- 3 October, 2006 -

Influenza season 2006-07 is underway. In recent years, increased focus on the subject of influenza has stemmed from the vaccine shortage in 2004-05, as well as the threat of avian flu. Each year, more than 36,000 people in the U.S. die from the effects of the flu?and many of those people are seniors. If you are a caregiver providing in home health care services for seniors or disabled adults who are especially vulnerable, flu prevention is especially important. Take this short quiz to see how well-informed you are about this potentially dangerous disease. True or False? 1. As with a tetanus shot, you only need to be vaccinated against the flu every 10 years. 2. If you do get the flu, antibiotics are an effective treatment. 3. It is recommended that everyone over 65 receive the flu vaccination. 4. Except for getting your flu shot, there is nothing you can do to keep the flu from spreading. 5. You can't get the flu from a flu shot. 6. Nausea and diarrhea are two symptoms of the flu. 7. The best time to be vaccinated is in the fall. 8. There is a flu vaccine shortage again in 2006-7. 9. You can spread the flu before you even know you have it. 10. Avian flu is more dangerous than the normal annual flu, and when a strain that can pass from human to human develops, it may be as dangerous as the historic 1918 flu epidemic. Answers to "Test Your Flu IQ" 1. As with a tetanus shot, you only need to be vaccinated against the flu every 10 years. False. Flu viruses change from year to year. Therefore, the vaccination should be given each fall to be effective against that year's flu strains. 2. If you do get the flu, antibiotics are an effective treatment. False. Influenza is a virus, so antibiotics have no effect on the disease. Certain antiviral drugs may lessen the symptoms. 3. It is recommended that everyone over 65 receive the flu vaccination. True. All people over 65 should be vaccinated, as should all people who live or work in a long-term care or other health facility. The CDC recommends that even "low-risk" people receive the vaccine. 4. Except for getting your flu shot, there is nothing you can do to keep the flu from spreading. False. Handwashing, using sanitizing hand gels, avoiding sharing drinking cups and staying home if you are ill are all prevention steps you can take to keep the flu from spreading. 5. You can't get the flu from a flu shot. True. The vaccine is made from killed viruses, which cannot cause the flu. 6. Nausea and diarrhea are two symptoms of the flu. False. The disease sometimes referred to as "stomach flu" is actually viral gastroenteritis. Symptoms of true influenza include fever, aching muscles, sore throat and fatigue. 7. The best time to be vaccinated is in the fall. True. New flu strains typically appear in late December. If you get your shot in the fall, this gives your body time to build resistance by the time you're exposed to the virus. But even if you miss your shot in the fall, you still may be protected by being vaccinated once the season is underway. 8. There is a flu vaccine shortage again in 2006-7. False. According to U.S. Health and Human Services, the flu shot shortage that we experienced in 2004 will not happen this year. There is an ample supply this year?enough for everyone. 9. You can spread the flu before you even know you have it. True. Flu symptoms don't show up until several days after you are infected. By then, you could have spread the germs to people with whom you've had contact. 10. Avian flu is more dangerous than the normal annual flu, and when a strain that can pass from human to human develops, it may be as dangerous as the historic 1918 flu epidemic. True. Avian flu (or "bird flu") occurs in poultry and other birds, and so far, has spread to humans only with direct contact with infected animals. But in the future, the disease may change into a form that is easily contracted by humans?and may be far more dangerous than the usual flu strains. So far, avian flu cases have been confined to Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. But with world travel, avian flu could quickly become a pandemic (when a virus strikes several continents at once). The Influenza Homepage of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website offers thorough information about the flu, including a map of current flu activity, and information about avian flu

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