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Locals fend off the flu

By Sarah Buop, For The Miami Student

A five-minute flu shot is all it takes to avoid many strains of influenza, the common illness that comes year round.

Throughout the flu season until January or later, the flu vaccinations are available for free or low cost at any local pharmacy or healthcare clinic, including Kroger, Walgreens and CVS located in Oxford. Doctors recommend flu shots to be received annually to avoid different strains of influenza.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2013 about 31 percent of adults in the United States between 18 and 49 years old received an influenza vaccination, and nearly 60 percent of the flu-associated hospitalizations reported to CDC's influenza surveillance system were in adults between 18 to 64 years old.

Infection Control Officer at McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital Robin Sutter said influenza is easy to contract from an ill person through a simple sneeze.

"Prevention tips for the flu season include the influenza vaccination, wash your hands often and keep hands out of the 'T-zone,' where the 'T' designates the shape of the area on your face known as your eyes, nose and mouth," Sutter said.

According to Rebecca Petraglia, certified nurse practitioner at Miami University's Student Health Center, 144 Miami students were diagnosed with influenza last year and the health center administered about 600 flu shots.

"I would encourage any students that develop a sudden onset of fevers to come into the Student Health Services as soon as possible," Petraglia said. "Because those that are diagnosed with the flu within 48 hours of onset of symptoms are eligible to take an antiviral medication."

According to the CDC, a person can be contagious with the flu the day before developing any symptoms of the flu, and up to seven days into experiencing symptoms. After contracting the flu, the incubation period before becoming symptomatic is between one to four days.

The flu is highly contagious, and can be easily spread to others that are up to six feet away through talking, coughing, sneezing, and breathing. Petraglia says that the respiratory droplets may also contaminate surfaces, so proper hand washing and disinfecting remotes, cell phones, door knobs and other frequently touched surfaces is important.

"It is important for the student body to be vaccinated not only to protect themselves as individuals, but also to decrease the spread of the flu to the immunosuppressed population," Petraglia said. "While the flu is common, it can be life-threatening, specifically to those students with underlying respiratory issues such as asthma or other immunosuppressive chronic illnesses such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, etc."

Serious cases of the flu often happen with adults around the age of 65 years or older due to their weaker immune systems. However, this does not mean that the flu cannot be easily spread among young adults, and can endanger people with weakened immune systems due to conditions such as asthma, heart disease or cancer.

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The CDC says that the influenza vaccine is necessary because flu viruses are constantly changing, and receiving the vaccine can protect your body against the most recent circulating virus. Also vaccinations can fade over time, so it is important to keep up to date with the shot annually so your immune system has optimal protection.

Many students feel that if they receive the flu shot, there is a chance that one may be infected with the virus after vaccination.

Miami junior Emily Parsons said she did not receive the flu shot this year because she does not feel it is necessary.

"I rarely get the flu, so I don't really see the point in getting a flu vaccination," Parsons said. "I also hear about other people who have received the shot and then end up with a cold or flu-like symptoms."

Petraglia said the flu shot should not cause flu symptoms after it is administered.

"The intramuscular and intradermal shots do not contain a live virus and cannot make you ill with the flu," Petraglia said. "The vaccine triggers the immune system to produce antibodies over the two weeks following vaccination to protect you if you're exposed thereafter."

Amy Meiners, Emergency Department Educator and Registered Nurse at Mercy Health Anderson Hospital in Cincinnati, said living the college lifestyle can increase the chance of students becoming infected with influenza, and many pharmacies offer the nasal spray vaccination along with the injection.

"If some prefer to not have a shot, they are able to receive the nasal spray," Meiners said. "The difference between the two is that the injection is a dead virus entering your body, and the nasal spray is a live virus entering your body."

The nasal flu vaccine is sprayed through your nose, and while it is a live vaccine, the virus is weak and can only cause mild symptoms of the flu, such as a runny nose.

"Both the nasal spray and the injection provide protection from influenza," Meiners said. "All it takes is one person with the virus to have it spread rapidly to others, so receiving the vaccination is highly recommended for people of all ages, especially students living the college lifestyle."

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