 |
|
|
|
People with asthma aged 2-64 are a PRIORITY GROUP for receiving inactivated flu vaccine. Children younger than two and adults older than 64 also comprise priority groups. CDC's recent flu vaccine shortage announcement [pdf] reinforces that these high-risk groups should be given preference during times of vaccine shortage. People with asthma should seek and receive flu shots without hesitation during the 2004-2005 flu season.
|
 The Flu - A Major Troublemaker For People With Asthma
When the flu hits, people with asthma are hit hard
"One of the greatest viral terrorists of our time is the flu. People with asthma should be leaders in protecting their own health and the health of those around them - they should get an annual flu shot."
Fred Hoesly, MD, MS, MPH
Epidemiologist,
Oregon Department of Human Services
Influenza season will soon be upon us, and for those with asthma this means it's time to get a flu shot. The flu is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract (the nose, throat, and lungs) and is typically spread through the air from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes (droplet spread). The flu is different from the common cold or the "stomach flu" (an illness of the stomach or intestinal tract), in that it typically comes on suddenly, and commonly causes fever, headache, tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, nasal congestion and body aches ("flu-like symptoms").
About 10-20% of US residents get the flu each year: an average of 114,000 people are hospitalized and 36,000 people die each year from flu-related complications.1 Influenza and pneumonia rank as the eighth leading cause of death in Oregon.2
Viral respiratory infections like the flu represent a potential double whammy for people with asthma. They not only cause inflammation and mucus production in the airways, but also heighten the body's response to other allergens and triggers. Research has shown that the influenza virus may be responsible for as many as 19% of asthma attacks or exacerbations among all age groups.3 People with asthma who contract the flu are at higher risk than the general population of developing complications (such as pneumonia, bronchitis, and ear infections), of time lost from work and school, of being hospitalized (especially among children younger than two, and the elderly), and of dying (especially among the elderly).1
|
|
|
