FLU questions
- What is influenza?
- How does it spread?
- Can influenza cause death?
- How can I be protected?
- How can I access workplace vaccinations?
- When should I get vaccinated?
- How effective is the vaccination?
- Who should be vaccinated?
- Why should health care workers be immunised?
- Can I get influenza from the vaccine?
- Which strains are covered in a vaccination?
- What are the possible side effects of the vaccination?
- Who should avoid influenza vaccinations?
- Will an influenza vaccination protect me from avian flu?
- Should I take antiviral medication?
- What can I do to help prevent the spread of influenza?
- Want to know more?
What is influenza?
Influenza or 'flu' is caused by a highly infectious influenza virus. Influenza can cause fever, sneezing, severe headache, sore throat, aches and pains and general feelings of weakness.
Influenza is not the same as the 'common cold' and can last up to two weeks. If a person's natural healing system is suppressed, they may develop complications such as pneumonia which will require antibiotic treatment and possibly hospitalisation. Pneumonia is a serious condition that can cause death.
How does it spread?
Influenza spreads easily in droplets of moisture. The virus can live in the air for nearly one hour. Just being around someone who is coughing or sneezing is enough to contract influenza. A person can be contagious before their symptoms become evident which adds to the spread of the disease. Peak season for flu is winter and a flu outbreak occurs most years.
Can influenza cause death?
Influenza can lead to complications such as pneumonia that can be fatal. In 2004, influenza and pneumonia was the fourth leading cause of death in Australia (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004). Worldwide vaccinations have made a significant impact on mortality from influenza. The Spanish Flu in 1918-1919, killed between 50 and 100 million worldwide.
How can I be protected?
Vaccination is the single most effective protection against influenza. Vaccination is an injection of a small amount of the virus, but this is not a live virus and cannot cause influenza. Vaccination before exposure to the virus allows the body to build up immunity and avoid infection.
How can I access workplace vaccinations?
Assisting staff to be vaccinated against seasonal influenza is one of the best ways to increase the vaccination rate and protect workers within your organisation. There are various ways to implement an influenza vaccination program for your staff. Your organisation could:
- contact a local general practice and invite the GP or practice nurse to come to the workplace to vaccinate staff;
- contact your local Division of General Practice for information on staff vaccination services provided by general practice services in your area;
- contact your local council or health centre and ask about workplace vaccination services;
- contact organisations that can provide workplace vaccination programs on-site (eg search the web under workplace vaccination programs); or
- contact the large nursing organisations and ask about workplace vaccination programs that may be available.
There is a cost associated with the influenza vaccination. This cost may be borne by the individual staff members receiving the vaccination or the workplace can subsidise the vaccination, in part or in full. Organisations that provide workplace vaccination programs can also assist with the arrangements for a workplace subsidy to reduce or remove the cost to staff.
When should I get vaccinated?
Vaccinations are required every year as immunity only lasts 12 months. As winter is peak flu season, a vaccination in autumn will give you the two weeks needed to develop immunity and provide maximum protection at four to six weeks after immunisation.
If you have already contracted flu, a vaccination won't stop the onset of symptoms. The have I got flu? page offers some suggestions for management of flu symptoms.
How effective is the vaccination?
Vaccination offers between 70 per cent and 90 per cent protection against the strains covered by the vaccine. The vaccination provides immunity for one year so annual vaccination is required to provide ongoing protection.
According to the National Health and Medical Research Council's 'Immunisation Handbook', influenza vaccine given to people at risk of complications from infection is the single most important preventive measure. While not offering 100 per cent immunity to anyone, people who have been immunised and still contract influenza, experience significantly less severe symptoms of a shorter duration and are therefore less likely to develop serious complications.
Who should be vaccinated?
The National Health and Medical Research Council recommends annual vaccination for:
- All individuals over 65 years of age*
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 years and older or aged 15-49 with risk factors*
- Adults and children (above 6 months of age) with:
- Chronic suppurative lung disease, including bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis and chronic emphysema
- Chronic (long-term) heart conditions including cyanotic congestive heart disease, coronary heart disease and congestive heart disease
- Chronic illnesses requiring regular medical follow-up or hospitalisation in the preceding year, including diabetes mellitus, chronic metabolic diseases, chronic renal failure, haemoglobinopathies or immunosuppression, severe asthma
- Immune deficiency, including HIV, malignancy and chronic steroid use
- Residents of nursing homes or other long-term facilities and contacts of high risk patients, including health-care providers, staff of nursing homes and long-term care facilities and household members of persons in high-risk groups
- Children aged 6 months to 10 years on long-term aspirin therapy
- Women planning a pregnancy and pregnant women who will be in the second or third trimester during the influenza season, including those in the first trimester at the time of vaccination
* Vaccine is free for all individuals over 65 years. It is also free for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 50 years or aged 15-49 with risk factors. For all other people, vaccination is subsidised by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and is available by prescription.
Why should health care workers be immunised?
Health care workers are at an increased risk of both contracting and spreading influenza because of the nature of their work. 10 per cent of all workplace absenteeism due to illness is caused by influenza and during an outbreak of influenza, it is vital that our health care services are adequately staffed.
Can I get influenza from the vaccine?
No. The vaccine does not contain live virus so you cannot get influenza from the vaccine.
Which strains are covered in a vaccination?
The World Health Organisation monitors influenza outbreaks and provides advice on the most prevalent strains each year. These strains are monitored by Australian Government agencies who then recommend which strains should be covered in annual vaccinations.
The vaccines actually contain three strains of virus. These represent the predominant virus strain for each of the three circulating families of human influenza, two subtypes of influenza A and one of B.
What are the possible side effects of the vaccination?
The vaccination is safe. There is a very low risk of an allergic reaction to the vaccine but this is far lower than the risk of complications possible from contracting influenza. Some people can experience soreness and redness at the injection site or a mild fever but this will clear up after a day or two.
An association has been shown with influenza vaccine and Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) in the northern hemisphere in the 1990s with one to two cases of GBS per million vaccinated.
Who should avoid influenza vaccinations?
Anyone with a high fever or an allergy to either the antibiotic Gentamicin or eggs should not be vaccinated.
Will an influenza vaccination protect me from avian flu?
No. Epidemics of influenza (or flu) we see each year are caused by viruses already circulating among people. Avian or bird flu is caused by an entirely new virus subtype and it is more dangerous because we don't have an immunity to it. No cases of bird flu have been found in Australia. For more information see the Australian Government's avian flu website www.health.gov.au/avian_influenza.
Should I take antiviral medication?
If taken within 36 to 48 hours of the first symptoms appearing, antiviral medications can reduce both the severity and duration of influenza. Talk to your doctor for more information.
What can I do to help prevent the spread of influenza?
To prevent the spread of influenza you should:
- Get an annual influenza vaccination
- encourage health care workers, carers and 'at risk' people to be vaccinated
- stay at home if you develop flu symptoms
- wash your hands with soap regularly to protect yourself and others
- cough into your elbow, rather than your hands
- dispose of tissues into the bin immediately as germs can be transmitted by touch.
Want to know more?
Talk to your doctor.