Clinician: Shots important for almost everyone

Influenza season runs from September through the early spring, but the drive for flu shots and the incidence of flu cases typically intensify during the winter.

Mike Heck, infection control practitioner for AtlantiCare, said influenza can be more prevalent now for several reasons.

“During the winter, more people are indoors” in forced hot-air heat, which dries the mucus membranes and makes the nose a prime “portal of entry” for the virus to adhere, Heck said. Cold air, which is also drier, does the same thing, making it easier for viruses to proliferate.

Flu vaccinations work by introducing a trace of the virus into the system, so the recipient can build antibodies against the full strain. Heck said the Centers for Disease Control recommends flu shots for “everyone from six months and up,” and emphasizes the importance of inoculation for several populations: the very young; the elderly; and the immune-suppressed. American Indians are also at greater risk for flu.

At this time of year, pharmacies, doctor’s offices and clinics all push flu shots. All are safe, Heck said. “There are only three vaccinations that have been FDA-approved that are injectable, so no matter where you get it – the doctor’s office, the clinic, the pharmacy – it’s fine.”

While the vaccination can result in mild flu symptoms or irritation or swelling at the injection site, it’s a small price to pay to prevent flu, which is highly contagious and can be spread from one person to another – through coughs, sneezes, and surface contact – before the carrier knows he or she is really ill.

“The risks of getting the flu and being out of work and transmitting to others is much greater than getting the flu shot,” Heck said. “It protects you and the ones you care about.”