Page 66 The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch September 27, 2013 Vaccination Remains Best Way To Prevent Flu Symptoms OCEAN CITY – Influenza, year in and year out, is a major, though often unrecognized cause of illness. Fever, chills, headache, muscle aches sore throat, cough and malaise occur after an incubation period of 24 to 48 hours, and, usually, resolve gradually in a few days. In epidemic situations, febrile non-pneumonic respiratory illness should be considered to be influenza, although symptoms are by no means specific and many other viruses that target the lungs can cause influenza-like illnesses. The major means of preventing influenza is through the use of inactivated influenza virus vaccine. There is plenty of vaccine available this year, about 135 million doses. Typically, the flu vaccine is injected into the muscle. In 2011, an intradermal vaccine (injected into the skin rather than the muscle) was developed, but is approved only for people ages 18-64 years of age. Additionally, a higher dose vaccine has been developed for people 65 years of age and older. The higher dose is designed to elicit a stronger immune response in this age group, since older people typically have weakened immune responses compared with younger people. Whether the improved immune response gives better protection against the flu is still not yet known. The CDC doesn’t express a preference for one vaccine over another at this time. The nasal spray flu vaccine is made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu. It is approved for use in healthy people 5 years to 49 years of age who are not pregnant. Annual immunization is recommended in order to compensate for the variant viral strains currently circulating at any one time. Annual immunization is recommended strongly term treatment with steroids, or canby the Advisory Committee on Immu- cer treatment with drugs or irradianization Practices of the U.S. Public tion; children who are receiving longHealth Service for persons who are at term aspirin therapy and who may increased risk for complications from develop Reye's syndrome, a rare but well-documented complicainfluenza and also for pertion of influenza that may lead sons who may transmit into coma, liver failure and fluenza to high-risk persons. death; women who will be Persons at high risk for past their third month of pregcontracting a serious case of nancy during the flu season or influenza or its complications pregnant women with medical include everyone 65 years of problems that increase their age or older; residents of risk of complications during nursing homes or other longinfluenza season; physicians, term care facilities that house nurses and other health-care people with chronic medical conditions; adults and chil- DR. VICTOR GONG workers in close contact with dren who have long-term health; people at high risk; household memproblems such as heart disease, lung bers of persons in high-risk groups; disease; asthma, kidney disease, travelers to areas where outbreaks of metabolic disease, i.e., diabetes, and influenza may be sporadic; and stuanemia and other blood disorders; dents and staff at schools and colanyone whose immune system is leges weakened because of HIV/AIDS or Immunization with the flu vaccine other immune system disorder, long- is well tolerated, most adverse reactions being minor and of less than two days' duration, mainly consisting of local inflammation at the site of injection and systemic complaints such as fever, muscle aches and malaise. Children between 6 months and 9 years of age may require two shots, given one month apart. For more information on influenza and vaccination, visit www.75thstmedical.com – Dr. Victor Gong Special To The Dispatch (The writer is the medical director of the 75th Street Medical and Doctors Weight Control and Wellness Center.) A JEWISH Deli In Ocean City! OPEN SUN.-THURS. 8 A.M.-8 P.M. FRI. & SAT. 8 A.M.-9 P.M. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Or Just A Nosh - $8.99 Weekday Lunch Specials Soup Of The Day With Choice Of Featured Sandwich Or Salad $12.99 Price Fixed Friday Shabbat Dinner Specials 3 Course Meal Includes Beverage $14.99 Price Fixed Sunday Dinner Specials 3 Course Meal Includes Beverage Our Full Menu Is Also Available Daily Carry-Out or Eat In Our Year Round Dining Areas 63rd Street & Coastal Highway Ocean City, MD 21842 410-520-0283 www.RosenfeldsJewishDeli.com “Treat Your Belly To Our Jewish Deli!”