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John D. Wilson, M.D.
1200 Hilyard St., Suite S-560
Eugene, Oregon 97401 USA
541/343-6028 fax 485-7702
www.TravelClinicOregon.com |
INFLUENZA
the short version
All humans are susceptible to influenza. Travelers are particularly prone to
influenza because of crowding while being transported. I advise influenza vaccine for everyone in the fall whether they are traveling or not, but it is especially important for
travelers or if you will be in a crowd which may contain international travelers
any time of year. If you are not yet convinced to receive influenza vaccine, please read the long version below.
the long version
Please try to forget everything you have heard about influenza before, since a statement without facts to support it is only hearsay. The following are facts.
- Influenza is a viral respiratory infection which occurs to some degree during the winter months in most years in the temperate North and South hemispheres and all year long in the tropics.
- Influenza is carried around the world by people who travel. There have been outbreaks aboard cruise ships. Transmission in other closed spaces like airports and airplanes probably happens, but is not detected because people disperse quickly upon arrival at their destination.
- Influenza is not exactly the same thing as the lay term "the flu", which can mean almost anything. Influenza generally does not have abdominal symptoms. Influenza usually has one or more of: fever, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, hoarseness and cough. There are
respiratory illnesses due to other viruses (causing any of the symptoms of influenza plus nose, sinus and ear symptoms) which will not be prevented by influenza vaccine.
- Diagnosing influenza accurately by the individual physician in the individual patient can be difficult and is often based on whether we are seeing a lot of it in the community at that time. Distinguishing influenza from bacterial respiratory infection can be difficult and frequently leads to unnecessary antibiotic prescribing.
- Forget ideas like "I just don't get the flu", a statement not supported by medical fact. There are no people naturally immune to influenza.
If you have ever had bronchitis in the winter, you have probably had
influenza.
- Influenza vaccine is the only vaccine we have for any respiratory virus. It is 90% effective in healthy people. It should be given in September or October
annually for non-travelers, or any time of year for travelers. Since it is impossible to predict which years will be significant "influenza years", and by the time influenza arrives in a community it is too late to obtain maximum benefit from the vaccine, the best strategy is to be immunized early in the fall whether one is traveling or not.
- Unless eating eggs or taking the vaccine has caused a severe allergic reaction, there is no reason (including pregnancy) to avoid immunization. Influenza vaccine contains 0.01% thimerosol; allergy to thimerosol or any other component of the vaccine would be reasons not to take influenza vaccine. A little sore arm is common. Some people feel a tiny bit dragged out for a couple of days afterward, but this is generally mild, self-limited and cannot be an infection since there are no live viruses, only parts of dead viruses, in the vaccine preparation.
- Basically the tradeoff is: negatives of receiving the vaccine [the cost (low) and a sore arm (minor)] versus the negatives of NOT receiving the vaccine [missing a chance to prevent being sick for a week or longer this winter or during your
upcoming trip].
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