The “flu” refers to illnesses caused by a number of different influenza viruses. Flu can cause a range of symptoms and effects, from mild to lethal. Most people recover from flu but some are at high risk for serious complications.

In the United States, the flu season usually runs from fall through early spring with peaks occurring anytime from late November through March. The overall health impact (e.g., infections, hospitalizations, and deaths) of a flu season varies from year to year. On average, each year in the United States about 5 to 20 percent of the population gets the flu and over 200,000 require hospitalization. CDC (Center for Disease Control) estimates that from the 1976-1977 season to the 2006-2007 flu season, flu-associated deaths ranged from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000.

The seasonal flu vaccine offers the best protection against the virus and its effects. This year the vaccine works against the H1N1 virus as well as the seasonal flu. It can protect you from getting sick or it can make your illness milder. It is recommended that everyone 6 months of age and older receive the vaccine. It is available now at your health center, doctor’s offices and other locations, such as public health clinics and pharmacies and is usually free or covered by insurance.

To protect yourself from contracting flu, try to observe the following:

Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze with a tissue, disposing in trash as soon as possible.

Wash your hands often, especially after you cough or sneeze. You can also use an alcohol-based hand cleanser.

Germs spread when you touch your mouth, eyes or nose, so try to avoid this.

Avoid close contact with sick people.

Stay home if you are sick until at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (100°F or 37.8°C) or signs of a fever without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Try to limit contact with family and friends to avoid infecting them.

For children, the flu is more serious than the cold. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat and sometimes body aches, chills, headache and tiredness. It is important to watch for these symptoms when your child is not well and to keep your sick child home and away from others to keep flu from spreading to others.

When should by child go to the doctor?

Call the doctor’s office if your child has trouble breathing, has increased restless or irritability, or is not drinking enough fluids.

Check for skin rash or signs of dehydration or more discomfort than you would expect in your child.
Call the provider’s office if you have any questions or to report symptoms you are worried about.
Do not use any aspirin or medication with aspirin in it if your child has fever.

See bphc.hrsa.gov for more on the flu. The information above was taken from that website
People who have chronic health conditions may have serious complications if they contract the flu. These can include pneumonia, ear or sinus infections, dehydration, even death. Call your health care provider’s office if you think you have the flu-like complications. Please go to flu.gov for more information or call Mattapan Community Health Center at 617-296-0061.

Suzanne Rocklin, FNP, BC, is a nurse practitioner at Mattapan Community Health Center