You didn’t get a flu shot last year, and you didn’t get sick, so why get the shot this year?
Clark County Public Health Officer Dr. Alan Melnick has heard this reasoning before, and he’s not a fan of it. To him, it’s the same as saying, “I don’t use a seat belt, and I’ve never gotten in a wreck,” Melnick explained.
“It’s an issue of exposure,” Melnick said. “The flu shot protects you.”
Fresh off a monthslong measles outbreak from this winter and spring, and a renewed debate around vaccination, Melnick is preaching a similar sermon when it comes to why you should get the flu shot: “Don’t just do it for yourself, do it for those around you,” he said.
While younger, healthier people can recover from the flu more quickly and without severe complications, there are more vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, that can die from contracting the flu. Since 2014, there have been 58 flu deaths in Clark County, and 56 flu outbreaks in long-term care facilities, according to Clark County Public Health.
Nationally, there were close to 80,000 deaths in the 2017-18 flu season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A CDC analysis found that number was a record high for the last three decades. Preliminary CDC death estimates place last season’s toll between 30,000 and 60,000.
Experts look at what happens in the Southern Hemisphere during the summer because that can sometimes help forecast what will happen in the U.S. during the winter, but Melnick said there’s no surefire way to predict how flu season will go beforehand.
Clark County’s last flu season was short (14 weeks) and had four deaths. The previous flu season (2017-18) lasted 21 weeks and had 15 deaths, and the 2016-17 flu season lasted 25 weeks and had 26 deaths.
‘Safe and cheap’
According to USA Today, this flu season hasn’t been as scary as predicted through the early stage, but health experts still advise to get the vaccine. Melnick did admit he wishes the flu vaccine was more effective — it usually has 50 to 60 percent effectiveness for adults younger than 65, according to the Mayo Clinic — but said it’s still the best way to protect against the flu, which can vary in its severity year to year.
“The flu vaccine is incredibly safe and cheap, and doesn’t hurt much,” he said.
Public Health advises these everyday practices to reduce the spread or contraction of germs.
• Cough or sneeze into your arm or cover your nose and mouth with a tissue. Throw away the tissue and wash your hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer is an alternative when soap and water aren’t available.
• Stay home when sick and limit contact with others.
• Avoid close contact with sick people.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
