Flu season has started in Chicago, and health officials are urging young children and people over the age of 50 to get vaccinated.
If you’re healthy and don’t fall into those categories, the decision on whether to get vaccinated by shot or nasal spray is up to you.
Young adults in good health still have a chance of getting the flu, because the disease is highly contagious and affects millions of people each year, said Chicago Department of Public Health Deputy Commissioner Dr. William Paul. But the chance that they will suffer the most severe complications of the disease–pneumonia or even death–is low.
“Most healthy young people are not at risk for getting hospitalized with complications,” Paul said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta has identified high-risk groups who should be vaccinated against the flu. They include: people age 50 and older; people with long-term health problems (such as kidney disease, asthma and diabetes); people with weakened immune systems (such as people with HIV); and women past their third month of pregnancy.
Young adults who have chronic conditions, such as diseases of the lungs or heart, should also get the flu vaccine, Paul said. So should people who work in health care or have close contact with someone in a high-risk group.
“Your vaccination helps protect others from influenza because you will not pass the disease on to them,” said Curtis Allen, a spokesman for the CDC.
Paul said healthy adults who are concerned about catching the flu should talk to their doctor about getting vaccinated. City clinics are offering free flu shots through December, but they will only give them to people considered to be high risk, he said.
Healthy adults under the age of 50 have two flu vaccine choices: a shot or a nasal spray called FluMist. The flu shot is made from killed influenza viruses, while the nasal spray is made of live, weakened viruses. FluMist, available for the first time this year, is more expensive than the shot.
Neither vaccination will give you the flu–a common misconception, doctors say.
The CDC reports that the flu shot, which does not contain any live viruses, can cause side effects including fever, aches, and redness or swelling where the shot was given. The nasal spray, which does contain live viruses, can cause a runny nose, sore throats and headaches in some people.
People can help stop the spread of the disease by staying home if they’re sick with a fever, covering their mouth when they cough or sneeze (especially on a train full of people) and frequently washing their hands.
“The basic hygiene you learned in school still applies,” Paul said.
