to the flu after you are infected.
FLU-VACCINE:
Current recommendations are that all individuals over the age of 6 months receive the flu vaccine. This is considered by the CDC to be the most important step in flu-prevention.
On physical exam the patient is typically ill-appearing, but the lung examination is usually unremarkable.
Complications usually are associated with children under 5 years of age, and they include secondary infections of the middle ears (otitis media), sinuses (sinusitis), and lungs (bronchitis, pneumonia).
The virus is transmitted by breathing in secretions from an infected individual who coughed, sneezed, or was even talking in close proximity.
It does not respond to antibiotic therapy.
The acute illness lasts for several days, but the cough and fatigue may last for weeks.
Influenza is believed to affect 20% of children and 5% of adults worldwide every year.
Because the virus changes each year, you are not immune to the flu after you are infected.
FLU-VACCINE:
Current recommendations are that all individuals over the age of 6 months receive the flu vaccine. This is considered by the CDC to be the most important step in flu-prevention.
for 2017-2018, like last season, the intranasal flu-vaccine will NOT be available due to ongoing issues with efficacy.
Most people who do not have severe egg-allergies can still safely get the flu vaccine; if someone develops ONLY hives after eating eggs, they can still get vaccinated, but should be observed for 30 minutes after injection. If more involved symptoms such as light-headedness or breathing difficulty develop after eating eggs, follow-up with an allergist would be advised first to see if the vaccine is still an option.
Current intramuscular vaccines for the fluwill protect against either 3 or 4 strains of flu-virus.
Most people who do not have severe egg-allergies can still safely get the flu vaccine; if someone develops ONLY hives after eating eggs, they can still get vaccinated, but should be observed for 30 minutes after injection. If more involved symptoms such as light-headedness or breathing difficulty develop after eating eggs, follow-up with an allergist would be advised first to see if the vaccine is still an option.
Current intramuscular vaccines for the fluwill protect against either 3 or 4 strains of flu-virus.
The CDC recommends getting vaccinated by the end of October if possible, as it may take about 2 weeks for antibodies to form after vaccination.
Tamiflu is an anti-viral medication that has been approved for children as young as 2 weeks of age. Ideally it should be started within 48 hours of onset of symptoms.
Dr. Mark Garabedian , Hanover Pediatrics, Bon Secours
