Vaccines offer insurance against flu

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Douglas M. Bonner
  • 88th Medical Group
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  With flu season is rapidly approaching, Wright-Patterson Medical Center's immunization clinic is making influenza vaccine available for active duty Airmen and certain military beneficiary family members.

Influenza virus, better known as the "flu," is a highly contagious respiratory viral illness. Flu affects an average of 10 to 20 percent of the U.S. population each year with over 200,000 hospitalized and 36,000 who die. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses that cause the flu.

Flu symptoms include a fever (usually 100 to 103 degrees Fahrenheit), cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle aches, extreme fatigue, and chills. The fever and muscle aches usually last three to five days in most people and the cough and fatigue may persist for 1 to two weeks.

If exposed to the flu, the period from infection to symptoms is usually one to four days. People with the flu are usually contagious one day before the symptoms appear and for three to seven days after the onset of symptoms.

There are many ways to prevent the flu. The single most effective way to avoid the illness is hand washing with plain soap and water. Other preventive measures are covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and using disposable tissues (properly disposed of in the trash) followed by washing your hands.

During times of high incidence of flu in the community it is best to stay away from highly crowded areas.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states, "...a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against this serious disease."

Flu vaccine is strongly recommended for individuals who are considered "high risk" for developing complications from the flu. High-risk individuals including children from 6-months to four years of age, women who will be pregnant during flu season, people over 50, people who live in long-term care facilities and individuals with certain chronic medical conditions such as asthma, chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Talk to your health care provider to see if flu vaccine is recommended for you.

In addition, flu vaccine is recommended for health care workers, child care workers, healthy household contacts of children less than 5 years of age and household contacts of those with "high risk" medical conditions. Lastly, flu vaccination should be considered for anyone who desires to decrease their chances of getting the flu.

Two types of influenza vaccine will be available this year, and the type you should get depends on a number of factors, including age, pregnancy, and other health conditions. The majority of healthy people two to 49 years of age can receive FluMist®, the intranasal (sprayed into the nostrils) form of the vaccine. Individuals who have certain health conditions, such as pregnancy, weakened immunity and long term health problems, should not receive the intranasal form of the vaccine. 

The second general form of the vaccine is injected into muscle and is recommended for those individuals who considered "high risk" and did not meet the criteria to receive the intranasal vaccine.

Currently, specific delivery dates for sufficient supply of the injectable flu vaccine for Wright-Patterson cannot be confirmed. The base cannot guarantee flu vaccination availability for civil service employees.
It is strongly recommended that civil service employees acquire timely flu vaccination through their medical provider or the locations listed below.

* Clark County Combined Health District (anyone may use) - $15. Call the flu hotline at (937) 390-5600 or visit http://www.ccchd.com.
* Greene County Combined Health District (for Greene County Residents Only)- $25.00 for adults and $15.00 for children. Contact the flu hotline , (937) 374-5657.
* Miami County Health District (anyone may use) - $20. Call (937) 440-8105 or visit http://www.miamicountyhealth.net.
* Montgomery County Combined Health District (anyone may use)-$28.00 or and $10.00 for children, based on ability to pay. Call (937) 225-4550 or visit http://www.chdmc.org.

Once adequate supplies of Wright-Patt's flu vaccine order arrives, information on definitive dates and times for flu shots will be provided through the Wright-Patterson Medical Center Flu Vaccine Line at (937) 904-3588 or public web page at www.wpafb.af.mil/units/wpmc/.