Flu prevention

It is that time of year again. We are all stuck indoors during the Winter and the flu starts moving around. According to the CDC 5% to 20% of the population get the flu and 200,000 people are hospitalized with 36,000 people dying every year…just from the flu. Many of us think of the flu as something that makes us throw up for a day and then is gone, what we are really talking about here is the “Real Flu” the flu that makes you sick for weeks and something that you would never want to get.

There is a lot you can do to prevent getting the flu, starting with a flu shot. Flu shots in many places across North America are free and very important to get. Flu viruses spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 days after becoming sick. 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.

The CDC recently came out with some recommendations for anti viral agents. Although annual vaccination is the primary strategy for preventing complications of influenza virus infections, antiviral medications with activity against influenza viruses can be effective for the chemoprophylaxis and treatment of influenza. Four licensed influenza antiviral agents are available in the United States: amantadine, rimantadine, zanamivir, and oseltamivir.

Influenza A virus resistance to amantadine and rimantadine can emerge rapidly during treatment. On the basis of antiviral testing results conducted at CDC and in Canada indicating high levels of resistance, CDC and ACIP recommend that neither amantadine nor rimantadine be used for the treatment or chemoprophylaxis of influenza A in the United States until susceptibility to these antiviral medications has been re-established among circulating influenza A viruses. Oseltamivir or zanamivir can be prescribed if antiviral treatment of influenza is indicated. Oseltamivir is approved for treatment of persons aged >1 year, and zanamivir is approved for treatment of persons aged >7 years. Oseltamivir and zanamivir can be used for chemoprophylaxis of influenza; oseltamivir is licensed for use in persons aged >1 year, and zanamivir is licensed for use in persons aged >5 years.

I have covered the flu before including the Avian Flu and the use of Cold FX for cold prevention

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