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Everything You Need to Know About Flu Vaccines and Why It’s Not Too Late to Get One #FightFlu

January 27, 2015 By Leticia

Everything You Need to Know About Flu Vaccines and Why It’s Not Too Late to Get One

This is a sponsored post written on behalf of #FightFlu, an effort by the Center for Disease Control and The Motherhood.

Last week Emily visited the pediatrician for her 11 year old well visit. It was a visit she had been dreading because she remembered from last year’s trip to the doctor’s office that this would be the year she needed shots in the form of vaccines to keep her healthy from preventable diseases. While the nurse was running through a list of vaccines she would be getting, I was surprised when she asked if we had already gotten the flu shot.

Thinking the flu shot was the most effective when administered in the fall before the start of flu season, I learned that seasonal flu typically peaks between December and February and can last as late as May. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends getting vaccinated as long as flu viruses are circulating especially since this year is shaping up to be a bad one.

Did you know? That anyone even young, healthy adults can get sick from the flu and spread it to others. Buzz buzz (text message: You coming out tonight? I can't I have the flu. My niece and girlfriend have it now too.) The short time it will take you to get a flu vaccine. Can help protect you and the ones you love. The flu vaccine is safe and does not cause the flu. #GetAFluVax

Why did the nurse ask if we had gotten our flu shots? Probably because as of early November 2014, fewer than half of Americans had reported getting a flu vaccine. And I get it. In the hustle and bustle of life, it’s easy to forget until someone you know gets sick and stays sick for a long time. Or perhaps you’re not sure of the effectiveness when it always seems that there’s a mismatch between the vaccine and strains that are really hitting people hard.

Get a Flu Shot Checklist Photo

The Importance of the Flu Vaccine

While there are always concerns about the effectiveness of the flu vaccine, the CDC continues to urge people to get the flu shot since vaccination may still offer some protection. Despite this year’s vaccine being a poor match for the H3N2 virus that is the most predominant and nasty strain of the flu virus, an annual flu vaccination is the first and most important step in protecting against flu and its potentially serious complications.

And honestly, you never know how important it can be to get the flu vaccine. There have been many years where strains of the flu virus that circulate late in the season that are a good match for the flu vaccine. If you’re still not sure about getting a flu vaccine, here are 7 ways vaccinations can help protect agains the flu:

  • Annual flu vaccination is the first and most important step in protecting against flu and its potentially serious complications.
  • The flu vaccine protects against three or four different influenza viruses, depending on which vaccine you get (trivalent or quadrivalent).
  • Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations and deaths.
  • Vaccination is particularly important for people at high risk of serious flu-related complications and their close contacts. (People at high risk include infants, pregnant women, kids and adults with chronic medical conditions like asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, and adults aged 65 and older.)
  • Even when some circulating viruses are different from the vaccine viruses, CDC continues to recommend flu vaccination as it may still offer some protection.
  • While this year’s vaccine may not work as well against the drifted H3N2 viruses, it can still protect many people and prevent flu-related complications.
  • If we have a severe season getting a vaccine that provides even partial protection may still be more important than ever.
Study Participant Receives NIAID/GSK Candidate Ebola Vaccine

Photo courtesy of NIAID on Flickr

The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get vaccinated every year but good health habits can help stop the spread of germs and prevent the flu and other respiratory illness.

If you do get sick with flu-like symptoms, contact a doctor right away and take antivirals if your doctor prescribes them. Quick antiviral treatment can mean the difference between life and death for some high-risk individuals.

6 Things to Know About Flu Antiviral Medicines Just in Case You Get the Flu
  1. Antiviral drugs can be used to treat flu illness and prevent serious flu complications.Treatment with antivirals works best when begun within 48 hours of getting sick, but can still be beneficial when given later in the course of illness.
  2. Treatment with flu antiviral drugs can make flu illness milder and shorter. Treatment with antivirals also can lessen serious flu complications that can result in hospitalization or death.
  3. Antiviral drugs become even more important when circulating flu viruses are different from the vaccine viruses, which can mean that the vaccine doesn’t work as well in protecting against infection with those viruses.
  4. Antiviral drugs are effective across all age and risk groups.
  5. Studies show that antiviral drugs are under-prescribed for high risk people who get flu.
  6. Treating high risk people or people who are very sick with flu with antiviral drugs is very important. It can mean the difference between having a milder illness instead of very serious illness that could result in a hospital stay.
Join me for a Twitter party TODAY- Tuesday, January 27- to #FightFlu
Join me for the #FightFlu Twitter party with @CDCFlu tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET where I’ll be joining @TheMotherhood to talk about the importance of getting vaccinated, what to do if you have flu-like symptoms, and useful information that can help you protect yourself and loved ones against the flu this season, including the CDC’s recommended “Take 3” actions:
  • Get a flu vaccine every year
  • Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs
  • Take flu antiviral drugs if your doctor prescribes them
Mark your calendars and to join me for this informative conversation using #FightFlu. See you tomorrow!

 If you can’t Tweet with us, take a look at these helpful resources from the CDC:

  • Information about how antiviral medications can be used to prevent or treat influenza when influenza activity is present in your community: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/antivirals/index.htm
  • It’s Not Too Late to Vaccinate
  • Flu Vaccination: The Best Way to Protect Yourself and the Ones You Love from Flu

This post is part of the blogger program by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The Motherhood, who compensated me for my time. Opinions shared here are my own.

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Filed Under: Causes Tagged With: #FightFlu, flu vaccines, health, personal safety, vaccines

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DC area blogger & middle school computer science teacher focused on edu, family tech & teens. ❤s= 🚀 #STEM 🏃 #StJudeHeroes #legacyteamnuun 🏝 #Haiti

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✅= $5,000 fundraising goal met! 🎉🎉🎉WE 👏🏼 DID 👏🏼IT! 🎉🎉🎉 
It is the best feeling in the world going into tomorrow’s race having bypassed my original fundraising goal by an additional $1,000 and knowing how many of you are cheering for me! ❤️Half marathon #6, I’m coming for you! 🏃🏻‍♀️💪🏼🏅And yes, I had to go back for another photo just like yesterday’s but with my updated fundraising total! 😍 #stjudeheroes #runwithstjude #stjude #memphis #stjudememphismarathon
🎉$4,875 🎉During my flight, my seat mate aske 🎉$4,875 🎉During my flight, my seat mate asked me if I worked for St. Jude after noticing St. Jude Heroes embroidered on my jacket. When I told her I was in town for St. Jude Memphis Marathon and I ran to raise money, she opened her purse and dug around for the cash she had. 💵 She was very familiar with St. Jude’s mission from her involvement in her college sorority and is a regular donor. Even though she had just donated, she handed me a bunch of bills and wished me luck with my race 🏃🏻‍♀️I’ll be adding her gift to the total I had when I picked up my race bib. It was such a thrill to pick up my bib to see you’ve helped me surpass my original goal of $4,000 and to be so close to my new $5,000 goal! ❤️ #stjudeheroes #stjuderun #runforstjude #halfmarathoner #nuunambassador
Put on my running shoes And I boarded the plane To Put on my running shoes
And I boarded the plane
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain 🎶  It is SO good to be back in Memphis! ❤️ Every year I think this might be my last race but the minute I get off the plane and start walking through the airport, I remember my why. My why becomes more apparent as I drive into downtown and past the @stjude campus where children and their families stay during their treatment for life threatening childhood illnesses which is free thanks to donors like you who ensure they never have to pay for treatment, housing, food, or travel. ✈️ At St. Jude kids get the best care, care that I could only hope for if my kids were to ever get sick. And that is my why. 🩺 On the St. Jude campus there are moms just like me who face the unimaginable every single day. I run for them so they can focus on helping their child live. ❤️‍🩹 I know if I was a mom of a patient, there would be an army of Heroes who would fundraise, train, and run for me and my sick child. I also run to give them hope which is something so many families have thanks to donors like you. St. Jude leads the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. When this is your why, it’s hard to stop which is why I just keep going. ❤️#stjudeheroes #runforstjude #memphis #whyirun #nuunambassador
It’s almost St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend! ❤️ This will be my 6th half marathon & 9th race benefiting @stjude kids and families. 🏃🏻‍♀️As a race veteran, you’d think my goal would be to improve my time but honestly, my goals are to raise money as much money as possible and to run for those who can’t. If you haven’t already donated but would like to, see the St. Jude link in my bio to make a tax deductible donation of any amount. 🙏🏻 I’m so so close to $5,000 and with your help, I know I’ll get there! Thanks in advance for any amount you can give and get ready for lots of race related posts and stories over the next few days! Sorry not sorry! 🏃‍♀️❤️🏃‍♀️
#stjudeheroes #stjudemarathon #runforstjude #stjudememphismarathon #stjuderun #stjude
How do you teach computer science concepts like th How do you teach computer science concepts like the cloud? 💻Through hands-on, interactive learning experiences like the ones offered for free at @AmazonWebServices Skills Center in Arlington, Virginia. 🏢 AWS Skills Centers provides free, fun ways to learn more about the cloud and job opportunities. Visit the link in my bio for more information and to plan your visit to the Skills Center! 🚘AD #computerscience #cloudcomputing #STEM #amazonwebservices #awsskillscenter
Thankful for a week filled with family, food, outd Thankful for a week filled with family, food, outdoor fun & being photobombed by my favorite girl. 💕 #thanksgiving #family #optoutside
Find a friend who will join you at OrangeTheory in Find a friend who will join you at OrangeTheory in the morning, celebrate the workout with lunch, and take ridiculous selfies with you and @theholdernessfamily after more bubbles and bites. Thank you @lisatasch for being that friend! I adore you! 🧡💪🏼🥂And huge thanks to @westfieldmontgomery for inviting use to meet Kim and Penn! They’re just as wonderful as you’d imagine them to be! 🎄#friends #holidays #westfieldmontgomery #moco #mocomd
Every day when their boy leaves for school, these Every day when their boy leaves for school, these two follow me upstairs and jump on his bed. 🛏️ One watches the driveway from the window and the other stares out the door, ready to alert the other if he comes returns. It’s the sweetest thing! 🐾 I reassure them he’ll be back later but I’m not quite sure what this pair is going to do next year when he heads off to college. I guess we’ll pass the days until the kiddos come home with long dog walks and console ourselves with treats. 💔  #chocolatelab #yellowlab #labrador #puppylove #rescuedog #labrescue #momlife
I’ve visited historic Old Town Alexandria many t I’ve visited historic Old Town Alexandria many times but today I got to know a different side of the city by hearing little-known stories of Africans and African-Americans, both enslaved and freemen, and visiting historic sites. ⛪️ According to @j_chapman99 (founder of @manumissiontour, 4th generation Alexandrian, and Alexandria City Council Member!!) Alexandria, Virginia was one of early America’s main centers for the international and domestic slave trade. As we drove through different historic neighborhoods, the contributions by Black Americans were apparent throughout. 🏡 It was a powerful day and an excellent reminder that Black history IS Virginia history which makes it a huge part of American history! 🇺🇸 If you’re in the DC area or happen to be planning a visit to Alexandria, I highly recommend booking a tour with Manumission Tour Company to educate yourself about important historical events and individuals whose contributions to local history are just as significant as those usually mentioned in history books. 📚Huge thanks to John for making me aware of a very important part of Old Town Alexandria’s history and also to @toyotausa for inviting me to join be a part of their Steeped in History initiative. 🚘 #ToyotaPartner #ToyotaSteepedinHistory #alexandriava #blackhistory
Happy Halloween! 🎃 Before your kids head out fo Happy Halloween! 🎃 Before your kids head out for an evening of trick or treating or hanging out with friends, take 20 minutes to have important conversations about how to handle peer pressure, safety, and healthy choices. Over the weekend I spoke with @livenowfox about how you can help your kids handle peer pressure and say “NO” to potentially dangerous behaviors like underage drinking if offered a sip of alcohol. If you're not sure how to start the conversation, here's a link to the segment I did about @ask_listen_learn as part of my role as an Education Advisory Board member for @go_faar. 👻 https://www.livenowfox.com/video/1304222 #halloween #parenting #responsibility #preventunderagedrinking #take20withkids
The things I do for a shirt! 🧡 To be honest, I The things I do for a shirt! 🧡 To be honest, I love a good challenge and Hell Week is one of my favorite OrangeTheory Fitness challenges! 💀 I *might* have been a little obsessive about pre-booking my classes and gotten a little irritated when my husband thought he’d have to travel for work which would have messed with my schedule. 😂 I *may* have cancelled and booked 3 different classes on one day when this week’s work schedule got crazy. 😳 I *definitely* did not take day 2 off and rest like I had planned when a friend texted, asking if I wanted to go to class. 🤪 But it was worth it! I got my 4 Hell Week classes done in the first 4 days and earned my 6th Hell Week shirt! 🧡 And yes! I’ll be there tomorrow for day 5. Maybe I’ll take a rest day Sunday!💀 Shoutout to the all the OTFSS coaches who kept the motivation high these first 4 days when the going got tough. I appreciate you more than you know! 🧡💪🏼🧡#orangetheory #otf #hellweek #stjudeheroes #teamnuun
Sundays are for baking with my best dog helpers! S Sundays are for baking with my best dog helpers! Swipe to see what Goldie and Murphy helped me make.
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#labrador #yellowlab #chocolatelab #baking #pie
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