Home > Health Information > Cold, Flu, and Upper Respiratory Illness > Seasonal Influenza: Protect Yourself from the Flu! Get a Flu Shot
 Can I get the seasonal flu vaccine at Hall Health?
Yes, see Seasonal Influenza Vaccine or contact the Hall Health Immunization Clinic at 206-685-1018 for information about the influenza vaccine.
What is influenza?
Influenza is a very contagious virus that primarily attacks the respiratory system.
Can it attack other body systems?
It can also affect the heart, brain, muscles, kidney, and liver.
How is it spread?
It is spread through respiratory droplets when an infected person is coughing or sneezing. Infection can also be spread when an infected person coughs into his/her hand and then touches an object used by others such as a phone or doorknob.
How serious is seasonal influenza?
In very serious cases it can lead to life threatening pneumonia and/or can weaken the heart muscle to the point where it can no longer effectively pump blood to the body. Each year in the US 36,000 people die and 114,000 are admitted to hospital because of influenza.
What are the classic symptoms of influenza?
People with classic symptoms have a sudden onset of:
- fever to 101-102 F
- muscle aches
- extreme fatigue
- sore throat
- dry cough
The symptoms come on so abruptly that the person may remember the exact time they started feeling ill. Symptoms usually last 2-3 days however can last longer.
Other symptoms include:
- headache
- runny nose
- burning chest pain
- light sensitivity
When do people usually get seasonal influenza?
In the U.S., infection with influenza usually starts in late December or January and ends in April or May.
What percentage of people actually gets influenza?
20% of children and 5 % of adults will acquire seasonal influenza each year. These percentages will probably be higher this year because of the earlier season.
Who is at greatest risk of developing seasonal influenza?
The disease is most serious among:
- people over 65 years old or less than 2 years old
- people with diabetes, asthma, chronic lung, heart, kidney, blood, immune system diseases
- children under 18 years old who are on chronic aspirin therapy
- patients, workers in long-term care facilities
- pregnant women who will be or are in their 2nd or 3rd trimester during influenza season
Health care workers are also at a greater risk due to their contact with ill people.
Should I get the vaccine if I am not in a high-risk group?
People in the high-risk group should definitely get the influenza vaccine because they are at greatest risk of complications and death. Household contacts of the people in high risk groups should be vaccinated. Healthy persons who want to avoid becoming ill with influenza should get the vaccine
What are the side effects of the injectable vaccine?
Since it is a killed virus vaccine you cannot get influenza from the vaccine. Sometimes there is pain at the injection site and the arm or leg may be sore for 24 hours. Rare allergic reactions can occur.
What are the side effects from the intranasal vaccine?
The most common side effect is a runny nose. Because the vaccine is a live virus vaccine you can get a mild case of influenza with symptoms such as headache, cough, sore throat, fatigue, and muscle aches.
Can anyone get the intranasal vaccine?
The vaccine is only approved for persons 5 years or older and less than 50 years old, as there has not been adequate testing outside of these age ranges. Because this vaccine is a live attenuated vaccine there are more restrictions in its usage. If you answer yes to any of the contraindication questions you are not eligible to get the intranasal vaccines.
Contraindication questions to intranasal flu vaccine (provided by the manufacturer). A yes answer usually means that you should not get the intranasal vaccine.
- Are you allergic to eggs?
- Have you ever had a bad reaction to the intranasal flu vaccine?
- Do you have AIDS, HIV, and cancer or have you received an organ transplant?
- Did a doctor ever tell you that you have any other problem with your immune system?
- Is there anyone living with you who has an immune system problem?
- Did a doctor ever tell you that you had asthma or reactive airways disease?
- Do you have any breathing or lung problems such as chronic bronchitis emphysema, or cystic fibrosis?
- Did a doctor ever tell you that you had Guillain-Barre syndrome?
- Do you have kidney disease?
- Do you have diabetes or another metabolic disease?
- If you are female, are you pregnant or breastfeeding?
- Have you ever had a heart attack or stroke?
- Do you have heart disease such as angina or congestive heart failure?
- Do you have a blood disease like sickle cell disease or thalassemia?
- Do you currently have a fever, cold or other respiratory illness?
- Have you received any live vaccines within the last month?
- Are you planning on receiving any vaccinations within the next 2 weeks?
- Are you taking any prescription medicines to prevent or treat the flu?
- Are you younger than 18 years old and on chronic aspirin therapy?
Is there a difference in the cost between the two vaccines?
Yes, the intranasal vaccine is more expensive than the injectable form.
Besides getting vaccinated are there other ways to prevent the spread of influenza?
Good hand washing can often prevent the spread from contaminated objects. When persons with a cough visit their health care provider they may be asked to put on a mask to prevent spread of the respiratory droplets.
For more tips, see the CDC’s Preventing the Flu: Good Health Habits Can Help Stop Germs.
Do I only need one vaccine dose each year?
If you are 9 years or older, you only need one vaccine each year. Children 6 months to age 9 who are receiving their first ever influenza vaccine require 2 vaccines one month apart.
Who cannot get the flu vaccine?
Infants less than 6 months old cannot get the vaccine due to an underdeveloped immune system and persons who have serious egg allergies. Also if you are very ill with an acute illness you should postpone the vaccine until you feel better
How can I protect my infant younger than 6 months?
All family members in the house who are able to get the vaccine should have it so influenza is not brought into the home. Additional ways to protect your infant include:
- avoiding large crowds during influenza outbreaks
- having people wash their hands before touching your baby
- avoiding kissing of your baby by members of the family who may be ill
If I have a severe allergy to eggs how can I prevent getting the disease?
Because you cannot get the vaccine, it is recommended that all of your household contacts be immunized. Also staying away from people with a cough and fever as well as washing your hands frequently can help.
What should I do if I do get influenza?
If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others.
If you are sick with MILD flu-like symptoms, medical attention is not typically required, meaning that there is no need to make a doctor’s appointment or come to the clinic for evaluation. Mild flu-like symptoms include:
- Runny nose or nasal stuffiness
- Low-grade fever for less than 3 days
- Mild headache
- Body aches
- Mild stomach upset
See Common Cold or Something Serious? for more information about managing these symptoms at home.
If YOU ARE a experiencing any of the MORE serious symptoms listed below, contact your doctor. UW students and Hall Health patients can call the Hall Health Consulting Nurse Service at 206-221-2517 during business hours for advice. We may recommend that you stay home or out of class, or you may be asked to come to Hall Health for evaluation. Serious flu-like symptoms include:
- Fever over 100 degrees F with chills for three days or more with no improvement with fever reducing medication.
- Rapidly worsening illness
- Person is unresponsive and unable to get out of bed
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pain
- Severe cough
- Severe sore throat to the point of not being able to swallow fluids
Additional Information
Seasonal Flu (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC))
Preventing the Flu (American Academy of Family Physicians)
Prevent Influenza Now! (National Influenza Vaccine Summit)
Last updated: 9/14/09 |
