It is Time to Get Serious About How You Think About the Flu

?There are far too many people who have decided that they don’t want a flu shot. Some say because they’ve never had the flu, some say their allergic (most are not), some are afraid of needles. It should be emphasized that the flu kills up to 50,000 people annually. And just this week, a young man 30-40 years of age died from flu. He was unvaccinated. The flu in a teen isn’t the same as the flu in 45 and older adults. This age group will have co-morbid conditions that increase the risk of flu complications.

According to CDC:

Following is a list of all the health and age factors that are known to increase a person’s risk of getting serious flu complications:

• Adults 65 years and older
• Children younger than 2 years old1
• Asthma
• Neurologic and neurodevelopment conditions
• Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
• Chronic lung disease (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and cystic fibrosis)
• Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)
• Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease)
• Kidney diseases
• Liver disorders
• Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders)
• People who are obese with a body mass index [BMI] of 40 or higher
• People younger than 19 years old on long-term aspirin- or salicylate-containing medications.
• People with a weakened immune system due to disease (such as people with HIV or AIDS, or some cancers such as leukemia) or medications (such as those receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer, or persons with chronic conditions requiring chronic corticosteroids or other drugs that suppress the immune system)
• People who have had a stroke

Other people at higher risk from flu:

• Pregnant people and people up to 2 weeks after the end of pregnancy
• People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
• People from certain racial and ethnic minority groups are at increased risk for hospitalization with flu, including non-Hispanic Black persons, Hispanic or Latino persons, and American Indian or Alaska Native persons

?Although all children younger than 5 years old are considered at higher risk of serious flu complications, the highest risk is for those younger than 2 years old, with the highest hospitalization and death rates among infants younger than 6 months?old.

Flu shots are your best defense. Additionally, if you are allergic to flu shots, those covid mitigation measures will help protect you from the flu. You remember the masks and staying 6 feet back. Limit your exposure crowds. Wash your hands frequently, carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer with you to any place you touch things that others have likely touched. That would include shopping carts, gasoline pump handles, public door handles etc. Keeping your hands away from your face will help. Grocery shopping should be done during off hours when there are fewer people in the stores. This is also an activity that home delivery is a good idea.

• Please get your shot and ensure that other eligible family members get theirs also. If you are younger than 65 years of age, you are still at risk, though the risk is greater for older adults.