OK folks, cold and flu season is upon us. If you have kids you know this is the time of the constant drippy noses, the coughs and colds - and the time when some of the people in your entourage will be avoiding your family so they don’t get sick.
What’s to be done? Kids get colds. Especially if they spend any of their time in a group setting. That would be at school, daycare, dance classes, hockey, Guides & Scouts, taking public transit - you get the point. There are things you can do, however, to keep your family healthier & to keep from infecting more people when you do get a cold.
1) Wash your hands. And wash them some more. Did I mention you should wash your hands? Seriously, though, many illnesses are spread by our hands. We worry about getting coughed or sneezed on, but most of us think nothing about covering our nose and mouth when we sneeze, and then touching the telephone, door knobs, or maybe even shaking someone’s hand. So learn to wash up the right way, and do it often. And carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizing solution with you, so you can wash up even when there’s no soap and water handy. This PDF can be saved on your computer or printed off. It might be a good idea to post it in places where your family washes up, so they’ll learn to do a good job of it.
2) “Do it on you sleeve.” Seriously. If you cough or sneeze, please do it into the crook of your elbow or onto the upper part of your sleeve. These are areas that are much less likely to touch another person, and in doing this you will avoid depositing germs on your hands where they will be transferred to inanimate objects so they can lie in wait for their next victim. This may seem to be an odd recommendation, but it is backed by the CDC and Health Canada. See a free video below. (Warning: this is comedic material, for all that it’s based in sound science! This article from CTV talks about the video made by ENT specialist Dr. Ben Lounsbury, and explains the rationale behind his campaign.)
The video is also available at coughsafe.com. And here’s Rick Mercer’s reaction to the campaign, just because he’s fun:
Cough Into Your Sleeve
What’s the Difference Between a Cold and the Flu?
You can download a printable chart comparing the symptoms.
Should I Get the Flu Shot?
Most health organizations seem to be saying yes, but do consult with your own health care provider. In general, the flu shot is recommended for children over 6 months and for all adults. Recommendations underline that it is particularly important for children between 6-24 months, the elderly, and anyone who is in a high risk group. Also, anyone who lives with a baby under 6 months can reduce the chances of that child getting infected, by getting themselves vaccinated.
In many places flu vaccines are offered free of charge for people in target groups. Some provinces are targeting a very large part of the population: in Ontario the vaccine is free to all people who live, work or attend school in the province. If you live in Quebec you can consult this list, and follow the link provided to find a CLSC where you can get more information or obtain a vaccine. Please also follow the link to locate health agencies in the rest of Canada, the USA, and Europe.
If you are pregnant the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) now considers vaccination safe for you. Though you may want to discuss the pros and cons with your health care provider, it is particularly recommended if you are in your third trimester and will deliver your baby during flu season. This is because you are more prone to flu-related complications at this time. You can also infect your baby if you get flu in his or her first months. Babies under 24 months are particularly susceptible to flu, but those under 6 months can’t be vaccinated against it. You may want to vaccinate all members of your household and anyone who will be caring for your baby, so when the little one arrives you can concentrate on all the fun stuff! Again, talk to your health care worker.
How Does the Vaccine Work? Can I Catch Flu from the Shot?
The flu vaccine is generally given as an intramuscular (IM) injection containing parts of the killed virus. An alternative to the injection is a nasal mist which contains weakened live virus. This spray form is said to be more effective than the injection, and may even protect when the virus in the vaccine is not an exact match for the circulating virus. So far, the spray is available in the US but not in Canada.
I should explain about the matching of the virus. Flu vaccines are given once a year. They contain a mix of three strains of flu virus (killed or weakened,) which are chosen according to medical predictions of what type of flu will be of the most concern in the coming flu season. Sometimes the match is a very good one, and the vaccine protects well. Some years a new flu virus becomes stronger than expected, and because it was not included in the vaccine people who got shots will not be protected against this particular flu.
A good explanation of how the vaccine is made, its effectiveness, indications & contradindications - all in terms the average parent can understand - can be found on the KidsHealth web site. There is also a 16-page pamphlet available that describes how the vaccine is developed, produced & distributed in Canada - this might make a good home-school lesson, for families who have been vaccinated or are discussing it.
If you get your vaccine by injection, you must update it once a year when the vaccine is made available in the fall. The earlier the better, for the vaccine needs about 2 weeks to be effective. In children under 10 years the vaccine is given in two doses the first time. In subsequent years only one shot is needed, but that first year you will want to get a good head start because the shots are given a month apart.
If you are worried about side effects, or about getting the flu from the shot, let me assuage your fears. If you get the IM injection (that is, killed virus) you cannot get the flu from the shot. There is a risk of getting flu from the nasal mist vaccine, as it contains live virus. For this reason it is recommended only for otherwise healthy people from ages 2-49. From the KidsHealth page on immunizations: “However, it’s impossible to get the disease from any vaccine made with dead (killed) bacteria or viruses or just part of the bacteria or virus.”
The most common side effects, as was explained to me by the CLSC nurse when our family was vaccinated, are redness, soreness or swelling at the site of injection for up to 48 hours afterwards. Some people may have fever or headache, which can be treated with acetaminophen. Rarely, there can be an allergic reaction to the vaccine (alert your health provider if you are allergic to eggs or to other vaccines!) Although extremely rare, Guillain-Barré syndrome can be triggered by vaccines (although it can also be triggered by respiratory infections - so weigh the pros & cons with your health care professional.) For more on side effects read the KidsHealth article or ask at your clinic.
What are the side effects of not getting the flu shot? Well, you know if you’re a person who gets a lot of viruses. But even if you’ve never had flu before, there’s always a first time! Influenza is highly contagious, and strikes up to eight million Canadians yearly. Of these, a significant number will suffer serious complications. Health Canada estimates that somewhere between 4,000 to 8,000 will die from pneumonia, alone.
If you get vaccinated you might be a little sore or achy for a couple days. By comparison influenza lasts upwards of seven days, and a type A infection (more severe than type B) really knocks you off your feet! Our experience has been that in the past couple years, we and our friends & family have found it takes longer to recover from respiratory illnesses. Most people reported that what they thought were colds would “hang on” for three weeks or more. People who received flu shots seemed to have fewer illnesses, and those who did become ill recovered more quickly.
What if the Vaccine is Not Effective?
Lack of vaccine effectiveness is one reason cited by people who are opposed to influenza vaccination. Indeed, because the vaccine is prepared in advance of flu season and only contains three viruses, the vaccine may not be well matched to the current year’s strains. Is the shot effective? The Mayo Clinic says:
A flu shot is between 70 percent and 90 percent effective in warding off illness, depending on the length and intensity of a given flu season and your overall health. In a few cases, people who get a flu shot may still get the flu, but they’ll get a much less virulent form of the illness and, most important, they’ll have a decreased risk of flu-related complications — especially pneumonia, heart attack, stroke and death — to which older adults are especially vulnerable.
For those who want a little meatier discussion of whether the vaccine is effective, try this article by the About.com chemistry editor. For those who are willing to read an even more technical analysis, check out what the CDC has to say.
Unless you are among those folks who should not be vaccinated the arguments in favour of the flu shot are pretty convincing. Even those who admit to its weaknesses (e.g. ill-matched virus & vaccine) generally point to some effectiveness. Some studies show that even though there are those who do get flu after vaccination, complications resulting in hospitalization and death can be reduced.
Should you be vaccinated? It’s certainly worth looking into if you have kids, or work in public health or child care. I would urge you to read up on it, and then talk to your health provider.
If you don’t have any contact with kids or people at risk, and you’re not at risk yourself, it’s much more of a question of personal choice.
This work was created by Ruby of Freehold 2, and is licensed under a
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