Prevent the Flu this Season!
At nearly 31,000 cases reported to the Departments of Health and Senior Services in the first week of 2018, Missouri’s flu activity is widespread and maintaining its strength. It’s important to remember that while flu is hard to predict, you can prevent its spread with a yearly vaccination.
 
The annual flu vaccine is the first and best way to protect yourself and your family from the influenza virus, as vaccination can reduce the occurrence of illness, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school due to flu. The vaccine may also prevent flu-related hospitalizations.
About the Flu
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It causes mild to severe illness, and has the potential to lead to death. 
How Flu Spreads

Most experts believe that flu viruses spread when tiny droplets that result from coughing, sneezing, or talking land in the mouths or noses of people nearby. Less often, a person might get the flu by touching an infected surface or object and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes afterwards.
Preventing Seasonal Flu

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies yearly flu vaccines as the first and most important step in protecting against illness. The CDC also recommends everyday preventive actions to protect oneself, such as staying away from people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes, and frequent hand-washing to slow the spread of germs that cause respiratory (nose, throat, and lungs) illnesses, like the flu.
CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses.
Flu Symptoms
People who have the flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:

  • Fever* or feeling feverish/chills
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headaches
  • Fatigue (tiredness)
  • Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

* It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.
High Risk Populations:
  • Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
  • Adults 65 years of age and older
  • Pregnant women (and women up to two weeks postpartum)
  • Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
Frequently Asked Flu Questions 2017-2018 Influenza Season
What’s new this flu season?

A few things are new this season:

  • For the 2017-2018 season, the nasal spray flu vaccine (LAIV) is not recommended. Instead, only injectable flu shots are recommended.
  • Flu vaccines have been updated to better match circulating viruses, such as influenza A (H1N1).
  • Pregnant women may receive any licensed, recommended, and age-appropriate flu vaccine.
  • A quadrivalent recombinant flu vaccine (“Flublok Quadrivalent” RIV) is available this season. Last season, only the trivalent recombinant flu vaccine was available.
  • A quadrivalent inactivated flu vaccine, “Afluria Quadrivalent” IIV, was licensed last season after the annual recommendations were published.
  • The age recommendation for “Flulaval Quadrivalent” has been changed from 3 years old and older to 6 months and older to be consistent with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved labeling.
  • The trivalent formulation of Afluria is recommended for people 5 years and older (previously 9 years and older) to match the FDA package insert.
What flu vaccines are recommended this season?

This season, only injectable flu vaccines (flu shots) are recommended. Some flu shots protect against three flu viruses and some protect against four flu viruses.
Options this season include:
 
  • Standard dose flu shots - most vaccines are injected into the muscle with a needle or jet injector, but it is possible to receive the injection through the skin.
  • High-dose shots for older people.
  • Shots made with adjuvant for older people.
  • Shots made with the virus grown in cell culture.
  • Shots made using a vaccine production technology (recombinant vaccine) that does not require the use of flu virus.
  • Live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) – or the nasal spray vaccine – is not recommended for use during the 2017-2018 season because of concerns about its effectiveness.
When should I get vaccinated?

If you haven’t gotten one this season, now is the time to get a flu vaccine. It’s best to get vaccinated before flu spreads in your community, as it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body. The CDC recommends that people get a flu vaccine by the end of October, if possible. Late vaccination, however, can still be beneficial. Clinics should continue offering vaccination throughout the flu season, beyond the month of January.
 
Children who need two doses of vaccine to be protected should start the vaccination process sooner, because the two doses must be given at least four weeks apart.
Need a Flu Shot?
Schedule an appointment at one of our Live Well Community Health Centers , today. Safeguard yourself and the ones you love, and live well.
Contact a location near you:

Live Well Community
Health Center - Buckner
324 S. Hudson
Buckner, MO 64016
816.249.1521

Live Well Community
Health Center - Carrollton
1413 N. Jefferson
Carrollton, MO 64633
660.329.9005


Live Well Community
Health Center - Concordia
206 N. Bismark, Ste. A.,
Concordia, MO 64020
660.463.0234

Live Well Community
Health Center - Waverly
608 Missouri St.
Waverly, MO 64096
660.493.2262