Nobody’s exempted from getting the flu. When the virus is around you and most especially when it’s the flu season, you might just get it.
Doctors say those who are not prone to getting it should not feel too confident because the virus can still strike you in the future. And when it enters your body, it can result in a few days of bed rest and medication or it could also make you seriously ill requiring hospitalization.
For this reason, medical experts recommend that children and adults get the flu shot as early as possible to provide them immunity throughout the flu season. More importantly, pregnant women, young children and the elderly should get vaccinated.
The good news as well is that it’s not very painful to administer this today. People who are afraid of the usual needle size can smile now as the flu shot now can be given through an intradermal vaccine. What this means is a tiny needle is used, about 90 percent smaller than the regular one. Approved by the FDA, the vaccine can be given to people aged 18 to 64.
There’s another good news and this is about the added benefit of getting the flu shot. A new research by the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress showed that the influenza vaccine may cut by half a person’s risk of getting heart disease. The study conducted in Toronto found that the subjects were vaccinated were 50 percent less likely to suffer from stroke or heart attacks. It’s not clear, however, how the vaccination protected people.
Each year, some 200,000 Americans are hospitalized due to flu. Of these number, some 3,000 to 9,000 people die of the illness.
Photo via mensfitness.com
Originally posted on December 6, 2012 @ 11:05 am