Seniors need updated vaccines to combat winter viruses

Credit: Getty Images

Credit: Getty Images

Germs and viruses can feel nonstop. They invade homes every new school year and ramp up again for flu season.

The flu can affect people year-round, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies peak flu season as December through February.

Symptoms can include a wide range and there is often overlap. For example, flu symptoms can mimic an upper respiratory infection or sinus infection. Common flu complaints include fever, cough, sore throat, headache, fatigue, runny nose and body aches.

There are some steps people can take to avoid illness. Wash hands often, avoid others who are sick, cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing, sanitize common surfaces in the home and get vaccinated.

Dr. Soumya Nadella is a certified geriatric and family medicine practitioner at the Kettering Health Years Ahead clinic in Centerville.

“The flu shot can prevent people from getting the flu,” she said. “In the case some people do get the flu, the vaccine can help reduce the severity of the illness and reduce hospitalizations, which are the main goals of the flu shot.”

Flu shots are recommended for every person ages 6 months and older.

“The most vulnerable groups for flu complications are children ages 0 to 5, adults older than 65, pregnant people and patients with underlying illnesses, such as heart disease, pulmonary disease, cancers, or those on any immunotherapy,” Nadella said.

If you think you have the flu, stay home to avoid spreading the virus to others. Do not go to work. At-home care should include plenty of rest and fluids, such as water or juice (avoid caffeine and sugary sodas). Avoid cigarettes, alcohol, greasy foods or high fat foods. Ibuprofen or acetaminophen can help with body aches. Remember, your doctor will not prescribe an antibiotic because they do not work on viruses.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have home testing kits for the flu,” Nadella said. “If someone thinks they have the flu, they should contact their doctor’s office or an on-demand care center and get tested within 72 hours of their symptoms’ onset. There’s a certain timeframe available to be able to prescribe Tamiflu, which means patients need to get care in the first 48-72 hours.”

Vaccinations are also available for another virus — varicella-zoster, which causes chicken pox. Once a person recovers from chicken pox, the virus stays dormant in the body. If the virus reactivates, it appears in the form of shingles.

“The most common population to be affected are people older than 50, people under a lot of stress or trauma or those with a weakened immune system,” Nadella said.

Shingles can cause pain, burning, tingling, blisters, headaches, fatigue and a red rash.

“The biggest complication is long-term pain after the rash has resolved,” Nadella said. “People can be very sensitive in the area where the rash occurred. Shingles can also cause other complications depending on where the inflammation occurred, including loss of sight or hearing, balance issues, and even encephalitis.”

For someone who has never had the varicella-zoster virus, the shingles vaccine can prevent shingles, and for people who had chicken pox as a child, the shingles vaccine can reduce the severity of the virus and nerve pain after the rash and blisters subside.

“The shingles vaccine is an inactivated vaccine and is safe. It has been around since 2017,” Nadella said. “It’s also a lifetime vaccine—once you’ve had both doses, you don’t have to repeat it. It provides at least 89 percent effectiveness if you get both doses, so it is really good at preventing complications.”

Anyone who has symptoms of the shingles should call their doctor immediately to discuss possible medications to help. Keep the rash clean, dry and covered. Wear loose cotton clothing and soak in a cool oatmeal bath as needed. Cool compresses can help with nerve pain, and calamine can help if the blisters itch after they are covered with a scab.

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