This Sunday Be Ready to Defend Against The Flu
Here is some news for you sports fans: you won’t be on the receiving end of a pass from Peyton Manning or Cam Newtown this Sunday, but you just might catch the flu. According to a recent paper published by the American Journal of Health Economics the mortality rate from the flu is appreciably higher when your team makes it to the big game. The reason? Super Bowl parties.
We may think of the flu as nothing more than the sniffles, a seasonal annoyance we just have to overcome. But the flu is more serious than that: many years it claims the lives of more than 30,000 Americans[2]. Because of it, 111 million workdays[3] are lost annually, costing our economy more than seven billion dollars per year.[4]
So, if you’re a Panthers or Broncos fan make sure your plans for the weekend include how to run your own “prevent defense” against this seasonal scourge. The good news is that the strategy is simple: get vaccinated. This, sadly, is a straightforward measure that is sometimes obfuscated by myths and misinformation.[5] Here, then, are our myth-busters that often stop people from getting a flu vaccine.
Myth Number 1: Only Senior Citizens and Young Kids Need The Vaccine: While the old and the young are among the most susceptible to the virus and therefore should be at the front of the line to receive the vaccine, none of us are immune to the flu’s devastations. And while it’s true that normally healthy adolescents and adults will probably not suffer enormously should they come down with the flu, each of us should take a moment and think of the virus in terms of the disruption and inconvenience it can cause.[6] Take a glimpse at your calendar for the next few weeks: Can you afford to miss that meeting, college class, your kid’s dance recital, or that holiday getaway you’ve been planning for months? The answer, most likely, is no, and a vaccine is a good way to increase the odds you’ll stay on the healthy side.
Myth Number 2: If You Don’t Get the Vaccination Early Enough, It Really Won’t Be Effective: The sooner you get the vaccine the better, but getting the shot at any point — even well into the flu season — can still help protect you against the virus or reduce its severity should you get it. That bit about better late than never has never been more true. [7]
Myth Number 3: If You Get the Vaccine, You Won’t Get Sick At All: Even if you get the flu shot, you might still get the flu, or experience a cold, fever, and other unpleasant things. But while getting the vaccine isn’t a guaranteed safeguard against the flu, it will make symptoms less severe and reduce the risk of hospitalization and fatalities.[8]
Myth Number 4: The Flu Shot is Going to Cost You, Even if You’re Insured: Flu vaccines are covered by both public and private payers. Under the Affordable Care Act, 99% of health plans cover both three-and-four strain vaccines. Additionally, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services is covering all quadrivalent vaccines for the 2015–16 season.[9] For many, flu vaccines are available without any additional co-pay or co-insurance required, even if the annual deductible hasn’t been met yet. To confirm that your vaccine is covered and to determine what it will cost you, if anything, check with your health insurance provider.
Myth Number 5: All Flu Vaccines Were Created Equal: You don’t have to be a scientist to know that viruses have different strains, and that a vaccine that covers more strains may provide broader coverage. Before choosing a vaccine, talk with your doctor and you will learn that some cover three varieties of the virus while others cover four, which may provide broader coverage.
Now that you’ve sorted out fact from fiction, there’s really only one thing left to do: go out there and get that vaccine before the big game. It’s the smart way to make sure that even if you’re team loses that you leave the game a winner.
Note: Dr. Friedland is Vice President and Director of Scientific Affairs & Public Health for GSK Vaccines, NA
