The influenza, or the flu, is a respiratory disease that can spread by talking, sneezing and coughing up to 6 feet away. One can get the virus simply by touching a surface that contains it. You can infect others one day BEFORE you even begin showing symptoms of it and for adults, can continue to be contagious 5-7 after. For children, they are still contagious even after the 7th day.
Common symptoms are fever, body aches, cough, sore throat, runny nose, fatigue, headaches, and vomiting and diarrhea, although the last two are more common in children than in adults. Complications from the flu can be bronchitis, pneumonia, and ear infections. The very young, very old, and already sick are the most susceptible to the flu and it’s complications. Thousands of deaths still occur every year from the influenza.
For most people, the flu is simply an inconvenience and do not go to the doctor, however, there are certain severe symptoms and if noticed, you should go to the doctor immediately! In children- difficulty breathing, bluish skin, non-responsive, not waking up, not interacting, and fever with rash are some severe symptoms. In adults- difficulty breathing, pain in chest or abdomen, excessive vomiting or diarrhea, confusion and dizziness are some severe symptoms.
Should you get a flu shot? There is a seasonal flu shot that you can get that contains 3 different strains of the flu virus, all inactivated. Those three strains are chosen based on which ones are felt to be the most common for that year, so the vaccine is different every year. There are different doses available, such as if you are over 65, you may get a higher dose.
Many people choose not to get the shot because of what is in them. This past November, the FDA approved “Flucelvax, the first seasonal influenza vaccine licensed in the United States produced using cultured animal cells, instead of fertilized chicken eggs. Flucelvax is approved to prevent seasonal influenza in people ages 18 years and older.
“The manufacturing process for Flucelvax is similar to the egg-based production method, but a significant difference is that the virus strains included in the vaccine are grown in animal cells of mammalian origin instead of in eggs. Cell culture technology has already been in use for several decades to produce other U.S. licensed vaccines.”
The CDC says that flu shots are important, helping many people from contracting serious symptoms and very few people have side affects from the shots. They say a common misconception is that the shot actually causes the flu in the individual. It does not, however the shot does need a couple weeks to take effect so if the person has already been exposed or becomes exposed during the two-week period, than the shot cannot help.
Therefore, wash your hands frequently and cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. Those that are healthier have better odds of combatting the virus, and here at Nana’s, we try to help with that! We do not add dairy, eggs, hydrogenated oils, or trans fats in our products!
From now until January 11th, 2013 get 25% off on the No Gluten Chocolate Cookies and the No Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies. Use the promo code 'newyear2013' to order!
References: www.cdc.gov, www.flu.gov, www.fda.gov
