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How can I get a flu shot? Schedule an appointment by calling
734-764-8304 or 764-8325.
Cost/Insurance: $30. Insurance coverage is determined by insurer. UHS will bill
Premier Care/GradCare, Domestic Student Health Insurance Plan, Medicare and most BlueShield. Receipt for other
insurance reimbursement is available upon request.
Is FluMist available at UHS? UHS will not provide FluMist
(live, intranasal vaccine) this year, although we are considering it for the future.
Why receive a flu shot? Annual flu (short for influenza) vaccination may help to prevent
illness, severity of flu and serious complications caused by flu. People who receive the vaccine miss less class or work due to
illness. Also, the vaccine also helps prevent others from getting the flu from you.
How effective is flu vaccine? When there is a good match between vaccine and
circulating viruses, flu vaccine is at least 70% effective in preventing illness in healthy children and adults. Flu vaccine
can also reduce the severity of symptoms if you get the flu. Flu vaccine affects only the influenza virus and has no effect
on colds.
When is the best time to get a flu shot? Ordinarily, the best time to receive your
shot is late October through December, because protection develops about 2 weeks after vaccination. Flu is typically
seasonal, appearing December through March in Michigan. A flu shot is needed each year before the winter season because
immunity lasts only 3-6 months and because the strains of influenza change from year to year.
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Who should get a flu shot? Anyone who wants to reduce their chances
of getting the flu can get vaccinated. However, certain people should get vaccinated each year. They are either people
who are at high risk of having serious flu complications or people who live with or care for those at high risk for serious
complications. See the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention for recommendations.
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Who should NOT get a flu shot?
People who have systemic allergic reactions, like trouble breathing,
to eggs or chicken protein should not get a flu shot.
Are there risks from the flu vaccine?
Flu shots do not cause flu! The vaccine is inactivated (not live)
so side effects are rare. However, people who have systemic allergic
reactions, like trouble breathing, to eggs or chicken protein should
not get a flu vaccine. Minor side effects include soreness and swelling
at site of injection, which can last a couple of days. Rarely, a
person may experience an elevated temperature, malaise, or headache.
These symptoms may last for one or two days and are more likely
if the person is receiving a flu vaccine for the first time.
The 1976 Swine influenza vaccine was associated with an increased
risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). The subsequent vaccines have
not had causal relationships demonstrated. If risk exists, it would
be less than one to two cases per million vaccines, which is much
less than the risk of influenza complications.
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What is flu? Flu (short for influenza) is a viral infection of the nose, throat,
bronchial tubes and lungs. There are two main types of virus: A and B. Each type includes many different strains which
tend to change each year.
How is flu transmitted? Influenza is highly contagious and is easily
transmitted through contact with droplets from the nose and throat of an infected person during coughing and sneezing.
What are flu symptoms?
- Rapid onset of symptoms
- High fever (greater than 101 degrees F or 38.3 degrees C)
- Severe body aches and/or headache
- Dry cough
- Congestion
- Chills
- Extreme fatigue
- Sore throat
Acute symptoms usually last 3-6 days, although a cough may linger
for up to three weeks. The elderly and persons with underlying health
problems are at increased risk for complications such as pneumonia
and may need to be hospitalized. Complications are possible but
not common in young, otherwise healthy adults.
Gastrointestinal symptoms are rarely prominent, although nausea,
vomiting and diarrhea may sometimes accompany the flu.
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See a clinician if you experience:
- Fever greater than 101 degrees F or 38.3 degrees C
- Earache
- Cough that is severe and persistent or produces bloody phlegm
- Sore throat that lasts longer than 10 days
You can print a poster of
When to Seek Medical Care.
Does past flu infection make a person
immune? Generally, no. The viruses that cause flu change frequently, so
people who have been infected or had a flu shot in previous years
may become infected with a new strain. Because of this, and because
any immunity produced by the flu shot will decrease in the year
after vaccination, people should get vaccinated every year in order
to be protected.
How is flu treated? Treatment
usually consists of resting, drinking fluids and taking acetaminophen
(e.g. Tylenol) according to package directions (2 tablets every
4 hours for adults) to relieve fever and pain. People under age
19 should not take aspirin due to the association with Reye's syndrome.
If your cough lingers, try a combination decongestant/antihistamine
(e.g. Actifed or Drixoral) according to package directions.
Antibiotics are ineffective against flu because it is a viral (not bacterial) infection. However, antibiotics may be used
to treat flu complications, such as pneumonia or middle ear infection.
Antiviral drugs (e.g. Tamiflu) are available by prescription and may decrease severity and duration of illness if taken within
48 hours of symptoms onset. To consider antiviral treatment, contact UHS (see
Appointment or Walk-in) or your health care provider as soon as possible
after symptoms begin.
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How can flu be prevented?
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- When you are sick, keep your distance from others and if possible, stay at home.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hand) when coughing or sneezing.
- Clean your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based cleanser.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
You can print a free Cover Your Cough/Clean Your Hands flyer
and post it to remind others how to prevent transmission of flu and other diseases. See also
How is flu treated? for information about the use of antiviral drugs in flu prevention.
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