'Tis the season... for the flu

It’s flu season again, and time to think about getting a flu vaccination. According to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, people often perceive the flu as a 24- to 48-hour illness. But the real influenza can affect normal daily activities for as long as a week.

As many as 200,000 Americans are hospitalized each year due to the flu, and as many as 36,000 die of the illness or complications associated with it. Children under the age of 1, people 65 or older and people suffering from underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk of serious complications. But even healthy people can get the flu and spread it to others.

There are many different strains of the virus, which usually peaks in January. Flu vaccines work by causing antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are in the vaccine. 

Traditional flu vaccines (called “trivalent” vaccines) are made to protect against three flu viruses, including two influenza A viruses ( H1N1 and H3N2) and an influenza B virus. There are also flu vaccines made to protect against four flu viruses (called “quadrivalent” vaccines). These vaccines protect against the same viruses as the trivalent vaccine and an additional B virus.

A flu vaccine is needed every season for two reasons. First, the body’s immune response from vaccination declines over time, so an annual vaccine is needed for optimal protection. Second, because flu viruses are constantly changing, the formulation of the flu vaccine is reviewed each year and sometimes updated to keep up with changing flu viruses. 

It is possible to still get the flu, even though a person gets vaccinated. The ability of the vaccination to protect people depends on their age and health, as well as the similarity between the viruses used to make the vaccine and the actual type of virus circulating that year. 

Vaccines are available at doctors’ offices, clinics, health departments and pharmacies. For questions, Mineral County residents can contact the Mineral County Health Department at 822-3564.