Once again, flu season is here, but this time there is more cause for concern. The H1N1 strain that caused a miniature epidemic in 2009 is back, along with the annual flu myths.
"H1N1 was a relatively new strain that became a pandemic, so we had to have a specific vaccine created to treat it," said Dr. Denise Werker, deputy chief medical health officer for Saskatchewan. "The current vaccine has all three strains of influenza."
This year's current vaccine is altered to protect against H1N1, H3, H2, and the B virus. According to Werker, the information the Saskatchewan health ministry has so far is that the vaccine is a good match for the strains that are circulating.
So far this season, three people in Saskatchewan have died from influenza. Two were children under the age of five; the third was a middle-aged person.
"We know that the flu vaccine is effective and is the best protection against influenza," said Werker. "We also know that influenza is a serious disease that can affect healthy people and people with underlying conditions. We have to protect those at high risk of becoming ill."
The problem is, even though the flu vaccine is readily available in North America, many people refuse to get their shots because of uninformed myths. A common one is that one can contract the virus from the vaccine, or that the vaccine will make them more vulnerable to the virus.
"The flu vaccine doesn't cause the illness," said Werker. "There are an awful lot of viruses that circulate that can cause similar symptoms that a person may have gotten sick from. There's also no evidence that it makes you more susceptible."
Some more popular myths circulating on the Internet include the idea that the vaccine contains harmful neurotoxic ingredients; that it can induce narcolepsy; that it contains high levels of mercury, and that the formaldehyde ingredient is also harmful.
According to Werker, none of these myths are true.
"Flu shots are given to people of all ages and the safety of the flu vaccine is closely monitored by Health Canada," said Werker. "Any unexpected side effects need to be reported by health care providers severe reactions from flu shots are extremely rare in Canada."
Regarding the reports of narcolepsy, those were linked to the H1N1 vaccine used in Europe in 2009, which was not and is not being used in Canada, said Werker. There is also no mercury in the vaccine being administered in Saskatchewan.
Formaldehyde, on the other hand, is an ingredient in the vaccine, but is not harmful. It is a preservative that is in fact produced by the human body naturally.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also released a document addressing many of these misconceptions.
"The flu vaccine won't give you the flu," said the CDC document. "The most common side effects from a flu shot are a sore arm, and possibly a low fever or achiness. These symptoms are temporary and go away in one to three days."
According to the same document, some of the reasons people might believe they get the flu from the vaccine are because of the nature of the vaccine. It only protects against the influenza virus and not other non-flu viruses, which could have similar symptoms. Also, a person can still get infected with the flu virus after getting the shot since it takes two weeks for the body to build up that protection.
It's also important to note that getting the flu shot once won't immunize you forever. It only lasts for a few months, which is why it's important to get the vaccine every year.
Finally, people often confuse stomach illnesses such as diarrhea and vomiting with influenza since it's often commonly referred to as stomach flu. Those two illnesses are not the same thing.
To compound the problem, the vaccination rate among health care workers is at about 50 per cent. Among those in long-term care facilities, that number goes up to 85 per cent. Whether the reasons for that are due to misconceptions or something else is unknown.
"We recommend that people who come into contact with those more at risk to be vaccinated," said Werker. "Individuals in professions such as day care or health care."
The locations that likely carry the highest forms of risk for people are schools and catholic churches. Staff in schools aren't required to get their flu shots, but school policy will allow for covering half the cost of the shot.
"We report to the health region if there are more than 10 per cent of individuals sick on any given day," said Dave Hill, principal of Humboldt Public School. "But immunization is left at their own discretion."
In churches, it's up to the parishioner to take responsibility. During the mass, there's a moment when everyone turns to the people around him or her to shake hands as a sign of peace. During times of pandemic, the health region will inform the bishop of the diocese, who will then inform his corresponding churches to suspend the handshake until the pandemic passes.
"All priests officiating have to use hand sanitizer," said Fr. Ephraim Mensah of St. Augustine Catholic Church. "We rely on the health region to keep us informed. There's no hard and fast rule, just common sense. If I hear people coughing and sneezing, you can be sure I'll tell them to stop (shaking hands)."
Even if a person is healthy, they should still get the flu shot to avoid putting someone else at risk. As with most diseases, those at highest risk are children under the age of five and those with health conditions such as asthma and diabetes. The elderly would likely not be in as much danger because they may be protected naturally over time."Only about 20 per cent of the population is vaccinated, but there are efforts to increase that number," said Werker. "Influenza is a unique disease that has a variety of strains that circulate. They can change gradually or suddenly."
Due to this morphing characteristic, medical experts get together every spring to predict what strains will be predominant in the coming flu season. The predictions are based on what's been circulating previously and what's in the atmosphere. Even then, the strain can change while circulating. Often times, this contributes to the confusion between the flu virus and other non-flu diseases.
"When you have the flu, a runny nose isn't the predominant symptom as it is with regular colds," said Werker. "Usually, you'll get a fever, cough, muscle aches and pains."
Influenza is an RNA virus that spreads by coughing or sneezing. The aerosols created by this are inhaled by other people, or transferred by skin-to-skin contact. For example, if a person carrying the virus coughs into his or her hands and then shakes another person's hand, the contagion is transferred. If that person then rubs their eyes or touches their mouth, they are then likely to contract the flu.
Thus, it is important for people to be aware of the importance of washing and sanitizing their hands as well as getting their flu shots. While you may not get sick, you could be a carrier that makes the person next to you extremely ill.
"The flu is a bit of a crapshoot. Healthy people can get severely infected and can die," said Werker.
