We’ve talked about flu vaccines, seasonal tips, and the mother of all anti-flu shots, but what about a population that isn’t supposed to get flu shots?

Babies under 6 months of age are not recommended to receive the vaccine, but a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has shined light on a nice loophole: get yourself vaccinated while your pregnant.

Inactivated influenza vaccine reduced proven influenza illness by 63% in infants up to 6 months of age and averted approximately a third of all febrile respiratory illnesses in mothers and young infants.

Yes, this not only protects you from the flu while pregnant (which protects your baby then too) but it also gives your child immunity for months after birth.

Tags: flu, pregnancy, vaccines

As flu season approaches, vaccine talk ramps up. Every year scientists take a wild guess at which strains of flu are likely to be most active and they develop a vaccine against them. There are mass campaigns for everyone, but especially the elderly and young among us, to get vaccinated. On a good year, they push for wide-spread use, on a bad year - if there’s a scare, or a particularly deadly strain moving around - those adults in between may never see a vaccine.

Every year this is a massive, extensive, and expensive production. But what if we had one vaccine that worked against all types of flu? At least 3 companies around the world are working on exactly that.  One US company has already proceeded to trials, with promising results:

Trials on healthy adults in the U.S. showed the jab is safe, causing no side effects other than the occasional red arm and high temperature associated with all vaccines.

The trials found that after two doses a month apart, it worked fast to prime the immune system to produce antibodies capable of attacking the virus in up to 90 per cent of those tested.

How convenient, and reassuring, to think that a 2 shot set, with boosters every 5 to 10 years, could protect us. No more waiting in long lines every year to get jabbed. No more groaning at the person in the desk next to you who came into work anyway, despite looking like they could fall out of their chair any moment. This is an important step to improve yearly flu death and illness rates but also to combat the forecasted reprise of the global flu pandemic from the early 1900s.

Happy Flu Season!

Tags: flu, illness, vaccine

Flu season will be upon us soon, which means, at least in the US, that vaccinations in your area may start as early as this month. Every year the government rolls out a massive campaign to get as many people as possible protected against the flu. The young, the elderly, and caregivers of those at risk are the most recommended groups to get vaccinated, but ideally, the CDC would like to give the shot, or the nasal-spray to everyone.

Soon, you should see announcements for vaccinations in your areas. Sometimes, employers take extra steps to bring the vaccines directly to their employees. Schools often offer the vaccines for free. There are many, many ways in every area for you to get the vaccine. It’s not compulsory but it is very beneficial.

Visit the CDC Vaccination page for more information.

Tags: flu, vaccine

It’s not here yet, but it’s just around the corner: Flu Season. Acky, icky, awful flu season. Even if you’re not struck down, you still will have to deal with protecting yourself from those around you who insist on sharing their illness with their office mates, social events, or an entire grocery store.

So, what do you do? You can get the flu vaccine, if it’s not been reserved for only the young and old this year. But you still may have to wait in line, and what if you can’t get in on one of the free programs?

There are some tried, true, and clichéd (meaning long-useful) ways of protecting yourself from spreading illness, or catching it.  The CDC’s flu website has a very practical list:

1. Avoid close contact with the sick.
2. Stay home when you are sick.
   
3. Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
4. Clean your hands. Often. Seriously.
5. Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. This is how you’re most likely to get sick - by touching something contaminated and then instantly bringing it to a great place to get into your body.
6. Practice other good health habits. If you get plenty of sleep, are physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food you are less likely to get sick.

These are important tips for all seasons, not just flu seasons. Be proactive and protect yourself. Don’t just rely on the government to do it for you with a yearly shot. These are simple habits that can keep the spread of any illness in check.

Tags: flu, healthy habits, illness