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Symptoms: Seasonal Flu vs.
H1N1
Seasonal Flu is a respiratory illness. Symptoms of the flu include: fever,
headache, extreme tiredness, runny nose and cough. These symptoms can be
mild to severe. People with strong immune systems can fight off the virus
that causes flu and their symptoms may be milder. Those people with weaker
immune systems may have trouble fighting the virus and their symptoms can be
severe, or lead to serious respiratory illnesses like pneumonia. The
vaccine for seasonal flu is currently available.
H1N1 flu is different
from the seasonal flu virus. H1N1 is a “new” virus”. H1N1 has just started
making people sick this year. This new flu is a combination of viruses that
normally infect humans, birds and pigs. The symptoms of this flu are the
same as seasonal flu. Some people report gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea,
vomiting, and diarrhea) as well. A vaccine to protect against H1N1 is being
tested. Click here
for more Info about H1N1
The Vaccine's Purpose
Influenza
vaccines help a person’s immune system fight the viruses that cause flu.
The vaccine helps the immune system recognize the flu virus and start
fighting it right away when it attacks.
Seasonal flu vaccine will only protect a person from seasonal flu virus.
A vaccine for the H1N1 virus is currently being tested and will be available
soon. To be protected from both seasonal and H1N1, people will need to have
both flu vaccines.
Types of Seasonal Flu Vaccinations
There are 2
types of vaccine that protect against seasonal flu: the "flu shot”
and the nasal-spray.
The flu-shot is
an inactivated vaccine
(containing killed virus) that is given with a needle.
The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months,
including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions.
The nasal-spray flu
vaccine – a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause
the flu (sometimes called LAIV for “Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine”).
LAIV is approved for use in healthy people 2 years to 49 years of age who
are not pregnant.
***NOTE:
Children less than 3 years of age and women who know that they are
pregnant, can not receive flu vaccine that contains more than trace
amounts of the preservation thimerosal.
Click here for more information on Thimerosal at CDC.
CDC's (VIS)
"Inactivated" Flu Vaccine
CDC's (VIS)
"Live Intranasal" Flu Vaccine (nose spray)
Who Should NOT Get Vaccinated
• People with a history of Guillain-Barre
Syndrome; and
• People who are allergic to chicken eggs or any other component of the
vaccine.
Ways to Help Avoid Getting
the Flu
Important
ways to avoid both seasonal and H1N1 flu and prevent its spread are frequent
hand washing, use of alcohol based hand sanitizers, coughing or sneezing
into one’s sleeve, keeping at least six feet distance from people who have
respiratory symptoms, and staying home when you are sick.
CCHD How to
Stay Healthy
CCHD Is It a Flu or a Cold?
CCHD Flu Info for Schools
Related Topics to Help Prevent the
Flu
Cover Your Cough
Wash Your Hands
Flyers, Posters and Brochures to Post
Click here
for "Someone at Home has the Flu" brochure
Click here
for "Stay at Home" poster
Click here
for "Ask about a Mask" brochure
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How Does it Spread?
Flu viruses spread in
by coughing and sneezing. Flu usually spreads from person to person but
sometimes flu can spread when someone touches something with flu viruses on
it and then touches their mouth or nose.
The flu virus can be spread to others beginning 1 day before symptoms
develop and up to 5 days after becoming sick. That means that you can pass
on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while
you are sick.
Who Should Get Vaccinated?
-
anyone, including school-aged children, who
want to reduce the risk of becoming ill with influenza or of transmitting
influenza to others
-
all children aged 6–59 months (i.e., 6 months–4
years)
-
all persons older than 50 years of age
-
children and adolescents (aged 6 months–18
years) receiving long-term aspirin therapy who therefore might be at risk
for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection;
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women who will be pregnant during the influenza
season;
-
adults and children who have chronic pulmonary
(including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), renal, hepatic,
hematological or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus);
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adults and children who have immune system
suppression (including immune system suppression caused by medications or
by HIV
-
adults and children who have any condition
(e.g., cognitive dysfunction, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, or
other neuromuscular disorders) that can compromise respiratory function or
the handling of respiratory secretions or that can increase the risk for
aspiration
-
residents of nursing homes and other
chronic-care facilities
-
health-care personnel
-
healthy household contacts (including children)
and caregivers of children younger than 5 years and adults older than 50
years, with particular emphasis on vaccinating contacts of children
younger than 6 months of age
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healthy household contacts (including children)
and caregivers of persons with medical conditions that put them at higher
risk for severe complications from influenza.
What to do if You Get Sick
• Rest
• Drink plenty of liquids
• Avoid using alcohol and tobacco
Take medication to
relieve the symptoms of flu (but never give aspirin to children or teenagers
who have flu-like symptoms – and particularly fever – without first speaking
to your doctor.)
In some cases, your
doctors may choose to use certain antiviral drugs to treat the flu.
(Influenza is caused by a virus, so antibiotics [like penicillin] don't work
to cure it.)
Contact Us
To receive more information, call or
visit us at:
Clinton County Health Department
Health Services Unit
133 Margaret Street
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Tel: (518) 565-4848
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