A dreaded time of the year has arrived.<\/p>\n
Total Family Care [Dr. Lightman’s practice] diagnosed its first documented case of influenza for the 2018-2019 season on Sunday, October 7, 2018.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s early in the season (generally, the flu is more likely to be diagnosed between the end of December through the middle of March) but it\u2019s not surprising because the last several flu seasons have been filled with surprises.<\/p>\n
Yet it\u2019s no surprise (but still a wonder) that despite the education disseminated through social media and other means (like this article) and the fact that over 80,000 people died from the flu last year (the flu is highly contagious and causes hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations annually), there\u2019s still resistance to getting the flu vaccine.<\/p>\n
Two facts that should make you stampede to your pediatrician\u2019s office to make sure your children get that vaccine \u2013 Last year, 180 children in this country died from influenza infections or complications from the infection.\u00a0 And about 80% of those children who died didn\u2019t get a flu shot.<\/p>\n
So here it goes \u2013 giving it my \u201cbest shot\u201d to make sure that as many people as possible receive the flu vaccine.<\/p>\n
What is the flu?<\/strong><\/p>\n The influenza virus affects the lung, nose and throat.\u00a0 It can spread from exposure to a contaminated surface, airborne respiratory droplets (when an infected person coughs or sneezes), through saliva, or even skin to skin contact.<\/p>\n Early symptoms of the flu include:<\/p>\n Sudden or excessive fatigue:\u00a0 <\/em>\u00a0An overall feeling of tiredness or lack of energy.\u00a0 It differs from feeling drowsy or sleepy because when fatigued, you lack motivation and energy.\u00a0 Fatigue in relation to the flu will go with other symptoms.\u00a0 Read further.<\/p>\n Body aches and chills:\u00a0 <\/em>Body aches are a common symptom of many conditions.\u00a0 They can also be caused by every day life.\u00a0 We are talking here about body aches in combination with other symptoms or persisting body aches.<\/p>\n Cough:\u00a0 <\/em>A cough is a common reflex action that clears the throat of mucus or foreign irritants.\u00a0 Again, the cough is combined with other symptoms.<\/p>\n Sore throat:\u00a0 <\/em>This is a painful, dry or scratchy feeling in the throat.\u00a0 A sore throat is so common that it accounts for more than 13 million visits to doctors annually.\u00a0 Although sore throats are uncomfortable, most go away on their own.\u00a0 Again, regarding the flu, the sore throat accompanies other symptoms.<\/p>\n Fever:\u00a0 <\/em>A fever is an elevated temperature and can affect both children and adults.\u00a0 A short-term increase in body temperature can help the body to fight off illness.\u00a0 A severe fever can be a symptom of something more serious that requires immediate medical attention.\u00a0 In relation to the flu, the flu accompanies other symptoms.<\/p>\n If you begin to sneeze, cough and become congested, you might wonder whether you have the common cold or the flu.\u00a0 Both care contagious viral infections so it\u2019s easy to confuse the two.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also easy to think that if you have gotten the flu vaccine, you are protected against the common cold and other viruses.\u00a0 Untrue.\u00a0 Sorry.<\/p>\n Why should people get vaccinated?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n As stated above, the flu is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalizations and sometimes, G-d forbid, death.\u00a0 Each flu season has its own nuances but these facts remain consistent.\u00a0 Studies demonstrate that the annual flu vaccine is the best way to help protect a person against the flu.\u00a0 The flu vaccine reduces the risk of flu illnesses and even the risk of flu-related death in children.\u00a0 <\/em>This holds true for the general population by 40-60%.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Another reason to be vaccinated is that if you do get sick with the flu, your symptoms may be milder and mitigated if you have gotten the vaccination.\u00a0 There is a lower risk of influenza-related complications of hospitalizations in at risk groups such as older adults, pregnant women and their infants, children and people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, chronic lung disease and cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n Read through the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).\u00a0 The facts are there.<\/p>\n Further, when you protect yourself from the flu through vaccination, you are also protecting those who cannot get vaccinated from catching the flu.\u00a0 This includes those who are too young to get vaccinated, meaning babies under six months of age.<\/p>\n How does the flu vaccine work?<\/strong><\/p>\n The flu vaccine prompts your body to prepare to fight an infection from the flu virus.\u00a0 It helps your body to create anitbodies to fight against the virus when you are exposed to it.\u00a0 Think of the antibodies as sledgehammers that fight against the flu virus from developing into something lethal.<\/p>\n The seasonal flu vaccine is developed based on research indicating the strains that will be most common for that influenza season.\u00a0 Researchers \u201ctweak\u201d the vaccine each season, choosing the strains based on the ones they think are most likely to show up that year.<\/p>\n We are light years ahead of what happened during the Spanish Flu of 1918.\u00a0 (See below.)<\/p>\n There\u2019s a misconception that the flu vaccine causes the flu.\u00a0 Rubbish.<\/p>\n Another misconception is that getting the flu vaccine will make you more likely to get the flu.\u00a0 More rubbish.<\/p>\n It does take up to two weeks for the vaccine to start working once it\u2019s been given.\u00a0 Some people get the vaccine and then catch the flu virus before their bodies are ready to fight it.\u00a0 The bottom line:\u00a0 Even when getting the flu vaccine, you can still get sick but your illness will likely be milder than if you don\u2019t get the vaccine.<\/p>\n What do you do if you get sick with the flu?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Most people who will get sick with the flu will have mild illness and will not need medical care or antiviral drugs.\u00a0 They will recover in less than two weeks.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, some people will have flu complications that can result in hospitalization.\u00a0 Examples of flu-related complication include pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis, and ear infections.\u00a0 Flu can also worsen chronic health conditions.<\/p>\n Among the people at risk of developing flu complications are children younger than five years of age and especially children younger than two years old.\u00a0 Please contact your pediatrician\u2019s office to schedule flu vaccines.\u00a0 If your child has the symptoms in any combination listed above, it\u2019s imperative that you reach out to your pediatrician who will guide you through the next steps.<\/p>\n An interesting historical \u201caside\u201d about the flu<\/strong><\/p>\n Soon after the end of World War I during which 20 million soldiers and civilians lost their lives, the \u201cSpanish Flu\u201d pandemic struck.\u00a0 Nearly 100 million people lost their lives to this flu which, despite its name, did not originate in Spain.\u00a0 The H3N2 virus that sat at the heart of this flu was vicious and excelled at mutating.\u00a0 Coupled with the post-World War I timing when people were weak and malnourished, it devastated populations.\u00a0 The hugest mortality rates were among, not surprisingly, soldiers.\u00a0 Medical services were already challenged.\u00a0 Conditions were unsanitary.\u00a0 Of course, then, the influenza infection went rampant.<\/p>\n Epidemiologists are expecting another pandemic in the near future.<\/p>\n The good news:\u00a0 Medical knowledge and technology is light years ahead now than it was a century ago.<\/p>\n And as \u201cimperfect\u201d as the flu vaccine may be, it still is our best line of defense.<\/p>\n Another flu prevention tip \u2013 Wash your hands.\u00a0 When your children come home from school, no matter what their ages, they should wash their hands.\u00a0 Get the portable hand sanitizers and attach them to their knapsacks, encouraging them to use it during the school day when necessary.\u00a0 Don\u2019t share drinks or food.<\/p>\n And after all the hishtadlus<\/em> is done\u2026As always, daven<\/em>.<\/p>\n Dr. Hylton I. Lightman<\/a>\u00a0is a senior statesman among pediatricians, an internationally-recognized authority and diagnostician, a public speaker, expert witness and go-to resource for health issues in the Orthodox Jewish community and beyond. Originally from South Africa, he started his current practice, Total Family Care of the Five Towns and Far Rockaway, PC in 1987. Dr. Lightman is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP). Dr. Lightman is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine. In addition, he is actively involved in teaching pediatric and family nurse practitioners through Columbia University, Pace University, Lehmann College, and Molloy College, as well as mentoring physician assistants through Touro College. Read more\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A dreaded time of the year has arrived. Total Family Care [Dr. Lightman’s practice] diagnosed its first documented case of influenza for the 2018-2019 season on Sunday, October 7, 2018. It\u2019s early in the season (generally, the flu is more likely to be diagnosed between the end of December through the middle of March) but<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133543,"featured_media":60742,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"yoast_head":"\n
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