Dec. 3, 2013
If you haven’t received your flu vaccination yet, it’s not
too late. Texas physicians say getting vaccinated against the flu is the best
way to protect yourself and your family from flu during the holiday season and
winter months.
Flu,
or influenza, is a highly contagious respiratory virus that is much more severe
than a common cold. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread
it to others. Every year about 200,000 people in the nation are hospitalized
from flu-related illness.
“Vaccines are one of the safest and most
reliable ways to guard yourself and others from infection,” said John T. Carlo, MD, MS, chair of Texas
Medical Association’s Council on Science and Public Health. “When more people get vaccinated, we’re all better protected.”
An annual flu vaccination is recommended for anyone 6 months
of age and older. On average, one out of five Texans gets influenza each year.
Influenza can be especially harmful to older people, young children, pregnant
women, and people with chronic medical conditions.
“Some
people cannot get vaccinated because of certain medical conditions, which make
them more vulnerable to catching the flu,” said Dr. Carlo. “So it’s important
for those around them to be vaccinated.”
National Influenza Vaccination Week is right around the
corner, Dec. 8-14. It’s the perfect time to get a flu vaccination to avoid
spreading the disease to family and friends during the holidays.
This year, several different types of influenza vaccines are
available, including a high-dose vaccine for senior citizens and a
non-injection, nasal spray vaccine for healthy people ages 2 through 49 years
who are not pregnant. Talk to your doctor about which vaccine is right for you.
Once you get vaccinated, your body works to build immunity,
a process that can take up to two weeks. Sometimes you might have a mild
reaction to the vaccination, such as a sore arm or achy feeling for a day or
two after your vaccination. But whatever discomfort you may feel is minimal
compared to the severity of the actual virus.
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 47,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 112 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.
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Contact: Pam Udall
phone: (512) 370-1382
cell: (512) 413-6807
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Brent Annear
phone: (512) 370-1381
cell: (512) 656-7320
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