What are the Symptoms?
The symptoms of flu are similar to those of the common cold, but they tend to develop faster and are usually more intense. They include weakness, aches and pains, a runny nose, sore throat, coughing and sneezing. A fever or chills are also commonly experienced.

How Dangerous is Flu?
Every year in Canada, between 500 and 1,500 people die from complications of flu. However, for most people, having flu poses very little risk. At worst, it may take a month or more to recuperate. (The average time to recover from flu is two weeks, although most people feel weak and run down for a while afterwards.) The real danger of flu is that it lowers the body’s resistance to fight other infections. Many of these secondary infections can cause a person to become very sick, due to the immune system being weakened by the flu episode.

Bacterial pneumonia and viral pneumonia are two infections that are associated with flu. Disorders of the nervous system and heart/kidney failure may also follow a flu episode.

Certain sectors of the population are considered to be more at risk than others for developing complications from flu. These people are strongly encouraged to have a flu vaccination every year to protect themselves against flu viruses.

Who is Most at Risk?
The following people are considered to be high risk - meaning they are more likely than the population at large to catch flu and/ or develop complications from flu.

• Adults or children with chronic heart, lung or kidney disorders, or cystic fibrosis.
• Adults or children with asthma, diabetes, severe chronic anaemia, cancer or another long-term illness, or who have received an organ transplant.
• Adults aged 65 and over or people of any age living in a long-term care facility.
• Healthy adults living in the same house as high risk people (to protect the person at risk as well as themselves).
• Children and adolescents (6 months to 18 years) who have been treated for long periods with ASA.
• Health care providers and other people who are in contact with high risk individuals (to protect those at risk as well as themselves).

People at high risk and their caregivers may obtain a flu vaccination free of charge through their family doctor or at a public health clinic. (Contact your family doctor or local health department for details.)

When is the Best Time to be Vaccinated?
The best time to be vaccinated is in mid-October to late November - well before the arrival of “flu season” in December/January. You should not wait until flu has broken out in your area before being vaccinated.

Why Have a Flu Vaccination?
Influenza (flu) affects approximately one-third of the Canadian population each year. Although flu viruses exist throughout the world year-round, in Canada the flu season usually runs from December to April.

While most people suffer a bout of flu with no serious consequences, having flu is unpleasant and disruptive. A flu vaccine administered every year can help prevent the infection or reduce the severity of the illness.

After vaccination, your immune system will produce antibodies against the virus strains in the vaccine. If you are exposed to the flu virus, the antibodies circulating in your body will help to eliminate the virus and/or destroy cells that have been infected with it. This will either prevent the infection altogether, or reduce the severity of the flu.

Occasionally, the spot where you were vaccinated might feel sore. You may also feel achy or have a mild fever, but these symptoms should quickly pass.

Please note that children under six months of age and people who have had a severe allergic reaction to eggs or a previous dose of the vaccine should not be vaccinated. (The viruses used for flu shots are actually grown inside eggs.)

Flu Prevention Tips
While nothing can guarantee you won’t catch flu, observing the following will help reduce your personal risk.

• Keep yourself healthy. Ensuring your immune system is in fighting shape is the best way to keep flu at bay. Make sure you get enough exercise and sleep, and eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. If you think your diet is unbalanced, be sure to take a daily multi-vitamin and mineral combination.
• Avoid crowded areas during flu season, particularly those that are not well-ventilated. If you are in the vicinity of someone who is coughing and/or sneezing, move away from him as soon as possible.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. Flu viruses linger on items such as door handles, faucets and telephones. Be especially careful when out shopping, at bank machines, in public washrooms and restaurants, at the supermarket, the doctor’s office - and any other place where germs may have been deposited by other people. Be especially vigilant about washing your hands before preparing foods or eating.
• Avoid shaking hands whenever possible. If the situation dictates you must, then excuse yourself as soon as possible to wash your hands. Never put your hand to your nose or mouth, or touch food after shaking hands with someone.
• Never share glasses, mugs or straws, and teach your children not to as well. Always wash the tops of bottles and cans before drinking from them, since people visiting supermarkets may have sneezed or coughed on them.
• Have a flu vaccination. Flu vaccinations are 70 to 90 percent effective in preventing flu in healthy adults and about 70 percent effective in preventing flu with fever in children. The vaccine usually takes effect about two weeks after immunization and protection may last six months or longer.