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flu shot

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It’s that time of year again! Get your flu shot at Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station on Tuesday, Oct. 5 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. or Tuesday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring a copy of your ID and your insurance card. Open to ages 18 and older. For more information, please call 928-1212, option #3.

St. Francis Community Health Van

The next stop for the St. Francis Hospital community health van will be St. Anthony of Padua Parish Outreach, 1025 Fifth Ave., East Northport on Friday, Jan. 22.  Free health screenings will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Services include a blood pressure check, a simple blood test for cholesterol, a heart health history and a diabetes screening for patients older than 18. Free flu shots are also available. No appointment is needed. Face masks are mandatory. For further details, call 631-261-1695.

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The Visiting Nurse Service will administer annual flu shots by appointment in the Parish Outreach office of St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1025 Fifth Ave., East Northport on Wednesday, Sept. 16 from 10 a.m. to noon. Traditional Medicare (Part B) and Medicaid are accepted (not Medicare HMO or managed care Medicaid); others can pay $35 by cash or check. Private insurance is not accepted, but a consent form can be submitted to most insurers. Please bring your insurance card. Recipients will be required to wear masks and practice social distancing. Call 631-261-1695 to make an appointment.

Local officials and health professional are urging residents to get this year's flu shot. Stock photo

By Saul Hymes, M.D.

Dr. Saul Hymes

Make sure you and your loved ones are ready for the flu season by getting vaccinated. While the best time to get vaccinated is October or November, you can get vaccinated before the flu season and even in December or later. We don’t yet know what type of season we will encounter, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Cold or flu: How can you tell?

Influenza, or the flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses and tends to be more severe than a cold. A cold is caused by a different virus and has milder symptoms. People with the flu will usually have fever, muscle aches and more fatigue.

The flu can also cause very severe complications including pneumonia and can lead to hospitalization and death. More mild cases may be indistinguishable from a cold and the duration can be the same (about 5-7 days). There may be times when you’re uncertain if you have the flu or a cold, so it’s good to know that there’s a test to diagnose the influenza virus, which most doctors’ offices and ERs are able to perform.

Treating the flu vs. a cold

Both are treated with rest and lots of fluids, while the pain and fever associated with either can be treated with medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Influenza may also be treated with a direct antiviral medication, Tamiflu. However, depending on risk factors and the person’s age, not all people with influenza need Tamiflu. This should be discussed with your physician. 

Who is at risk? 

People who are over the age of 65, adults and children with conditions like asthma, diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease need to get a flu shot. Pregnant women and people who live in facilities like nursing homes are also encouraged to get a flu shot. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone six months of age and older should get their yearly flu vaccine. There are documented benefits from this, including reductions in illnesses, related doctors’ visits and missed work or school. Even an imperfect vaccination can contribute to fewer hospitalizations and deaths from influenza. 

Dispelling the myths

Some people think that the flu shot can cause the flu. Not true. While some people get a little soreness or redness where they get the shot, it goes away in a day or two. And the nasal mist flu vaccine might cause nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat and cough. But the risk of a severe allergic reaction is very rare — it’s less than one in four million. 

Others say the flu shot doesn’t work, which is also not true. Most of the time, the flu shot will prevent the flu. In scientific studies, the effectiveness of the flu shot has ranged from 70 to 90 percent when there’s a good match between circulating viruses and those in the vaccine. 

Habits that can help

Help keep the flu at bay. Avoid those who are ill. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, then cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder (not into your hands). Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. Stay home from work if you’re sick. Keep your children out of school and after-school activities if they’re sick.  

At Stony Brook University Hospital, we also encourage visitors who may be experiencing symptoms not to visit their loved ones in the hospital until they are healthy. 

If you would like to get a flu shot, we can refer you to a provider in your area. Call Stony Brook Medicine’s HealthConnect at 631-444-4000 or visit your physician or local pharmacy.

Dr. Saul Hymes is an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics and specialist in pediatric infectious disease at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital.

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Along with falling leaves, colder weather and comfy sweaters, autumn also brings the flu, and while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last year’s season was one of the worst on record, only time will tell how serious this season will be.

Despite the prevalence of the influenza virus and availability of vaccines, the virus still remains deadly on an annual basis. The CDC reported an estimated 80,000 people in the U.S. died from health complications related to influenza during the 2017-18 season, the highest fatality rate compared to any contemporary season on record since first published in 1976.

Of those deaths 183 were children, the most since 171 died in the 2012-13. Approximately 80 percent of those children who died did not receive a flu vaccination, according to the CDC.

The 2017-18 flu season yielded 30,453 influenza-related hospitalizations from October 2017 through April 2018. People 65 years or older accounted for the majority of those hospitalizations, according to the CDC. Overall hospitalization rates were also the highest on record.

Influenza viruses are hard to pin down, as they come in several forms which can require different vaccinations. The influenza A virus was the preeminent strand throughout the 2017-18 season, though influenza B viruses showed up in different parts of the season.

The CDC report for 2017-18 said the flu shot was only 25 percent effective against the H3N2 virus and 65 percent against H1N1, both type A viruses. Meanwhile it was 49 percent effective against B viruses. The report estimated the overall vaccine effectiveness at 40 percent, meaning it reduced a person’s overall risk of having to seek medical care for flu illness at that rate.

The CDC still strongly recommends vaccines as the best way to prevent contracting the virus, but especially for children at least 6 months old, and people aged 50 and older. Children aged 6 months through 8 years who require two doses should receive the first vaccination as soon as possible, and their next dose four weeks later, according to the CDC. For those looking to travel this season the CDC recommends a vaccination two or more weeks before departure.

The new vaccines being rolled out for the 2018-19 flu season will contain agents to specifically target the A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) viruses along with the usual B viruses.

The CDC recommends everyone 6 months or older gets a shot before the end of October. Flu shots are available at most primary care physicians, but also in CVS Pharmacy, Rite Aid and Walgreens stores free with most insurance plans. The shot is also available in pharmacies in local Stop & Shop, Walmart, Target and Kmart stores. Many colleges, such as Stony Brook University, are offering flu shots to its students. Call your doctor or local pharmacy to ask whether they currently supply flu shots.

Flu season is hitting New York and the country as a whole especially hard this year. Stock photo

Flu season is hitting harder than usual across the United States this year, and New York has been no exception.

The New York State Department of Health Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report for the week ending Feb. 3, the most recent week available, said it was the ninth consecutive week that widespread influenza activity was reported. The “widespread” distinction means two or more additional lab-confirmed cases of influenza were reported in greater than 31 of the 62 counties in the state per 100,000 people. Nearly 16,000 lab-confirmed cases were reported for that week in New York, compared to about 5,300 for the same week in 2017.

More than 1,100 cases were reported for the same week in Suffolk County, bringing the season-to-date total to 3,301. The week ending Feb. 3 saw nearly identical numbers for the preceding two weeks in Suffolk combined. Three influenza-associated pediatric deaths have been reported in New York so far this season, and 63 nationwide.

A Feb. 9 update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated influenza-like illness reached 7.7 percent, the highest rate since the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, or Swine Flu, which peaked at 7.7 percent. The overall hospitalization rate was higher for the past week than the rate reported for the same week in 2015, a high severity season, according to the CDC. Of the last six flu seasons, the 2017-18 hospitalization rate — 60 hospitalizations per 100,000 people — is the highest at this point in the season. Hospitalization rates have only exceeded 60 per 100,000 people over that span for nine weeks cumulatively — six weeks in 2015 and three weeks in 2017. Influenza-like illness has been at or above the national baseline for 11 weeks. During the last five flu seasons, influenza-like illness remained at or above baseline for 16 weeks on average, meaning the current flu season should be expected to continue for at least the next several weeks.

Flu prevention tips from the CDC:

1. Avoid close contact.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

2. Stay home when you are sick.

If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. This will help prevent spreading your illness to others.

3. Cover your mouth and nose.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.

4. Clean your hands.

Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

6. Practice other good health habits.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

“I think something that the public tends to forget from year to year is that influenza is a significant health issue,” said Dr. Michael Grosso, the chief medical officer at Huntington Hospital. “Were this any other kind of infection, we would be rather alarmed as a country. We’re sort of accustomed to the flu.”

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) and Health Commissioner Dr. James Tomarken announced last week the county is offering free influenza immunization to residents following Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) declaration of a statewide public health emergency.

“The health and wellness of our residents is of utmost importance,” Bellone said in a statement, also thanking Cuomo for the emergency declaration, which resulted in the release of funding to allow for the free flu shots.

Tomarken and Grosso each stressed it is not too late in the season to obtain a flu shot.

“I think it’s important that leaders not ever send mixed signals about this,” Grosso said.

Cuomo also directed the Suffolk DHS to provide educational information to schools, colleges and other service providers about obtaining flu shots and other preventative measures, according to a letter from Tomarken dated Feb. 9 on the DHS website.

Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) is sponsoring legislation that would, for the first time, collect data on all deaths resulting from influenza virus, not just deaths of those 18 years and younger. If approved, the statistics would be reported monthly during flu season and would become the basis of an annual report on that year’s flu season due to the Legislature each May.

“Our understanding of annual influenza outbreaks is limited by the limited data being collected by national, state and local health officials,” Hahn said in a statement. “When the statistics used to monitor this epidemic excludes nearly 79 percent of Suffolk County’s population it is difficult to get a clear picture of its impact on public health. I know having complete information will aid county officials who need to make reasonable predictions based upon available datasets.”

Legislator William ‘Doc’ Spencer (D-Centerport) is also supporting the bill.

Northwell Health, a health system that oversees several area hospitals including Huntington Hospital, has instituted a new “biosurveillance” system to track and respond to the volume of influenza cases it’s handling this season. Among other benefits, the system enables Northwell Health to proactively manage the distribution of resources, including supplies needed to treat patients and protect staff, such as antiviral medications, rapid-flu tests, masks and gloves.

Grosso said the implementation of the statistics yielded from the new system is still coming along, and he said he anticipates it will be a useful tool during subsequent flu seasons.

Free flu shots are available for Suffolk residents age 2 and older at local pharmacies and for those at least 6 months old at pediatrician and healthcare provider offices. Additionally, the county is offering free immunizations for residents 6 months old and up Feb. 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Riverhead Free Library and Feb. 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge. Residents are asked to call 631-787-2200 Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to schedule an appointment.