Column: Flu shots protect yourself, others

The Tribune

Fall is upon us, and for many folks the changes in weather means sniffling noses, sneezing, a hacking cough, body aches and other ailments.

Local health officials, though not in exact agreement, say there likely is a virus going around and adults should take steps now to keep themselves and their families healthy.

One of those steps is to be vaccinated for influenza. The flu season typically starts this month and runs through May, with most cases occurring in January or February. And health care professionals already are seeing an uptick in cases.

Jackson County Health Department is making that process a little more convenient by offering flu shots at its offices on West Second Street in Seymour. It will also provide flu shots during the Schneck Foundation’s ninth annual Women’s Health Fair on Oct. 27 at Seymour-Jackson Elementary School. Cost of the vaccine is $25.

Although many people associate nausea, vomiting and diarrhea with the flu, those symptoms are more common in children and are not what people are coming down with now, health officials say. Influenza is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract, different from what’s called stomach flu, that results in fever, headaches, fatigue, dry coughing spells, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and muscle aches.

If a person already is suspected of having the flu, there is not much that can be done in the form of treatment. Antiviral medications are available by prescription but are limited to helping prevent flu complications and shortening the severity and duration of the illness, not curing it.

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