Remember, It Isn’t Just Bird Flu That Is Dangerous

By Gary Applebaum, M.D.

It is October and that means it’s time to prepare for flu season. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), every year up to 20 percent of Americans get the flu; more than 200,000 are hospitalized and 36,000 die.

People over age 65 are particularly susceptible to the flu. That is because as people get older their ability to fight off a virus or any infection diminishes.

The Pandemic Worry
For the past year whenever the conversation turns to flu, it tends to focus on a new form called Avian Influenza A, the H5N1 virus. H5N1, originally occurred only in birds, mostly poultry, in eight countries in Asia.

Eventually infections were reported in birds in other countries. Then, the greatest worry became reality: H5N1 spread to humans, but only about 200 cases have been reported. The worry is if this unique virus spreads from human to human (which hasn’t happened) it could cause a pandemic (world-wide epidemic) which hasn’t been seen since 1918.

Unfortunately, earlier recognition of the H5N1 danger didn’t occur, so right now there isn’t enough effective vaccine against H5N1, even in the U.S.

Get Vaccinated Anyway
A lot of people think because regular flu vaccines won’t protect against H5N1, there is no point in getting their shots this year. Not true! You still should protect yourself against this year’s regular flu strain. It is far more likely to affect you than the slight chance of bird flu.

Pneumonia resulting from flu is more likely to occur in older people, especially if they have a history of lung disease, heart disease, or diabetes. More than 900,000 older people develop pneumonia each year. It is the fifth highest killer of people over age 65, usually during winter flu season.