Influenza 101

By Ajay Singh

Among the many reasons to celebrate spring is the realization that the flu season is gradually coming to an end. This year's contagion, however, was particularly nasty — and not many people know why.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this year's flu vaccine was relatively less effective, a major reason for widespread flu infections across as many as 49 states nationwide.

The vaccine was not a good match between the strains chosen for manufacturing it and the strains circulating in the community, explained Larry Baraff, an emergency physician and associate director of the UCLA Emergency Medicine Center.

Just about everyone on campus has been stricken by the bug — or knows someone who has. During the end of February and the beginning of March, large numbers of patients arrived at the hospital's Emergency Medicine Center complaining of flu-like illness. Those who didn't come in flooded the center with sick calls.

"We experienced pretty much what was being seen across the state and the nation," said Baraff, adding that many of his staff also succumbed to the virus and that staffing the center wasn't easy as a result.

What can people do to avoid getting the flu? By far the most important and time-tested precautionary measure is getting vaccinated — whether or not you're in a high-risk group, which includes people 65 years or older and those suffering from chronic diseases.

And take note: Like most respiratory viruses, the flu is spread not so much by sneezing or touching objects such as doorknobs and keyboards as by direct physical contact with infected people. Shaking hands is therefore best avoided during the flu season.

Using prescription antiviral drugs like Tamiflu® can also be a good idea. "We use it for older people or those in the very early course of the infection, as it decreases severity of illness and the risk of death," said Baraff. "We also use it for people who are quite ill and hospitalized."

Some folks neglect — or refuse — to get flu shots. Not a good idea, warns the ER doctor. "A lot of people are proud of the fact that they don't get flu shots every year," he observed. "But the vaccine does reduce the risk of infection by 70% to 80%."

And, he added, "The fact that the vaccine was not as effective as we hoped this year is not a reason for not getting the vaccine next year."

Think about it: "If your colleagues at work who have gotten the vaccine do not get ill and you chose not to get vaccinated and have fallen ill, then that's pretty convincing evidence that the vaccine works," Baraff argued.

Besides, vaccinations can not only prevent people from getting the flu but help contain the spread of the infection. "It's a public health effort that targets not just individuals but the entire community," Baraff pointed out.

If you happen to be one of those who didn't get vaccinated, don't rush to your doctor. "It takes four to eight weeks for the vaccine to be effective and by that time, there is going to be almost no flu," Baraff said,.

Around this time, the federal government and vaccine manufacturers choose the flu strains for next year's vaccine. "There are hundreds of different choices, and they generally pick the viruses that have caused the illness in the previous year," Baraff explained.