Gear up for flu shots, Summit County health officials ask residents

Winters are approaching and so is the flu season. In order to minimize its adverse effect to the lowest level, officials at the Summit County Public Health have urged the residents to get vaccinated.

“At best, an influenza infection is a very unpleasant experience that can put you out of commission for a week or more. At its worst, it can be deadly, even in an otherwise healthy person,” said Public Health Nurse Sara Lopez.

Health experts explain flu is a respiratory illness which is caused by the influenza viruses.

Influenza sent 1,759 people to hospitals in Colorado, out of which three cases belonged to Summit County, as per the report of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

The report further said that 2,041 hospitalizations and 69 influenza-related deaths were reported during the 2009-10 flu season statewide.

“To put it in perspective, your chance of contracting Ebola, which is getting a lot of attention right now, is about one in 13 million in the US. Your chance of falling ill with the flu can be as high as one in five, depending on the severity of the flu season,” Lopez said.

“Now is a great time to get your flu vaccine. Flu typically peaks during the winter, but we are already seeing cases in Summit County,” Lopez added.

Flu is one of the leading causes of deaths in the US. A CDC report shows about 24,000 Americans on average die each flu season.

Some of the common symptoms of flu include coughing, runny or stuffy nose, a sore throat, fever, headaches, body aches and fatigue.

Among the high-risk people include elderly people, pregnant women, children especially between ages six months and five years, and people having certain health problem.

Some also covered are people who care for these high-risk individuals and could transmit flu to them, though the list differs from province to province and people in doubt should check their health ministry’s website or ask a doctor.

To know more about flu-related problems and its vaccination, the health experts at Summit County Public Health can be contacted at (970) 668-9161 or visited www.flu.gov.

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Christina Langfold

Remember that weird girl in school who never quite managed to fit in? Who was always silent and strange? That was me during my entire teenage life. A few years after finishing college (with a degree in arts) I decided that the best way to become more sociable, while also feeling safe, is to test my people skills online.