Introduction
Most of the time, people with flu ignore the disease especially when the symptoms are very mild. Moreover, people think of the flu as a bad cold. However, flu is worse than cold (Williams, 2014). Because of misinformation, there is a necessity for a better information dissemination concerning the flu, its causes, and the flu vaccines. Thus, this report gives information about the flu and the flu vaccine.
The Flu
Flu is a viral disease primarily caused by influenza viruses (CDC, 2014a). Most of the time, influenza viruses attack the windpipe and the lungs. Flu is considered a highly contagious disease, and its symptoms are known to effect very quickly. Moreover, there exists a multitude of different strains of influenza viruses. Needless to say, cases of flu may differ from one another in terms of viral infection and severity of symptoms. Furthermore, flu is considered a seasonal disease, which means that the rate of epidemics increases at a certain period of time (CDC, 2014a; CDC, 2014b; Williams, 2014). Therefore, there is a necessity for public information about the flu, and how communities must respond to prevent the spread of this disease.
As stated, the flu is caused by influenza viruses. These influenza viruses are categorized into three types: (1) Type A Flu virus, (2) Type B Flu Virus, and (3) Type C Flu virus. Type A Flu viruses cause serious health problems because of the severity of symptoms, and its high susceptibility to mutate to another strain that people are not resistant to. On the other hand, Type B Flu viruses cause less severe symptoms and smaller outbreaks, while Type C Flu viruses cause mild symptoms that are almost similar to the common cold (NHS, 2012).
The flu is characterized by fever, chills, headache, aches, extreme tiredness and pains in the joints and muscles. However, the severity of the symptoms depend on the type influenza virus (could be more than one) that caused the flu. Additionally, people could develop more serious illnesses when attacked by the flu. The flu could increase the risk of developing some illnesses such as pneumonia and bronchitis. The severity of the disease varies from the symptoms similar to the common cold while other cases could develop into more serious problem such as permanent hospitalization and even death (CDC, 2014a; CDC, 2014b).
The flu is a seasonal disease. This means that at a certain period of time annually, epidemics or outbreaks are more common. The flu is apparent during the winter season, although some parts of the world develop outbreaks during some parts of the year. The spread of disease mostly happens by sick-to-well events. Body fluids of a sick person – from coughing, sneezing or direct contact – can be transferred to a non-sick person without realizing it (CDC, 2014a; Williams, 2014).
The Vaccine
Similar to other vaccines, the flu vaccines are used for the development of antibodies that fight off the disease. However, because of the different types of influenza viruses, the vaccines are developed and distributed such that the vaccine is suitable for the protection against the most likely viruses that would cause the disease for the incoming period of time. Usually, the vaccines are good for one whole year, however, the effectiveness of the vaccines wear off. Additionally, because of the presence of different types of influenza viruses, annual vaccination is recommended for most people (Canell et al, 2008; CDC, 2014a; CDC, 2014b; Williams, 2014). Therefore, there is a necessity for a vaccination against flu at least once a year.
The flu vaccine takes at most two weeks to develop protection after vaccination, and the protection lasts ranging from several months to a year (CDC, 2014b).
The vaccines are developed to fight off the most likely type of viruses that would cause the disease. This means that every year, health organizations develop ways to predict which types of viruses have the most tendency to initiate outbreaks. After the prediction phase, the vaccines will be developed and tested (Williams, 2014).
There are two types of vaccines that are readily available this year. Traditionally, trivalent vaccines are distributed, but quadrivalent vaccines are also available. Trivalent vaccines are vaccines that contain protection against a Type A Flu Virus (H1N1), another Type A Flu virus (H3N2) and a Type B Flu Virus, while quadrivalent vaccines contain the same protection with an additional protection against Type B Flu virus (CDC, 2014b).
Conclusion
The flu if often ignored by most people, especially when the symptoms are mild. However, complications may arise, and the severity of the disease varies. The flu is caused by different types of influenza viruses categorized into three classifications: Type A, Type B and Type C. The symptoms of the flu are fever, chills, headache, aches, extreme tiredness, and pains in the joints and muscles. The severity of the symptoms varies because of different types of viruses that caused the flu. Needless to say, the existence of various influenza viruses implies that there is a need for health organizations to predict which types of viruses are most likely to initiate outbreaks in the upcoming seasons for the development of more effective vaccines.
References:
Cannell, John et al. (2008). On the Epidemiology of Influenza. Virology Journal 5:29.
CDC. (2014a, August 19). Influenza Vaccine: What You Need to Know. Vaccine Information Statement.
CDC. (2014b, October 22). Key Facts about Seasonal Flu Vaccine. Retrieved from (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm)
NHS. (2012, September 13). How the flu jab works. Retrieved from (http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/pages/how-flu-vaccine-works.aspx)
Williams, Lea. (2014). The Flu Vaccination: Winter 2014/15. England: NHS.
