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The Facts About Flu Shots DC

By Mattie Knight


The population of the nation's capital is approximately 660,000. The population density is around 10,000 per square mile. It does not take a genius to work out that a city of these size with that many people could be brought to its knees in a large-scale epidemic of influenza. Not only that, but who wants to look at a president on television with red eyes and a runny nose. We expect more from the leader of the free world. This is why there is a need for flu shots DC.

Estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that between 3,000 and 49,000 individuals die each year from influenza. Countless others are left with chronic lung conditions. Complications of influenza may include asthma or a secondary infection caused by either viruses or bacteria.

Because influenza is caused by a virus, it cannot be controlled by antibiotics or other types of drug. It can, however, be contained by immunization. People who get the jab every year either do not experience the disease or, if they do get it, it is much less serious than if they had not been immunized. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that people at risk get immunized every year.

The current advice is that everyone, with few exceptions, be immunized annually. Some people fall into the high risk category and are particularly encouraged to have the shot. These people are those who are more than 65 years old, children under the age of five, especially those under two, and residents of communal living institutions like nursing homes. Apparently, natives of Alaska and American Indians are at increased risk of flu complications; they, too, are advised to have the jab each year.

There is a long list of medical conditions in whom influenza jabs are recommended. These include, as mentioned, those with asthma, as well as people with chronic lung disease such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis. People with disorders of the immune system, kidney, liver or endocrine system are also strongly urged to be vaccinated on an annual basis. Other candidates for immunization are people with heart conditions, metabolic disorders, people under the age of 19 who are on long-term aspirin treatment. Individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 40 are also urged to get vaccinated.

Any high profile medical issue attracts certain misconceptions and the influenza vaccination is no exception. One popular myth doing the rounds is that pregnant women need permission from their regular doctor if they want to get the injection at a workplace clinic, pharmacy or anywhere else but their local doctor's office. This is not the case.

Another widely held belief is that the influenza vaccination actually causes the disease. This is quite impossible. Either the injection contains no virus whatsoever, or what virus it does contain has been inactivated. Sometimes people get side effects from the jab, for instance, headache, muscular aches or a low fever. Usually, people will feel a little sensitive around the injection site for a day or two.

Influenza is a serious disorder of the respiratory system and should be taken seriously by everyone. People whose symptoms are limited to nausea, vomiting and diarrhea do not have influenza, although these symptoms may, indeed, accompany a case of flu.




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