{"id":6211,"date":"2019-10-14T08:30:18","date_gmt":"2019-10-14T12:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=6211"},"modified":"2022-09-13T14:12:01","modified_gmt":"2022-09-13T18:12:01","slug":"how-to-prevent-the-flu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/how-to-prevent-the-flu\/","title":{"rendered":"How to prevent the flu"},"content":{"rendered":"

Transmission<\/a> | Flu vaccine<\/a> | How to prevent the flu<\/a> | How to prevent the flu from spreading in your house<\/a> | How to prevent the flu naturally<\/a> | Flu medications<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The seasonal flu is often thought of as benign\u2014unpleasant, but as harmless as the common cold. The truth about the flu is much more serious. Typical flu symptoms include fever, headaches, muscle and body aches, cough, sneezing, congestion, runny nose, stuffy nose, sore throat, and sometimes stomach symptoms. But many don\u2019t realize that the flu can also <\/span>cause serious complications<\/span><\/a> such as pneumonia, worsening of existing health conditions\u2014like heart disease and lung disease, hospitalization, and even death. (And that\u2019s not even taking into consideration the fact that the 2020-2021 flu season will run concurrently with the COVID-19 pandemic.)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the 2018-2019 flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 42.9 million people got sick, 647,000 people were hospitalized, and 36,400-61,200 died,\u201d says Kumar Dharmarajan, MD, the chief scientific officer at <\/span>Clover Health<\/span><\/a>. Preventing the flu is paramount both to the individual and the overall population.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The flu shot is the most effective way to prevent both catching and spreading the flu; but cleanliness practices like handwashing, sanitizing surfaces, and overall healthy choices can go a long way to curb the spread of the flu.<\/span>
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How is the flu spread?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Generally, people infected with the flu are contagious <\/span>one day before they feel sick until five to seven days after getting sick<\/span><\/a>, but this can vary. \u201cAccording to [studies], in some cases, only half of the people infected will actually have symptoms,\u201d Dr. Dharmarajan says. \u201cThat means you can be totally unaware that you have the flu, but still have the virus in your body and be able to transmit it to others.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The virus is spread through droplets of bodily fluids<\/span><\/a>, which someone may come into close contact with through coughs, sneezes, or by touching contaminated surfaces like doorknobs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because more than one strain of flu virus circulates each flu season, and those strains change from year to year, you are still vulnerable to catching the flu if you have already had the flu, even recently.\u00a0<\/span>
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The flu vaccine is the best defense<\/b><\/h2>\n

The single most important thing individuals can do to fight the spread of the flu, and to protect themselves, is to get the flu vaccine (via flu shot or nasal spray vaccine) <\/span>each and every<\/span><\/i> year. The flu shot is the only precaution that creates an immune response that is specific to the flu virus itself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe CDC recommends the flu shot for everyone aged 6 months and over,\u201d Dr. Dharmarajan says. \u201cThe vaccine is particularly important for populations at higher risk of severe infection, such as young children under the age of 5, adults over 50, pregnant women, and those with chronic conditions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are even egg-free versions now for those afraid an egg allergy precludes their receiving protection,\u201d says Joshua Septimus, MD, internal medicine and associate professor of clinical medicine at <\/span>Houston Methodist Hospital<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Septimus stresses the importance of flu shots for people who are pregnant. \u201cPregnant women are at a very high risk of deadly complications of the flu,\u201d says Dr. Septimus. \u201cAll pregnant women and their loved ones should make flu vaccination a priority.\u201d Getting the flu vaccine while pregnant can even protect babies in the months after they are born, when they are too young to be vaccinated.<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>Everything you should know about getting the flu shot while pregnant<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

The flu shot can vary in effectiveness from year to year and from person to person, but the overall effectiveness of the shot is between <\/span>40% and 60%<\/span><\/a> when most circulating flu viruses are well-matched to the vaccine. Even though the shot is not 100% effective, it\u2019s still very important to get the flu shot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The flu shot not only prevents many individuals from getting the flu, but it also prevents anyone that person would have infected from becoming ill, and so on. The fewer people that get sick, the less it spreads.<\/span><\/p>\n

The vaccine also helps to protect against the serious complications of the flu, even if a vaccinated person does become infected. During the flu season of 2018-2019, <\/span>the flu shot<\/span><\/a> is estimated to have prevented 4.4 million flu illnesses, 2.3 million influenza-associated medical visits, and 58,000 influenza-associated hospitalizations. The flu vaccine saves children\u2019s lives and has been shown to reduce flu-related PICU stays for children by 74%.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many ways to categorize flu shots, one of which is whether they are a <\/span>trivalent (three component)<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>quadrivalent (four component)<\/span><\/a> formulation. <\/span>Different products<\/span><\/a> exist under each category, and can be selected depending on the age and\/or other needs of the patient.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You should get your flu shot by the end of October each year, but because it takes two weeks to become effective after the injection, earlier is better. \u201cIf you wait until others in your community start coming down with the flu, you\u2019ll leave yourself vulnerable during the window between the time you get the shot and the time the protection kicks in,\u201d Dr. Dharmarajan explains.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if you missed the October \u201cdeadline,\u201d it\u2019s not too late to get vaccinated. The flu season runs into May, so it\u2019s better late than never.<\/span><\/p>\n

While there is a lot of misinformation out there about the flu shot, the truth is that it is a safe and effective way to prevent the flu and the complications of the flu.<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>7 common myths about the flu shot debunked<\/b><\/a>
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How to prevent the flu (9 steps after getting a flu shot)\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

While the flu shot is the number one defense, there are other measures we can take to slow or prevent the spread of the flu.<\/span><\/p>\n