Local health officials urge getting flu vaccination
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ESCANABA -- Flu season is upon us. The onset of autumn brings with it several viruses that tend to circulate this time of year, including influenza, COVID, parainfluenza, RSV, and adenoviruses.
"Flu activity often begins to increase in October," said Jennie Miller, RN, BSN at Public Health Delta and Menominee Counties. The peak of the season usually occurs around the beginning of the new year, but "significant activity can last as late as May," Miller said.
Immunity to viruses develops after exposure. While some, like varicella zoster virus (VZV) -- the virus that causes chicken pox -- have a genetically stable genome and a single exposure is usually enough to prevent future cases, others undergo antigenic drift -- in other words, they evolve and mutate. This is why an individual exposed to last year's influenza strain may very well fall ill again this year; the surface proteins of the virus may have changed enough so that the body does not recognize it nor have the defenses to fight it.
Knowledge of antigenic drift and studies of circulating viruses allows experts to complete annual reviews and update the composition of flu vaccines as needed, Miller said.
"Our immune systems are amazing, but not everyone’s immune system is as strong as others. … A vaccine teaches your body to make immunity without having to get sick first. That way, you don’t have to experience the potential risks of dealing with a virus on your own," Miller explained.
After a new vaccine has been developed, it may be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be tested on people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each vaccine undergoes several phases of clinical trials to test for safety, dosage, side effects, immune response, and benefits, with each phase testing a greater number of volunteers. Only if it proves effective and the benefits outweigh any risks will the trials lead to FDA approval.
"Once a flu vaccine has been licensed by FDA, recommendations for its 'routine' (regular) use are typically made by CDC's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP). For example, ACIP recommends annual flu vaccination for all U.S. residents 6 months and older, with rare exception," according to the CDC. Both the FDA and CDC continue to monitor vaccine safety even after it has been approved for use.
"Flu vaccines are safe and effective in reducing severe disease and death -- especially among the most at-risk groups," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, at a media briefing last October.
In addition to vaccination, good health habits such as "getting plenty of sleep, drinking plenty of fluids, and eating nutritious foods" are a form of preventative action when it comes to flu viruses, said Miller. Coupled with hygiene -- frequent hand-washing; avoidance of touching the eyes, nose and mouth -- and disinfection of surfaces, these actions may help reduce transmission. And the less a virus replicates, the fewer chances it has to evolve.