Winter Presentation

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Flu And You
James R. Ginder, MS, WEMT,PI, CHES Health
Education Specialist Hamilton County Health
Department www.co.hamilton.in.us
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The Student Will Be Able To

• list three ways to prevent the flu.
• describe how flu is transmitted.
• recall who needs to receive a flu vaccine.

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What Is The Flu

• Influenza (the flu) is a contagious respiratory
  illness caused by influenza virus.
• It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times
  can lead to death.
• Every year in the United States, on average 5 to
  20 of the population develops the flu more than
  200,000 people are hospitalized from flu
  complications, and about 36,000 people die from
  flu.

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How Flu Spreads

• The main way that influenza viruses are spread is
  from person to person in respiratory droplets of
  coughs and sneezes.
• This can happen when droplets from a cough or
  sneeze of an infected person are propelled
  through the air and deposited on the mouth or
  nose of people nearby.
• The virus may be spread when a person touches
  respiratory droplets on another person or an
  object and then touches their own mouth or nose
  (or someone elses mouth or nose) before washing
  their hands.

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The Influenza (Flu) Viruses

• There are two main types of influenza (flu)
  virus
• ?Types A and B. Influenza
• Types A and B viruses are responsible for
  seasonal flu epidemics each year.
• Over the course of a flu season, different types
  (A B) and subtypes of influenza A viruses can
  circulate and cause illness.
• In addition, influenza viruses are constantly
  changing through a process called "antigenic
  drift."

Influenza A B
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Antigenic Drift

• These are small changes in the virus that happen
  continually over time.
• Antigenic drift produces new virus strains that
  may not be recognized by the body's immune
  system.
• This process works as follows a person infected
  with a particular flu virus strain develops
  antibody against that virus.
• As newer virus strains appear, the antibodies
  against the older strains no longer recognize the
  "newer" virus, and re-infection can occur.
• This is one of the main reasons why people can
  get the flu more than one time.

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Antigenic Shift

• Antigenic shift is an abrupt, major change in the
  influenza A viruses, resulting in new proteins in
  viruses that infect humans.
• Shift results in a new influenza A subtype.
• When shift happens, most people have little or no
  protection against the new virus.
• While influenza viruses are changing by antigenic
  drift all the time, antigenic shift happens only
  occasionally.
• Type A viruses undergo both kinds of changes
  influenza type B viruses change only by the more
  gradual process of antigenic drift.

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Flu Season

• In the Northern hemisphere, winter is the time
  for flu.
• The timing and duration of flu seasons vary.
• While flu outbreaks can happen as early as
  October, most of the time influenza activity
  peaks in January or later.
• During the past 26 flu seasons, months with the
  heaviest flu activity (peak months) occurred in
  November one season, December four seasons,
  January five seasons, February 12 seasons, and
  March four seasons.

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The Flu Is Contagious

• Most healthy adults may be able to infect others
  beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to
  5 days after becoming sick.
• Children may pass the virus for longer than seven
  days. Symptoms start one to four days after the
  virus enters the body. That means that you may be
  able to pass on the flu to someone else before
  you know you are sick, as well as while you are
  sick.  
• Some persons can be infected with the flu virus
  but have no symptoms. During this time, those
  persons can still spread the virus to others.

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Things To Think About

• Avoid close contactAvoid close contact with
  people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your
  distance from others to protect them from getting
  sick too.
• Stay home when you are sickIf possible, stay
  home from work, school, and errands when you are
  sick. You will help prevent others from catching
  your illness.
• Cover your mouth and noseCover your mouth and
  nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It
  may prevent those around you from getting sick.

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Things To Think About Cont..

• Clean your hands.
• Washing your hands often will help protect you
  from germs.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Germs are often spread when a person touches
  something that is contaminated with germs and
  then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Practice other good health habits.
• Get plenty of sleep, be physically active,
  manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and
  eat nutritious food.

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Hand washing
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How To Use Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer
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Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer

• Apply product to the palm of one hand (size of a
  quarter)
• Rub hands together
• Rub the product over all surfaces of hands and
  fingers until hands are dry

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Cover Your Cough

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you
  cough or sneeze.
• If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into
  your upper sleeve, not your hands.
• Put your used tissue in the waste basket.
• Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing.
• Wash with soap and water or alcohol-based hand
  cleaner.

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Symptoms Of The Flu

• Symptoms of flu include
• ? Fever (usually high)
• ? Headache
• ? Extreme tiredness
• ? Dry cough
• ? Sore throat
• ? Runny or stuffy nose
• ? Muscle aches

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If You Get Sick

• Get lots of rest, drink plenty of liquids, and
  avoid using alcohol and tobacco.
• There are over-the-counter (OTC) medications to
  relieve the symptoms of the flu (but never give
  aspirin to children or teenagers who have
  flu-like symptoms, particularly fever).
• Remember that serious illness from the flu is
  more likely in certain groups of people including
  people 65 and older, pregnant women, people with
  certain chronic medical conditions and young
  children.
• Consult your doctor early on for the best
  treatment, but also be aware of emergency warning
  signs that require urgent medical attention.

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Flu Emergencies In Children

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want
  to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with
  fever and worse cough
• Fever with a rash

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Adult Flu Emergencies

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting

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The Protected Stains For 2008-2009

• ? A/Brisbane/59/2007(H1N1)-like virus
• ? A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like virus
• ? B/Florida/4/2006-like virus.

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Flu Shot

• The single best way to protect against the flu is
  to get vaccinated each year.
• The "flu shot" an inactivated vaccine
  (containing killed virus) that is given with a
  needle, usually in the arm.
• The flu shot is approved for use in people older
  than 6 months, including healthy people and
  people with chronic medical conditions.

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FluMist

• The nasal-spray flu vaccine a vaccine made with
  live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the
  flu (sometimes called LAIV for live attenuated
  influenza vaccine or FluMist).
• LAIV (FluMist) is approved for use in healthy
  people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.

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How Long Does The Vaccine Last

• The vaccine lasts about a year, so vaccination in
  August or September provides protection for the
  duration of the United States flu season, which
  can last until April or May.
• Getting vaccinated as soon as vaccine is
  available may be most important for children
  being vaccinated against flu for the first time,
  who need to get two doses of flu vaccine at least
  4 weeks apart.

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Who Needs Vaccinated

• Children aged 6 months up to their 19th birthday
• Pregnant women
• People 50 years of age and older
• People of any age with certain chronic medical
  conditions
• People who live in nursing homes and other
  long-term care facilities
• People who live with or care for those at high
  risk for complications from flu, including
• a.   Health care workersb.   Household contacts
  of persons at high risk for complications from
  the fluc.   Household contacts and out of home
  caregivers of children less than 6
• months of age (these children are too
  young to be vaccinated)

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Who Should NOT Get Vaccinated

• People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
  
• People who have had a severe reaction to an
  influenza vaccination.
• People who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome
  (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza
  vaccine.
• Children less than 6 months of age (influenza
  vaccine is not approved for this age group), and
• People who have a moderate-to-severe illness with
  a fever (they should wait until they recover to
  get vaccinated.)

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Flu Shot Side Effects

• The flu shot The viruses in the flu shot are
  killed (inactivated), so you cannot get the flu
  from a flu shot.
• Some minor side effects that could occur are
• ? Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot
  was given
• ? Fever (low grade)
• ? Aches
• If these problems occur, they begin soon after
  the shot and usually last 1 to 2 days.
• Almost all people who receive influenza vaccine
  have no serious problems from it.

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FluMist Side Effects

• LAIV (FluMist) The viruses in the nasal-spray
  vaccine are weakened and do not cause severe
  symptoms often associated with influenza illness.
• In adults and children, side effects from LAIV
  (FluMist) can include
• ? Runny nose
• ? Wheezing
• ? Headache
• ? Vomiting
• ? Muscle aches
• ? Fever
• ? Cough
• ? Sore Throat

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When To Receive A Flu Vaccine

• Yearly flu vaccination should begin in September
  or as soon as vaccine is available and continue
  throughout the influenza season, into December,
  January, and beyond.
• This is because the timing and duration
  of influenza seasons vary. 
• While influenza outbreaks can happen as early as
  October, most of the time influenza activity
  peaks in January or later.  

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Antiviral Drugs And Flu

• Antiviral drugs are an important second line of
  defense in the prevention and treatment of flu.
• Antiviral drugs are important in the treatment
  and prevention influenza.
• Influenza antiviral drugs can be used to treat
  the flu or to prevent infection with flu viruses.
  
• Treatment with antivirals should begin within 48
  hours of getting sick, and can reduce your
  symptoms and shorten the time you are sick.
• When used for prevention, antivirals are 70 to
  90 effective in preventing infection with
  influenza viruses.
• Antiviral drugs are effective across all age and
  risk groups.

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Tamiflu Relenza

• Two antiviral drugs (oseltamivir, brand name
  Tamiflu, and zanamivir, brand name Relenza) are
  approved for treatment of the flu.
• Oseltamivir is approved to treat flu in people
  one year of age and older.
• Zanamivir is approved to treat flu in people 7
  years and older.
• These are prescription medications, and a doctor
  should be consulted before the drugs are used.
• Antiviral treatment lasts for 5 days and should
  be started within 2 days of illness, so if you
  get flu-like symptoms, seek medical care early
  on.

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Source

• Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
  (ACIP) http//www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/acip/
• Center For Disease Control and Prevention
• www.cdc.gov
• World Health Organization
• www.who.org