1. Are You Ready for The Flu
Season?
When flu season comes around, it is important to know the facts. Protect yourself and your family from infection by learning
more about the flu. Then, take steps to prevent it by following these tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC).
What is the flu? Preventing seasonal flu: Get vaccinated
Influenza, or the flu, is a The single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine each season. There are two
contagious respiratory illness types of flu vaccines:
caused by a virus. It may
seem like just an • “Flu shots” — inactivated vaccines (containing killed virus) that are given with a
inconvenience, but it can needle. There are three flu shots being produced for the United States market
become severe or cause life- now.
threatening complications. o The regular seasonal flu shot is “intramuscular”
which means it is injected into muscle (usually in
the upper arm). It has been used for decades and is
approved for use in people 6 months of age and
older, including healthy people, people with
chronic medical conditions and pregnant women.
Regular flu shots make up the bulk of the vaccine
supply produced for the United States.
o A hi-dose vaccine for people 65 and older which also
is intramuscular. This vaccine was first made
Symptoms may include available during the 2010-2011 season.
fever, headache, extreme o An intradermal vaccine for people 18 to 64 years of
tiredness, dry cough, sore age which is injected with a needle into the
throat, runny or stuffy nose, “dermis” or skin. This vaccine was first made
and muscle aches. available during the 2011-2012 season.
Gastrointestinal signs, such o
as nausea, vomiting and • The nasal–spray flu vaccine — a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses
diarrhea, are more common that is given as a nasal spray (sometimes called LAIV for “Live Attenuated
among children. The flu Influenza Vaccine”). The viruses in the nasal spray vaccine do not cause the flu.
spreads when a sick person LAIV is approved for use in healthy* people 2 to 49 years of age who are not
coughs, sneezes or speaks. pregnant.
This sends the virus into the
air. Then, other people may About two weeks after vaccination, antibodies develop that protect against influenza virus
inhale it through their nose, infection. Flu vaccines will not protect against flu-like illnesses caused by non-influenza
throat or lungs. Once viruses.
breathed in, the germs
multiply and cause The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the three influenza viruses that research suggests
symptoms. Touching a will be most common.
surface with the virus and
then touching your nose, Many health plans now cover flu Shots administered by in-network providers at 100% under
mouth or eyes also can Preventive Care benefits. Check your schedule of benefits and confirm with your in-
spread the flu. network provider that they are participating in the Flu shot program with your insurance
carrier.

2. When should I get a flu vaccination?
CDC recommends that people get their seasonal flu vaccine as soon as vaccine becomes available in their community.
Yearly flu shots usually begin in September. Vaccination before December is best since this timing ensures that protective
antibodies are in place before flu activity is typically at its highest.
Who should get vaccinated?
Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each year. It's especially important that certain people get vaccinated
either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at
high risk for developing flu-related complications.
1. Pregnant women
2. Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
3. People 50 years of age and older
4. People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
5. People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
6. People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from
flu, including:
1. Health care workers
2. Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from
the flu
Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of
age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)
Does flu vaccine work right away?
No. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against influenza
virus infection. In the meantime, you are still at risk for getting the flu. That’s why it’s better to get vaccinated early in the fall,
before the flu season really gets under way.
Why do I need to get vaccinated against the flu every year?
There are two reasons for getting a yearly flu vaccine:
• Flu viruses are constantly changing, flu vaccines may be updated from one season to the next to protect against the most
recent and most commonly circulating viruses.
• A person’s immune protection from vaccination declines over time and annual vaccination is needed for optimal
protection.
THE GARDNER GROUP For more information visit:
Managing Employee Benefits
http://www.cdc.gov/flu
www.TheGardnerGroup.com