1. Can anyone get the flu?

2. Is the flu more severe for some people than others?

3. How do people get the flu?

4. Is the flu contagious?

5. How do I know if I have the flu?

6. What should I do if I get the flu?

7. What kinds of flu vaccines are there?

8. How do flu vaccines work?

9. How are the viruses for the flu vaccine selected?

10. Why do I need to get vaccinated against the flu every year?

11. When should I get a flu vaccination?

12. Can I get the flu even though I got a flu vaccine this year?

13. Can I give aspirin to a child or teenager who has the flu?

14. Are there people who should not get the flu vaccine?

Can anyone get the flu?
Yes. Even healthy people can get the flu, and anyone at any age can experience flu complications. About 10% to 20% of U.S. residents get the flu each year.

Back to Top

Is the flu more severe for some people than others?
While most flu sufferers will recover in 1 to 2 weeks, some will develop complications that may be life threatening, such as pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinus or ear infections. On average, about 36,000 U.S. residents die each year from influenza, and about 114,000 per year require hospitalization as a result of the flu.

Back to Top

How do people get the flu?
Influenza is spread when an infected person sneezes, coughs, or speaks, sending the virus into the air. When someone inhales the virus, it enters the nose, throat, or lungs and causes flu symptoms. Though it is less common, the flu may also be transmitted when a person touches a surface with the virus on it and then touches his or her nose or mouth.

Back to Top

Is the flu contagious?
A person can spread the flu one day before feeling sick. Adults can still pass the virus on for 3 to 7 more days after symptoms begin, and children can spread influenza for longer than seven days. Symptoms usually appear 1 to 4 days after the virus is contracted. Some of those infected will display no symptoms, but can still spread the flu to others.

Back to Top

How do I know if I have the flu?
Sudden onset of body aches, fever, and respiratory symptoms, particularly during November through April, could indicate that you have the flu virus. However, other respiratory illnesses can present similar symptoms, and influenza may be caught at any time of the year. Symptoms alone will not tell you whether you have the flu, but there are tests your doctor can perform if you are in the first few days of illness.
Influenza is a respiratory illness, and is not associated with symptoms in the stomach and digestive system, such as nausea and diarrhea.

Back to Top

What should I do if I get the flu?
Stay home and rest, drink plenty of liquids, and avoid using alcohol and tobacco. You may take medication for your symptoms, but influenza is a virus, which means antibiotics will not cure it.

Back to Top

What kinds of flu vaccines are there?
Two types of vaccines are available to protect against the flu. One is an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus), which is injected, usually in the arm. The "flu shot" is approved for use among people over 6 months old, including healthy people and those with chronic medical conditions. The other contains weakened live virus, and is administered by nasal spray. Approved in 2003, the nasal-spray flu vaccine is to be used only among healthy people between 5 and 49 years of age.
Either way you go, the vaccine contains three influenza viruses representing the influenza vaccine strains recommended for the year. The viruses for both vaccines are grown in eggs.

Back to Top

How do flu vaccines work?
Both flu vaccines work the same way, stimulating the body's development of antibodies that protect against flu infection.

Back to Top

How are the viruses for the flu vaccine selected?
Each year, flu viruses are collected in labs around the world. In the United States, the World Health Organization (WHO) reference lab at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) performs detailed testing on select viruses from these labs, and study how well antibodies made to the current vaccine react to new and already circulating viruses. An advisory committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is presented with the data, and three viruses are selected to go into flu vaccines for the following season.

Back to Top

Why do I need to get vaccinated against the flu every year?
Flu viruses change from year to year, meaning the immunity you developed against last year's strain (whether by catching the flu or by getting vaccinated) may not protect against this year's flu. The influenza vaccine is updated each year to include currently circulating virus strains. Also, after you get vaccinated, your immunity to the disease declines over time and may be too low to provide protection after one year.

Back to Top

When should I get a flu vaccination?
Johnson County Public Health recommends getting a flu vaccine in October or November, though you can still benefit from being vaccinated after November even if the flu is going around in your area. It takes about 2 weeks for the antibodies to develop and start protecting against influenza, and the flu season is usually at its peak between late December and early March.

Back to Top

Can I get the flu even though I got a flu vaccine this year?
Yes. The vaccine's ability to protect you against influenza depends on your age and health, as well as similarities between the virus strains in the vaccines and those that are going around in the community.

Back to Top

Can I give aspirin to a child or teenager who has the flu?
Never give aspirin to children or teenagers with flu-like symptoms, especially fever, without consulting your doctor. Doing so may result in a rare, but serious, disease known as Reye's Syndrome. Aspirin-free medicines are recommended for treating symptoms in children and teens.

Back to Top

Are there people who should not get the flu vaccine?
Consult your doctor before getting vaccinated if you (1) have a severe allergy to hens' eggs; (2) have had a severe reaction to a flu vaccine in the past; or (3) have a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS).

Back to Top