Flu and COVID Cases Are Surging: How to Protect Yourself – Yale Medicine

Flu is a common illness during the winter. But it can be severe, especially in children younger than age 5 and adults ages 65 and older, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems and chronic conditions, such as diabetes or asthma. It attacks the respiratory system, causing fever, body aches, cough, headache, and sore throat.

How to prevent the flu: Get the annual flu shot, which is available to everyone ages 6 months and older. Although the CDC recommends getting the shot by the end of October for peak protection, it is given throughout the season, which usually peaks between December and February, and can extend until May.

Most people ages 6 months and older need only one dose of the flu vaccine; however, some children, ages 6 months through 8 years, may require two doses for the best protection.

Some people will still get the flu after getting the vaccine, Dr. Gleeson says. But data suggests that if you do, the vaccine decreases the risk of severe disease and hospitalization. You might feel bad, but not as dramatically ill as you would have been if you didn't get the vaccine.

This year, special measures for flu vaccination are no longer recommended for people with egg allergies, regardless of the severity of a previous reaction to egg. This is based on studies that show those severe allergic reactions are rare, according to the CDC, which also recommends all vaccines be given in settings where allergic reactions can be recognized and treated quickly. People with allergies to other vaccine ingredients should talk to their providers.

If you get the flu: The CDC recommends staying home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone. The fever should go away on its own without over-the-counter medication, according to the CDC. Also, children and teenagers should not take aspirin or products that contain salicylate to treat flu symptoms, since that ingredient can cause a rare condition called Reyes syndrome in people 18 and younger.

You can talk to your doctor about getting a prescription for an antiviral drug, such as Tamiflu, especially if you are 65 or older, pregnant, or have a medical condition such as asthma or heart disease. Children can take these medications as well. Antiviral drugs, including pills, inhaled powders, and solutions delivered intravenously, fight the flu virus in your body, and they work best when you start taking them early, one or two days after symptoms start. Antivirals can help reduce symptoms, shorten your illness by one or two days, and prevent pneumonia and other serious complications, including death.

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Flu and COVID Cases Are Surging: How to Protect Yourself - Yale Medicine