Health Check: Get ready for the flu season ahead
This is branded content from TerryWhite Chemmart Hamilton.
With winter fast approaching, the annual flu season will soon be upon us. And, while COVID-19 may be front and centre in everyone's minds, it's important we don't forget to prepare for this other serious health challenge. In the first in a series of articles focused on keeping the community healthy, TerryWhite Chemmart Hamilton pharmacist Mark Davis explains what you need to know about the flu and why the flu vaccine is the best way to protect you and your family.
What is influenza?
Influenza or 'the flu' is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that affect the nose, throat and lungs. The flu can often come on quite suddenly, resulting in symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose and muscle and body aches.
Each year in Australia, the flu is responsible for many hospitalisations and hundreds of thousands of doctor visits. It can also lead to severe health complications, and even death, so it is especially important to get vaccinated.
The best protection against the flu is with an annual flu vaccine and maintaining good hygiene - washing your hands regularly with soap and water or hand sanitiser - and staying home if you are unwell or have "flu-like" symptoms.
As the flu virus changes very quickly, a new flu vaccine is released each year to keep up with the rapidly adapting flu virus and help protect against the most common strains.
Flu symptoms experienced can range from mild to very severe. Sometimes people confuse flu symptoms such as runny nose, cough, sore throat and sneezing with the common cold (which is another respiratory illness), however flu symptoms often come on suddenly and are generally more severe than a common cold.
Symptoms may include:
- Fever and chills
- Headaches
- Muscle and body aches
- Lethargy or feeling tired and weak
- Sneezing and runny or stuffy nose
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Vomiting and diarrhea - more common in children
Who should get a flu vaccination?
The Australian Government recommends everyone over six months old should have a flu vaccination, so almost everyone should get it.
The flu can affect people of all ages, however it's particularly important for a number of people who are at higher risk than others including:
- Babies
- People over 65 years
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin adults over 15 years
- Pregnant women
- People with weakened immune systems or chronic health conditions
- People who are obese
- People who smoke
- People who haven't been vaccinated against the flu
People with certain underlying health conditions are at also at greater risk of health complications from the flu. They include those with:
- Heart conditions
- Severe asthma.,
- COPD and other lung conditions
- Diabetes - Type 1 and Type 2
- Kidney problems
- Impaired immunity such as HIV infection
- Malignant cancers
- Chronic neurological disorders
A flu vaccine is also recommended for residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, as well as the primary carers of children, seniors and other people.
Three things you might not know about the flu vaccination
- There is no live virus in the flu vaccine, so you cannot get the flu from the flu vaccine..
- The composition of the flu vaccine changes every year to keep up with the constantly changing flu virus. This year, we are offering the quadrivalent flu vaccine, which protects against four of the most common strains.
- The flu vaccine is safe for pregnant women at all stages of their pregnancy.
When should you get a flu vaccine?
Ideally, people should receive their annual flu vaccination before the start of the flu season, vaccination is best undertaken in autumn (March to May) in anticipation of Australia's peak flu season which usually occurs between June and September.
The good news is that it's simple to book in for your flu vaccine at your nearest Terry White Chemmart. You can book online at TerryWhite Chemmart Hamilton here.
The Australian Government has advised that anyone who qualifies for the COVID-19 vaccination from phase 1B onwards should receive their flu vaccination as soon as it's available. Once received, you should then receive the COVID -19 vaccination when it becomes available with a minimum interval of 14 days between the influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations.
This is branded content from TerryWhite Chemmart Hamilton.
