When Ebola crossed into Dallas, people around the United States decided to up and panic.
An example in Maine stands out. A schoolteacher was put on a 21-day leave from class, the Ebola virus’s incubation period, because she had returned from a conference in Dallas held 9.5 miles away from Texas Health Presbyterian.
If Dallas were to follow Maine’s lead, the Dallas Observer noted, everyone would just stay home. But the threat of Ebola is tiny compared to that of the seasonal flu, which according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is likely to increase in the coming weeks.
In the United States four people have been infected with Ebola, and one has died, while the flu kills 3,000 to 49,000 people each year in the U.S. Worldwide, these annual flu epidemics are estimated to result in three to five million cases of severe illness, with about 250,000 to 500,000 deaths.
Unlike many other viral respiratory infections, such as the common cold, the flu can cause severe illness and life-threatening complications in many people. And the sad truth is, American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) are more likely than others to get seriously ill from the flu.
In fact, pneumonia and flu are a leading cause of death among Native elders. If you have asthma, diabetes or chronic heart disease, it’s more likely you will get serious complications like pneumonia.
To prevent infection and protect yourself, your family and those you come in contact with, get a yearly flu shot. Now is the beginning of flu season, and is thus the best time to vaccinate yourself and your family.
Unfortunately, the rate of flu shots AI/ANs is among lowest in U.S., so it’s worth noting that the flu vaccine cannot give you the flu.
RELATED: Rate of Flu Shots Among American Indians Among Lowest in U.S.
Seasonal multi-dose vials of influenza vaccine contain the preservative thimerosal below levels that have been proven safe, while single-dose injections are thimerosal-free, as is the live-attenuated nasal spray version of the vaccine.
The most common side effect from vaccination is a sore arm and maybe a low fever or achiness. The nasal spray flu vaccine might cause congestion, runny nose, sore throat, or cough. If you do experience them at all, know that these side effects are mild and short-lived.
Think of the alternative: Becoming one of the five to 20 percent of the U.S. population that gets the flu each year, or worse, one of the more than 200,000 people hospitalized annually from flu-related complications.
RELATED: Natural Advice for Staying Well This Flu Season
“We recommend you contact your local IHS, tribal or urban Indian health clinic for information on where to get a flu vaccine,” an Indian Health Service spokesperson told ICTMN last year. “For those who are not eligible to receive care from an IHS-funded facility, or who live outside of an IHS service area, the Flu Vaccine Finder tool available at www.flu.gov can help you find alternative locations where the general public can get a flu vaccine.”
What if you or a family member does get sick? Call your IHS clinic or your medical provider right away to ask about antiviral drugs. They offer a second line of defense to treat the flu.
The CDC recommends antiviral treatment with oseltamivir or zanamivir as early as possible for patients with confirmed or suspected influenza who have severe, complicated, or progressive illness, who require hospitalization or who are at high risk for serious influenza-related complications.
The flu is spread mainly by droplets transferred when infected people cough, sneeze or talk, so wash your hands often and keep them away from your eyes, nose or mouth. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing, or cough into the crook of your elbow.
If in spite of these measures you do become sick, keep your distance from others. Forego errands until you are well. Employers are part of the solution, and need to support workers who must stay home from work to prevent others from catching their illness.
CDC flier urging American Indians to get a flu shot, for their sakes and others’.
