You probably can’t afford to be stuck at home with the flu for days or weeks this winter. In Canada every year, the flu infects millions of people and causes as many as 8,000 deaths from flu-related complications such as bacterial pneumonia.
Most of those deaths involve young children and people aged 65 and older, groups who are at particularly high risk. But even if you’re not in a high-risk group, a case of flu could put you out of action for an extended period of time while endangering others. If you haven’t been immunized, you could infect those you are in contact with, as the flu is only a handshake away.
Immunization is still the most effective means of preventing the flu. And while a shot doesn’t guarantee that you’ll avoid the flu, it improves your odds. The vaccine, which consists of three strains of flu virus, is reformulated each year based on the strains most likely to circulate during the following winter.
If those strains are closely matched, the result is a highly effective vaccine, says British Columbia’s provincial health officer, Dr. Perry Kendall: “On average, [the flu shot] has been about 60% effective over the past 10 to 12 years. It can be up to 80% effective, but a couple of years ago, there was a mismatch and we had only 30% to 40% effectiveness.”
Even with those odds, there’s no good reason for most healthy people to avoid immunization. There are exceptions, however, including:
> The flu vaccine contains tiny amounts of egg. So, if you have an egg allergy, consult your physician before getting the flu shot.
> Those who have had a severe reaction to a previous flu vaccine. Again, check with your doctor, as some reactions might not be related to the vaccine.
> Anyone at risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune paralysis, that can, in very rare cases, be triggered by the flu shot.
Adds Kendall: “The vaccine can cause anaphylaxis in anywhere from one in 100,000 to one in a million cases. And in 2000, it resulted in ocular respiratory syndrome, which causes an allergic reaction, with wheezing and itchy eyes, in some people. But, overall, it’s remarkably safe.”
Although the vaccine can’t give you the flu, you might develop flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and fever, for a day or two after receiving a shot. This could be a side effect of your body’s production of protective antibodies. Otherwise, the worst thing that will happen is having a sore arm for a couple of days.
In some provinces, the flu shot is available for free to anyone who wants it. In others, such as in B.C., it is free to those at high risk of complications, those who care for such people and those who are in close contact with high-risk people.
“Many employers now offer free flu immunization programs because studies show they reduce absenteeism,” notes Kendall. “But even if you’re not eligible for a free shot, they’re inexpensive and a good investment.”
There may be another, potentially very valuable side benefit to getting the flu shot: recent studies have shown that people who are vaccinated may have a lower risk of heart disease. In two separate studies presented at the 2012 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, researchers said the flu vaccine might reduce the risk of heart-related disease and death by up to 50%.
“If reproducible,” says Dr. Jacob Udell, lead author of one of the studies and a cardiologist at Women’s College Hospital and the University of Toronto, “these findings suggest an annual flu vaccine with minimal risk may have a dramatic ability to reduce our risk of cardiovascular disease.” IE