Herd immunity. Heard of it?

August is National Immunization Awareness Month!  Watch out for more updates on vaccines coming soon! 

Image credit // Toby Amodeo

You probably know that vaccines protect your body from catching a disease. Many people get vaccinated to protect themselves. But did you also know that getting vaccinated could protect your friends, family and even strangers in your community as well?

Getting vaccinated doesn’t just prevent you from getting sick. It also stops you from spreading a disease to your friends and family. The same goes for other people. If your neighbors get vaccinated, it will keep them and those around them safe as well. If your entire block gets vaccinated, it will protect those people and people on the next block over. And if a whole lot more people get vaccinated, that’s when the “herd” idea comes in.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says that herd immunity, also known as community immunity, is when the majority of people in a community get vaccinated. 

Image credit // CDC / Judy Schmidt

People who get vaccinated are also protecting people who can’t get vaccinated, like newborns or those whose immune systems don’t work well. The more people who get vaccinated, the safer everyone else will be.

Everyone can play a role in improving their health and those around them by getting vaccinated.  Check out our free Get Ready fact sheet on vaccinations here!

Protect your community and join the herd!

It’s not too late: Dec. 7-13 is National Influenza Vaccination Week

Dec. 7-13 is National Influenza Vaccination Week, an observance organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to highlight the importance of annual flu immunizations.

It’s a particularly important reminder this year. On Wednesday CDC announced that the strain of this year’s most common virus, H3N2, has mutated, possibly reducing the vaccine’s ability to protect against those viruses. Flu seasons with predominantly H3N2 viruses often bring more severe flu cases, including more hospitalizations and deaths.

“It’s too early to say for sure that this will be a severe flu season, but Americans should be prepared,” CDC Director Tom Frieden said in a news statement. “We can save lives with a three-pronged effort to fight the flu: vaccination, prompt treatment for people at high risk of complications and preventive health measures, such as staying home when you’re sick, to reduce flu spread.”

Getting your flu shots remains vital; it provides protection against mutated, or “drifted,” viruses in past seasons and offers protection against other flu viruses that could become common later in the flu season. Flu activity commonly peaks in the U.S. in January or February.

Everyone who is at least 6 months of age should get a flu shot, according to CDC, while healthy children ages 2-8 should get a nasal spray vaccine.

Take and share CDC’s flu pledge to protect yourself and those around you by getting vaccinated. And visit APHA’s Get Ready blog for a variety of resources, including vaccination fact sheets for kids, teens and adults.


Cross posted from APHA's www.publichealthnewswire.org.

New Get Ready podcast: Why vaccinations are even more important as we age

Immunizations are critical for seniors.
Photo: CDC/ Judy Schmidt

In our latest Get Ready Report podcast, we speak with Steven Cohen, an assistant professor within the Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, Epidemiology Division, at Virginia Commonwealth University. Cohen explains why immunizations are critical for seniors.
 
“Vaccines are so important at every stage of life, and particularly in older adults,” Cohen says. “Our immune systems tend to decline over time.”
 
Because of that vulnerability, seniors are more likely to be hospitalized or die from diseases like pneumonia or the flu, he said.
 
Cohen discusses the myths and facts of vaccinations for seniors in the new podcast. Everyone 6 months and older should receive their flu vaccination annually, even if they received one last year or the formula in the flu shot hasn’t changed.
 
“Getting vaccinated every year is one of the easiest things you can do to prevent a major cause of death, and it’s extremely cheap and usually available,” he said.
 
Listen to the podcast now or read the transcript. For more information on seniors and immunization, take a look at Get Ready’s fact sheet on vaccinations for seniors.

What to know and do about flu

Today’s guest blog is by Michael Jhung, MD, MPH, MS, a medical officer for the Surveillance and Outbreak Response Team in the Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On Feb. 20, CDC announced that the current flu season has been hard on young and middle-aged adults, with people ages 18-64 accounting for 61 percent of flu hospitalizations. CDC noted that the season is still ongoing and it’s not too late to get a flu shot.

Winter is in full swing and flu activity is elevated nationwide. Getting a flu vaccination now may still help protect you from becoming sick this winter and spring. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that flu vaccination continue into February and beyond, as long as flu viruses are circulating.

Should you get the flu vaccine if you’ve already been sick with the flu this season? Yes. Even if you’ve had the flu, it is possible to get it again. Many different types of flu viruses circulate each winter and spring, and getting vaccinated now may protect you from one of the other flu viruses to which you may be exposed.

Even healthy people can benefit from a flu vaccine. Getting vaccinated protects you and those around you, especially people who are at high risk for flu complications, such as people with chronic disease, seniors, pregnant women and young children. Babies under 6 months are too young to get vaccinated, so the best way to protect them is for everyone around them to get vaccinated.

In addition to getting vaccinated, you can take everyday preventive actions to help reduce the spread of germs. Try to avoid contact with people who are sick. If you or your child gets sick, stay home from work or school. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and throw the tissue in the trash. Wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer to keep from spreading flu to others.

Flu symptoms usually come on suddenly and include some or all of these: fever or feeling feverish/chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue. Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults. It’s also important to remember that not everyone with flu will have a fever.

If you get the flu, prescription antiviral drugs are a treatment option. Many people can benefit from taking antiviral drugs like Tamiflu that can shorten the time you are sick and lessen the severity of symptoms. Antiviral medicines work best when started soon after symptoms develop, so people — especially high risk groups — should seek medical care ASAP.

Flu can be a very serious disease. Do your part to protect against the flu and encourage others to do the same.

Find a flu vaccine provider at http://vaccine.healthmap.org/. Join @CDCFlu and APHA’s @GetReady on social media to share the news of your vaccination by posting a message using #vaxwithme. In doing so, you will help remind and encourage others to get vaccinated.

Flu season is here: Vaccination is your best protection

Dr. Michael Jhung,
medical officer for the influenza division,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Today’s guest blog is by Michael Jhung, MD, MPH, MS, a medical officer for the Surveillance and Outbreak Response Team in the Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show nearly all states reporting some level of flu activity. While flu activity nationally remains low, it has been increasing and is likely to continue rising in the coming weeks. If you have not already gotten a flu vaccine this season, you should do so now. The flu vaccine is the best protection against the flu and any potential serious complications.

In the United States each year, on average, 5 percent to 20 percent of the population gets the flu and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from seasonal flu-related complications. Last flu season was a stark reminder of how severe influenza can be. There were high influenza hospitalization rates, especially in the elderly. CDC saw the highest proportion of persons 65 and older hospitalized for flu since tracking began during the 2005-2006 season. And sadly, the number of pediatric deaths was one of the highest since flu tracking began.

For these reasons, CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older receive an annual flu vaccination. It is especially important that people at high risk of flu-related complications get vaccinated. This includes pregnant women; children younger than 5, but especially those younger than 2 years; adults 65 and older; and people with chronic diseases such as asthma, heart disease and diabetes. Also, it’s especially important that people living with or caring for people who are at high risk of flu complications be vaccinated; this includes health care professionals and those living with children younger than 6 months of age, as they are too young to be vaccinated.

The good news this year is there are more flu vaccine options than there have ever been. CDC does not recommend one type of flu vaccine over the others; the important thing is to get vaccinated. To find vaccine near you, visit http://vaccine.healthmap.org.
Join @CDCFlu and @GetReady on social media to share the news of your vaccination by posting a message using #vaxwithme. In doing so, you will help remind and encourage others to get vaccinated — it’s the best protection.

Do you know how to prevent infections?

Last week was International Infection Prevention Week, sponsored by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

Observed annually around the word, the event highlights the importance of preventing infections in patients. According to the association, one in 20 hospitalized patients will get a health care-associated infection as a result of care received in the hospital. To safeguard yourself and people you care about, the association recommends that patients clean their hands, cover their coughs, ask their health care providers to clean their hands and to speak up if they have any questions about their care.

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology has launched a new campaign for consumers, called Infection Prevention and You, to remind them to do their part in preventing infections. The campaign includes a new infographic that consumers and health care providers can share.

Preventing infections is also important beyond the hospital. Whether it’s at home, at work, at school or in your community, there are things that you can do to stay healthy.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccines as an important way to ward off infections, particularly during flu season. It’s always better to prevent a disease than treat it, and staying up to date on your vaccines is one of the best ways to do so. Not only will this keep you healthy, it will prevent the spread of disease to those around you. Check out the Get Ready campaign’s fact sheet about why vaccines are important.

CDC also recommends disinfecting frequently touched surfaces often. This should be done on a regular basis, but if someone at home is sick, you should clean more often.

Be a part of International Infection Prevention Week by sharing resources for children, consumers and health professionals.

Get Ready Mailbag: What kind of flu shots are there?

Welcome to another installment of the Get Ready Mailbag, when we take time to answer questions sent our way by readers like you. Have a question you want answered? Send an email to getready@apha.org.

Q: There are so many kinds of flu shots this year — how do I know which one is right for me?

A: We're glad you're planning on getting your flu shot. Every year there is a different combination of flu strains in the vaccine. This year’s flu shot is different than last year’s formula, so the shot you got last year will not protect you.

And you’re right about the kinds of flu shots - there are more options than ever!  But there’s no reason to be confused. Here’s a breakdown of the different kinds of flu vaccinations options that are available in the U.S. this year:

• Injection: This is the most common type of flu vaccination. If you’ve had a flu shot before, you know what to expect: You’ll get a small amount of flu vaccine injected into your muscle (usually your deltoid, or shoulder).

• Nasal: The flu vaccine is also available as a nasal spray,  though it should not be used by pregnant women or those with certain conditions, such as asthma.

• Intradermal flu shot: For people afraid of needles, this is the flu shot for you! The needle is much smaller on this type of shot, and the vaccine is delivered intradermally (under your skin) instead of in your muscle like the regular flu shot. This option can cost extra, so check with your doctor or pharmacy.

• High-dose flu shot: The high-dose flu shot is made for people 65 and older. It has a stronger dose of medication than the regular seasonal flu shot.

• Preservative-free, single-dose flu shot: Normally the flu-shot — like many other vaccines and injections — comes in a multi-dose bottle with a small amount of preservative known as thimerosol to help the vaccine stay fresh for longer. Some people prefer preservative-free flu shots. These are more expensive, come packaged in a single dose and usually have to be ordered ahead of time.

Remember that whichever type of flu vaccine that you choose, it will protect you against three strains of flu.

The best time to get your flu shot is early in the flu season, before flu is widespread in the community, because it can take up to two weeks for the flu shot to fully protect you. And don't forget to practice good hand hygiene and cold and flu etiquette year-round!

We hope this has helped you decide what flu shot is right for you. If you need to find out where to get your flu shot, check out HealthMap's Flu Vaccine Finder.

Announcing the winners of our 2012 Get Ready Scholarship

Six students at the high school, undergraduate and graduate level have been chosen to receive scholarships in APHA’s fourth annual Get Ready Scholarship competition.

The Get Ready Scholarship is designed to encourage high school and college students to focus on the importance of emergency preparedness. Students were asked to write essays on various topics related to public health and preparedness. Out of hundreds of essays, the following six were chosen as winners:

High school level:
• Craig Earley: Powder River County District High School, Broadus, Mont.
• Devika Patel: Montclair Kimberley Academy, Parsippany, N.J.

Undergraduate level:
• Kiyra A. L. Crooks: University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
• Ryan Masterson: Hunter College, New Haven, Conn.

Graduate level:
• Kimberley Kurek: George Mason University, School of Nursing, Washington, D.C.
• Nicole Pristera: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio

Each student will receive a $500 scholarship and a one-year APHA student membership. Read excerpts from the winning essays on the Get Ready website.

Congratulations to our winners, and thanks to every student who submitted an essay!

Flu Fridays: How is the flu shot made? (Part 2)

Happy Flu Friday!

In our previous Flu Friday post, we talked about the process of deciding what types of flu will be covered by the seasonal flu shot. Today, we’ll take a closer look at how the shot is made each year. But first, here’s a little background on how vaccines protect you from diseases.

Vaccines work by tricking your body into thinking it has an infection. This is because vaccines contain dead or weakened forms of the bacteria or virus that they are trying to protect you from. Even though these bacteria or viruses are too weak to make you sick, when your body notices these invaders, the immune system kicks in. Your body builds up defenses against the invaders so that when you come in contact with a full-strength virus such as the flu, your body already knows how to fight it off.

There are two ways to get your flu vaccination: Via a shot or a nasal spray. Flu shots have inactive — or dead — viruses, while the nasal spray form of the vaccine contains weakened viruses. Whether you get your vaccine in a shot or a nasal spray, the vaccine helps your body prepare to fight the most common strains of flu each season.

But back to the making of the flu vaccine: As we discussed previously, seasonal flu vaccines contain three strains of viruses. After the strains of flu are chosen, scientists then have to grow enough of the viruses to make millions of doses of the flu vaccine that are used every year. This process can take up to six months or more because the viruses are grown in a very delicate place: The inside of a chicken egg!

[Flu researcher inserting virus into a chicken egg.
Image courtesy CDC/Taronna Maines]

In the lab, viruses are injected into each egg, and then the eggs sit at a perfect temperature for the virus to spread. After a few days, the viruses are removed from the egg and killed. Proteins from the dead virus are separated out. It’s these proteins that go into your flu shot. (Even if you have an egg allergy, the flu vaccine is probably safe for you — here’s why: http://getreadyforflu.blogspot.com/2012/01/get-ready-mailbag-can-people-with-egg.html)

Labs around the world start working on the vaccines during the summer months so that the seasonal flu vaccine is ready to go by the start of the flu season in the fall or winter. After you get your flu shot, it takes a few weeks for your body’s immune system to protect you from the flu, which is why it’s best to get your seasonal flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available!

Flu Fridays: How is the flu shot made? (Part 1)

Happy Flu Friday! Here at Get Ready, we spend a lot of time talking about the importance of getting your flu shot every year. But have you ever wondered how the vaccine is made?

There are actually two parts to making a flu shot: First, experts decide what types of flu will be included in the flu shot for the next year. Then, vaccine manufacturers start making the flu shots so that by the time the next flu season starts, millions of doses will be available. Today we’ll talk about the first part of the question: How do they decide what goes into a flu shot?

Image courtesy
CDC/ Doug Jordan, M.A.

Every year, in more than 100 countries around the world, health workers and scientists collect samples from people who are sick with the flu. These samples are sent to five international labs, chosen by the World Health Organization, that test the samples and find out what strains of influenza are most common. (In case you were wondering, the five labs are in the U.S., England, Australia, China and Japan.)

In the beginning of the year, WHO calls a big meeting with all of these international flu researchers. They figure out which types of influenza viruses were most common over the past year and then decide which strains should be included in the next seasonal flu shot. The formulas can change every year, which is why it is important that you get a new flu shot every season.

This big WHO vaccine composition meeting just happened in February. Participants decided that next year’s flu shots should protect people against two kinds of influenza A, H1N1 and H3N2, and one kind of influenza B. To learn about the difference between influenza A and B, check out our blog post about what causes the flu. You can also learn more about the vaccine selection process from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Once WHO makes its recommendations, vaccine companies around the world start making flu vaccines for the next season. While WHO recommends specific vaccine viruses for vaccine production, each country makes its own decision for vaccine licensing in its country. Making the new vaccine can take six to nine months, which means that companies are already starting to make your flu shot for next year!

Want to learn more? Check out Part 2 on how the flu shot is made, where we take a closer look at the flu shot manufacturing process.

Are you heading to the Olympics this summer? Add one more thing to your packing list

Did you know that it’s National Public Health Week? There’s a different theme every day, and today’s theme is communicable diseases. We thought this would be a great time to talk to travelers headed to the upcoming Olympic Games in London about protecting yourself from infectious diseases.

What do sporting events and international travel have to do with infectious diseases? Plenty, say the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last month, CDC asked travelers to help prevent a major measles outbreak in the U.S. by making sure their vaccines are up to date before they travel to the Olympics or any other major sporting event this summer.

CDC is worried because measles is more widespread in Europe. Officials believe that if Americans who aren’t vaccinated travel to the huge gatherings this summer, they could easily become infected and then bring measles back to the U.S., creating an outbreak here. “Disease knows no borders,” said Rebecca Martin director of CDC’s Global Immunization Division, in a recent USA Today article.

Image courtesy CDC/Judy Schmidt

This isn’t the first time that big sporting events caused concern about spreading disease. In February, two people with measles went to the Super Bowl Village in Indianapolis before Super Bowl XLVI. Fourteen people came down with measles afterwards — and only one of them was up to date on their MMR vaccination, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.

The MMR vaccine is very effective, and it’s the best way to prevent you and your loved ones from getting the measles. The vaccine works best when two doses are given about a month apart. If you are traveling to Europe this summer for big gatherings such as the Olympic Games or the Euro 2012 soccer championship — or even if you’re going just for sightseeing — now is the time to get your shots!

CDC has information about the measles and the MMR vaccine and also general information about vaccines for travelers.

Flu Fridays: Four things to do to stop the spread of flu

Welcome back! Now that we have a better understanding of what causes the flu, this week we’ll talk about how to protect yourself and your loved ones from this illness.

A little more background: The flu is spread when someone infected with the virus coughs, sneezes or talks. Droplets of saliva can carry the virus up to six feet away, as shown in the picture below. These droplets can land in the noses or mouths of people nearby, or they can land on surfaces, where people can unknowingly get the virus on their hands.

Sneeze image courtesy CDC/ Brian Judd.

Because we can’t see the virus, we have to take extra steps to prevent its spread. Here are four things you can do to protect yourself from the flu:

1. Get a flu vaccine. The flu vaccine is the best defense against the flu. Every year, scientists develop a new vaccine based on the type of flu viruses that are circulating. (Remember those fast-mutating strains we talked about last week?) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get a flu vaccine. If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet, it’s not too late!

2. Practice good hygiene. If the picture above made you want to wash your hands, that’s good. Regular hand-washing can help prevent flu and other infectious agents from entering your body. Be sure to use soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer. You can read a lot more about good hand-washing technique on our hand-washing resource page. Making sure that you eat well and get enough rest can also help you to stay healthy.

3. Don’t be “that guy.” (Or gal!) If you do get sick with a flu-like illness, do everyone a favor: Stay home! Most people agree that if someone is sick, they shouldn’t come to school or work. But many people (64 percent, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases) also admit to occasionally going about their daily activities despite being sick with the flu.

Still thinking about going into work, despite your sneezing and fever? Consider this: People with the flu can be contagious for 24 hours before they have any symptoms, and might still be contagious for 24 hours after their fever goes away. And if you’re sick and have to cough or sneeze, remember to cover your mouth!

4. See your doctor if you have flu symptoms. Common symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

If you experience these symptoms, and especially if they start suddenly, make sure you seek medical attention. If you have the flu, your health care provider may be able to prescribe anti-viral medications that could help you get better faster.

Not sure if it’s the cold or the flu? This fact sheet from APHA can help you tell the difference. And here’s another tip: Instead of running to the store when you get sick, how about stocking up on supplies beforehand? Here’s a list of what you’ll need.

Thanks for joining us for Flu Fridays. We hope that you learned something to help you stay flu-free this year!