Get Your Flu Shot
The flu virus changes often, so having a flu caused by one strain doesn’t give you immunity to the flue caused by other strains. So it is important to get a flu vaccine each year.
Each year more than 226,000 people are hospitalized from seasonal flu-related complications. Some of the most vulnerable to flu-related complication is our aging Veteran community.
“The main cause of flu is the influenza virus,” said VA Registered Nurse Sharon Boyle during a recent TalkShoe Podcast. Boyle is a VA Butler Healthcare nursing program special assistant who works with the medical center’s annual flu clinic outreaches. “The flu virus changes often, so having a flu caused by one strain doesn’t give you immunity to the flu caused by other strains. So it is important to get a flu vaccine each year.”
The flu is mostly transmitted through person-to-person contact such as shaking hand, unguarded sneezes and coughs; and sharing infected objects (like handkerchiefs, utensils, etc.). When the weather gets colder and people tend to spend more time indoors, the risks for flu exposure increase. This is why it is important to use proper hand hygiene and to cover up when coughing or sneezing.
Flu symptoms usually develop one to four days after being infected, and this is usually the time when people are most likely to be infecting others. Getting a flu vaccine is one of the most effective ways to prevent contracting the flu.
“The big myth I want to alleviate is that you cannot get the flu from the vaccine,” said Boyle.
The Butler VA started vaccinating for the flu season in September 2010 and will continue throughout the season (traditionally ending in May). Veterans interested in getting a flu vaccine should contact their primary care physician. For more information on influenza visit the Office of Public Health.
