Health officials warn of Christmas flu spread

Some people refuse to get a flu shot, for various reasons. But if you’re simply a procrastinator, now is the time to roll up your sleeve if you want to protect yourself and your family at Christmas.

Cases of the flu or flu-like symptoms are just starting to emerge at day cares, pre-schools, assisted living facilities, and hospital emergency rooms in Washington. A Tri-Cities woman in her 50s, who had chronic medical conditions, is the first flu death of the season in the state.

Dr. Janet Englund, Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Washington, expects many more cases in the next two weeks. That’s exactly what happened last year.

“With everybody flying in from all over, families getting together, college students coming home, people meeting in groups at airports and at homes, festivities, this is the time that flu is spread around the most,” said Englund.

Jeff Duchin, head of the communicable disease and immunization section at Seattle-King County Public Health, said there’s a high risk for transmission of influenza.

“Getting vaccinated now will give you the best possible protection from acquiring an infection through all your fun activities over the holiday season.”

It’s just one week until Christmas and the point of this exercise is that it takes time for the flu vaccine to have an effect.

“We’ve done studies and others have done studies that within a week after getting a flu shot, you’ll start developing really good anti-bodies and after two weeks, it’s probably about as good as it’s going to get,” said Englund. And that means about 50 percent protection.

The most common flu symptoms are fever, feeling awful, and cough.

“Other symptoms can be headache, sore throat, muscle aches and poor appetite,” according to Englund. “They can feel like they’ve been hit by a truck,” added Duchin.

A flu shot is recommended for everybody six months old and older. For those who simply refuse to get a flu shot, Dr. Englund asks them to think of her patients at Seattle Children’s.

“These poor little kids, with cancer and bone marrow transplants and kidney transplants, some of these children are unable to get a flu shot because they don’t have an immune system that works.”

If that doesn’t convince you, Duchin says getting a bad case of the flu might.

“The people who are most vocal about getting vaccinated each year are the people who had the flu last year,” said Duchin. “It’s not fun.”