LIV ING
HEALTH & WELLNESS
THE FLU SHOT
Y OR SALE T ENION V N I UCT ED
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Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda
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LU SEASON STARTED EARLY IN ST. LOUIS THIS YEAR. By the end of October, several cases of influenza had been reported. Concerned public health officials advised everyone older than 6 months to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Yet there are plenty of people who reject the flu vaccine. “The flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself from getting the flu,” says Dr. Tim Pratt, chief medical officer at SSM St. Clare Health Center and a primary-care physician. “There are very few contraindications for individuals not to get the flu shot. Currently, the pneumonia vaccine also is recommended for the 50 and older population.” Seasonal flu vaccines protect against the three influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although the process of predicting flu strains is not foolproof, the vaccine usually provides a good measure of protection. “Flu seasons are unpredictable in a number of ways. Although epidemics of flu happen every year, the timing, severity and length of the epidemic depends on many factors, including what influenza viruses are spreading, whether they match the viruses in the vaccine, and how many people get the vaccine,” says Linda Maly, manager of infection prevention at St. Luke’s Hospital. People who are allergic to eggs should opt for the nasal spray form of the flu vaccine, which is safe for healthy, non-pregnant people from 2 to 49 years old, rather than the injected vaccine, which may contain very small amounts of egg protein. Aside from this small group of egg-allergic people, the flu vaccine BY CONNIE MITCHELL
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