EWIMA Healthcare is your official Chicago North Shore Flu Clinic. We provide low cost flu vaccinations to help make sure you will stay healthy this winter. If you do happen to get the flu this year we use the latest techniques to make sure that you will recover and get back to your daily routine quicker.

Influenza is a viral infection that sickens millions of people each year and can cause serious complications, especially in children and older adults. Fortunately, the flu vaccine available in the form of a flu shot or a nasal spray offers protection against the flu.

When is the flu vaccine available?

The flu vaccine is generally offered between September and mid-November, which is typically before the late-fall or early winter start to flu season.

What kind of protection does the flu vaccine offer?

A flu shot is between 70 percent and 90 percent effective in warding off illness, depending on the length and intensity of a given flu season and your overall health. In a few cases, people who get a flu shot may still get the flu, but they'll get a much less virulent form of the illness and, most important, they'll have a decreased risk of flu-related complications especially pneumonia, heart attack, stroke and death to which older adults are especially vulnerable.

A study published in 2006 showed that the nasal spray flu vaccine (FluMist) was only between 30 percent and 57 percent effective in preventing the flu in adults. However, another study in 2006 found that giving nasal spray vaccine to school age children helped reduce the spread of flu in the community. And in 2007, researchers compared the effectiveness of FluMist with the flu shot in children ages 6 months to 5 years. The children treated with FluMist experienced about half as many cases of flu as did those who received the shot. However, FluMist increases the risk of wheezing in this age group especially in those who already have asthma or recurrent wheezing and in all children under age 2. In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) therefore approved FluMist for children older than 2 years who don't have asthma or recurrent wheezing. Consult with your physician about which form of vaccination may be best for you or your child.

Why do I need to get vaccinated every year?

You need annual flu protection because the vaccine changes from year to year. The flu vaccine you got last year wasn't designed to fight the virus strains in circulation this 2008-2009 flu season.

Influenza viruses mutate so quickly that they can render one season's vaccine ineffective by the next season. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory committee meets early in the year to estimate which strains of influenza virus will be most prevalent during the upcoming flu season, and manufacturers produce vaccine based on those recommendations.

Will this year's vaccine protect me against the flu?

The flu vaccine protects against the three main flu strains that research indicates will cause the most illness during the flu season. This year's influenza vaccine contains three new influenza virus strains.

They are:

A/Brisbane/59/2007(H1N1)-like virus
A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like virus
B/Florida/4/2006-like virus.

What are my options for the flu vaccine?

The flu vaccine comes in two forms:

A shot. A flu shot contains an inactivated vaccine made of killed virus. The shot is usually given in the arm. Because the viruses in the vaccine are killed (inactivated), the shot won't cause you to get the flu, but it will enable your body to develop the antibodies necessary to ward off influenza viruses. You may have a slight reaction to the shot, such as soreness at the injection site, mild muscle ache or fever. Reactions usually last one to two days and are more likely to occur in children who have never been exposed to the flu virus.

A nasal spray. Administered through your nose, the nasal spray vaccine (FluMist) consists of a low dose of live, but weakened, flu viruses. The vaccine doesn't cause the flu, but it does prompt an immune response in your nose and upper airways as well as throughout your body.

Who should get the flu vaccine?

Most people who want to reduce the risk of having influenza can get a flu shot. The CDC recommends the flu vaccine in particular if you:

• Are age 6 months to 4 years
• Are a child on long-term aspirin therapy
• Are pregnant
• Are 50 years old or older
• Have a chronic medical condition such as asthma, diabetes or heart, kidney or lung disease
• Have a weakened immune system such as from medications or HIV infection
• Are a resident of a nursing home or other long term care facility
• Are a child care worker or health care worker or live with or care for someone at high risk of complications from the flu
• Who shouldn't get the flu shot?

Don't get a flu shot if you:

• Have had an allergic reaction to the vaccine in the past.
• Are allergic to chicken eggs.
• Have a fever. Wait until your symptoms improve before getting vaccinated.
• Developed Guillain-Barre syndrome, a serious autoimmune disease affecting the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, within six weeks of receiving the vaccine in the past. People who have experienced Guillain-Barre after the flu vaccine are at higher risk than are others of developing it again.

I heard the flu shot isn't very effective for older adults. Is it worth getting vaccinated if you're over 65?
If you're over age 65, the vaccine doesn't offer as much protection as it would to someone younger because older adults produce fewer antibodies in response to the virus. Still, the vaccine offers more protection than does skipping the shot altogether. More important, the flu vaccine decreases the risk of flu-related complications especially pneumonia, heart attack, stroke and death to which older adults are especially vulnerable.

Why do children need two doses of the flu vaccine?

Children younger than 9 years old require two doses of the flu vaccine if it's the first time they've been vaccinated for influenza. That's because children don't develop an adequate antibody level the first time they get the vaccine. Antibodies help fight the virus if it enters your child's system. If a flu vaccine shortage was to occur and your child couldn't get two doses of vaccine, one dose might still offer some protection

Will the flu shot protect against bird flu if there's an outbreak among humans?
An annual flu shot won't protect you specifically from bird flu, but it will reduce the risk of simultaneous infection with human and bird flu viruses. This is important because simultaneous infections are the main way that viruses swap genes and create new strains that potentially can cause flu pandemics.

Can I lower my risk of the flu without getting a flu shot?

With or without a flu shot, you can take steps to help protect yourself from the flu and other viruses.

Practice good hygiene

Good hygiene remains your primary defense against contagious illnesses.

• Wash your hands thoroughly and often with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth whenever possible.
• Avoid crowds when the flu is most prevalent in your area.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

 If I've already had the flu, can I get it again?

Once you've had the flu, you develop antibodies to the viral strain that caused it. But those antibodies won't protect you from new or mutated strains of influenza or other viruses.

What should I do if I get the flu?

First of all, don't go to work or school you'll risk spreading this contagious disease to others.

To relieve your symptoms:

Drink plenty of fluids.
Avoid alcohol and tobacco.
Consider over-the-counter medicine such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) to ease the discomfort associated with muscle aches or fever, but don't give aspirin to children or teenagers because of the risk of the rare but serious disease, Reye's syndrome. And keep in mind that acetaminophen can cause severe liver damage if taken in excess.
Use antiviral medications if prescribed by your doctor, but no longer than recommended. Be sure to monitor yourself. If you start feeling worse, consult your doctor to make sure you're not developing a flu-related complication.

What kind of complications can arise from the flu?

Complications include bacterial infection, pneumonia and dehydration. If you have a chronic medical condition, you may experience a worsening of that condition. Children can develop sinus and ear infections.

Is there any medicine to treat the flu?

Antivirals work both to prevent the flu and to help reduce the severity and duration of the illness by a day or two. Antiviral medications must be taken within 48 hours of the onset of your symptoms and are available only by prescription. Ask your doctor about getting a rapid flu test that can verify within a few hours whether you have the flu.

These two antivirals are recommended for treating the flu virus:

Zanamivir (Relenza)
Oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
Each of these drugs can cause side effects, including lightheadedness, nausea, loss of appetite and difficulty breathing. They can also lead to the development of antiviral-resistant viruses.

People with the flu, particularly children, who take Tamiflu may be at increased risk of self-injury and confusion. The FDA recommends that individuals with the flu who take Tamiflu be closely monitored for signs of unusual behavior. In July 2007, the FDA approved two lower dose versions of Tamiflu for children. Still, discuss possible side effects with your doctor before starting any antiviral medication.

Your best bet for treating flu symptoms remains the tried and true:

Rest.
Get plenty of fluids.
Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) for aches and pains.
Come see the doctors at EWIMA Healthcare.
It's also important to eat healthy and get some daily activity to help keep your immune system in top form.

EWMA Healthcare is the official flu clinic of the Chicago North Shore Communities of Lake County, Wheeling, Prospect Heights, Lincolnshire, Deerfield, Buffalo Grove, Northbrook, Highland Park, Long Grove, Riverwoods, Des Plaines, Palatine, Glenview, Highwood, Northfield, Libertyville, Winnetka, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Mundelein, and Bannockburn.