prevent hospitalization and severe complications
for adults and children with
chronic illnesses, including diabetes,
chronic lung disease and heart disease.
Pregnant women are at high risk for severe
influenza and vaccination during
pregnancy has been shown to be safe
and provides protection for newborns
that are too young to be vaccinated.
Who should be vaccinated
for influenza?
Dr. Slavin: Flu vaccine is recommended
for everyone age six months and
older.
Who should not be
vaccinated for flu?
Dr. Slavin: Infants younger than six
months and people with a severe allergy
to the vaccine or its components should
not be vaccinated. People who have had
Guillan-Barre syndrome should discuss
vaccination with their physician. People
with severe egg allergies may be able to
receive flu vaccine in an appropriate
medical setting.
What are vaccine options?
Dr. Slavin: There are a few options
for different types of flu vaccine available.
Discuss the different vaccines
available with your physician to decide
which is best for you.
What if I can’t be
vaccinated?
Dr. Slavin: There are very few
reasons why someone cannot receive
the vaccine. If you cannot
safely receive flu vaccine, an antiviral
drug may decrease your
risk of influenza if you are exposed.
Is there treatment
for influenza?
Dr. Slavin: Antiviral drugs may be
helpful for some people with influenza,
especially people with certain chronic
conditions. They work best if they are
started very early during the illness. If
you think you might have the flu, you
should see your doctor as quickly as possible
to discuss treatment options.
What are enteroviruses?
Dr. Slavin: Enteroviruses are a family
of viruses closely related to rhinovirus (the
cause of the common cold). There are
more than 100 different types of enteroviruses
and each type can
have typical illnesses associated
with them. For example,
in the United States, the most
common cause of hand, foot
and mouth disease is coxsackievirus
A16, which is a type
of enterovirus. However,
other types of enterovirus can
also cause hand, foot and
mouth disease.
When do enterovirus
infections occur?
Dr. Slavin: In the United States, infections
typically occur during the summer
and fall. Many different strains or types
of enterovirus circulate each year, often
simultaneously. Millions of enterovirus
infections occur each year in the United
States.
What is EV-D68?
Dr. Slavin: Enterovirus D68 is a virus
that was first found in California in
1962. It is a type of enterovirus that can
cause respiratory illnesses. Although it
had been uncommon in the United
States, it has been known to cause illness
and has been detected at low levels fairly
consistently since it was first found.
What happened this year?
Dr. Slavin: In August, hospitals in
Kansas City, Mo., and Chicago, Ill., noticed
an increased number of severe respiratory
infections in children. Early
testing showed that an enterovirus was
the cause of the illnesses. Subsequent
testing confirmed that EV-D68 was the
infecting strain. In an effort to understand
how the virus was circulating, state
health departments working with the
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) began testing children admitted
to the hospital and/or intensive care
unit with viral respiratory infections.
What was learned from
testing for EV-D68?
Dr. Slavin: EV-D68 has been the
most common enterovirus strain circulating
in the United States this year. Between
Aug. 10, 2014 and Oct. 24, 2014,
the CDC confirmed infection with EVD68
in 998 people in 47 states. Testing
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