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Girl sick with the flu
Hannah Styles
hstyles@thesmokymountaintimes.com
It’s that time of year again. The time when the flu comes creeping in. Last year, most Americans were focused on COVID-19. Widespread social distancing and masking up reduced the spread of influenza. With more immunized against Covid able to gather, the spread of flu is a greater risk this year.
Health officials recommend an annual flu vaccine as the best way to reduce your chances of getting the seasonal flu and spreading it to others and stress it is more important than ever with this flu season coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Swain County Health Department, the most common side effects of the flu vaccine are soreness or redness at the injection site, headache, mild fever, and muscle aches. These side effects are generally mild and go away on their own within a few days.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends that anyone 6 months of age or older receive the flu vaccine annually during the flu season. This season is typically seen from fall to spring each year, when people spend more time indoors. The peaks are usually between December and February but activity can last through May.
Preventing widespread cases of influenza can help ease some of the burden on the healthcare system that is already stressed due to the pandemic.
Millions of Americans get the flu each year. It is estimated that at least 39 million people became sick due to flu-related illness during the 2019-20 flu season, leading to more than 18 million medical visits, 410,000 hospitalizations, and at least 24,000 deaths. Vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of flu-related illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths.
For those who get the flu, vaccination can also make illness milder, making is especially important for those at higher risk of more serious outcomes.
During the 2018-19 flu season, CDC data shows just 45.3 percent of U.S. adults (ages 18 and older) and 62.6 percent of children (ages 6 months to 17 years) received the vaccine.
Learn more about influenza symptoms and other information by visiting N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Flu page online at https://flu.ncdhhs.gov.
Swain County Health Department offers state-supplied flu vaccines at no cost for children who have no insurance or have Medicaid and are age 6 months to 18 years old. For others who wish to receive the vaccine and for adults the cost is $30. We are not able to bill private insurance or Medicare.
Recent CDC guidelines state that you can receive the flu vaccine at the same time you receive your COVID-19 vaccine. Follow the recommended schedule and guidelines for both vaccines.
To schedule an appointment for flu and/or COVID-19 vaccines, please contact Swain County Health Department at (828) 488-3198 option 0 or visit www.CDC.gov for more information about vaccines.
Walgreens in Bryson City is also offering the flu shot for free. Visit walgreens.com to schedule an appointment. Bryson City Pharmacy also has flu shots, visit or call for more information.
Build your immunity
After receiving the shot, you can go a step further for even more protection. There are several natural supplements that can help your immune system to prevent the flu. According to U.S. Pharmacist, echinacea, elderberry, garlic, ginseng, vitamin C, and zinc are excellent supplements to prevent common colds and flus, but of course talk to your doctor before adding them to your daily regimen, to make sure it is the right choice for your health. Some of these supplements can be received by consuming foods with these ingredients like oranges or orange juice for vitamin C and adding garlic recipes to your menu.
The adage that we’ve all become so familiar with during Covid stands true for reducing the spread of other viruses too. So, wash your hands frequently, wear a mask in public, stay home if you’re sick and avoid close contact with others to prevent the spread.