Cancer and the Flu
Posted 12/26/2012
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Ok, cancer is more than bad enough, and the flu is pretty bad, too. Clearly we would all like to avoid them both and have some chance of keeping the flu away. At BIDMC, there is a mandate that all staff receive the flu shot each year, so I am as covered as possible. However, we know that approximately 30% of the flu strains circulating in any given year are not covered by the vaccine, so the shot is not a guarantee of health. Several weeks ago, my whole family went down like dominoes as we were exposed, first, to one year old Margaret and then to her immediate family. This was not the "real" flu which lasts for about a week, but this was bad enough and reminded me of how much I hate to be sick.
One would think, or would hope, that having endured two cancers and all their treatments, I would have developed some "patient coping" skills. Guess not. When I lay in bed for a day, barely able to awaken long enough to drink tea with lots of honey, I remembered what a crabby patient I quickly become. It probably is a good thing that I slept approximately 40 out of the impacted 48 hours. When asleep, I could not be so grouchy. Part of the problem may be that my mother, ordinarily not so nurturing, loved it when one of her children was sick (assume this would not have been true if we had been really scary sick, but it applied to the usual illnesses). She hovered with tea with honey and cinnamon toast and poached eggs and new coloring books. No one does that for me now.
Anyway, the point here is supposed to be that we would like to stay well this winter. The only advice seems to be to wash and wash and wash our hands. It probably also is wise to avoid people whom we know are ill, but we may well be exposed before the illness has declared itself in a friend or family member. Here is some expert advice from Web MD, but be aware there is no panacea.
What do cancer patients and survivors need to know about the flu? WebMD asked Lisa Richardson,
MD, associate director for science in the CDCʼs Division of Cancer Prevention and Control.
Should cancer patients get immunized against the flu?
Absolutely. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get a flu vaccine. That message is especially important for cancer patients, because if they get the flu, their risk of getting severe complications is higher, due to their weakened immune system.
What type of flu vaccine is best for cancer patients?
Flu shots are safer than FluMist, the nasal vaccine approved for healthy people ages 2 to 49. FluMist contains live, albeit weakened, flu virus, while flu shots contain killed virus, which canʼt make you sick. (Some people run a low-grade fever after getting a flu shot, but thatʼs a sign your body is making antibodies against the disease, not a symptom of the flu itself.) If youʼre over 65, the CDC recommends that you get the Fluzone High-Dose shot, which spurs the aging immune system to produce more antibodies against the flu. The CDC has not yet recommended that younger peoplewith weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, also get the high-dose vaccine.
Flu shots are safer than FluMist, the nasal vaccine approved for healthy people ages 2 to 49. FluMist contains live, albeit weakened, flu virus, while flu shots contain killed virus, which canʼt make you sick. (Some people run a low-grade fever after getting a flu shot, but thatʼs a sign your body is making antibodies against the disease, not a symptom of the flu itself.) If youʼre over 65, the CDC recommends that you get the Fluzone High-Dose shot, which spurs the aging immune system to produce more antibodies against the flu. The CDC has not yet recommended that younger peoplewith weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, also get the high-dose vaccine.
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http://tinyurl.com/d9teocu
Absolutely. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get a flu vaccine. That
message is especially important for cancer patients, because if they get the flu, their risk of getting
severe complications is higher, due to their weakened immune system.
What type of flu vaccine is best for cancer patients?
Flu shots are safer than FluMist, the nasal vaccine approved for healthy people ages 2 to 49. FluMist contains live,
albeit weakened, flu virus, while flu shots contain killed virus, which canʼt make you sick. (Some people run a low-grade
fever after getting a flu shot, but thatʼs a sign your body is making antibodies against the disease, not a symptom of the
flu itself.) If youʼre over 65, the CDC recommends that you get the Fluzone High-Dose shot, which spurs the aging
immune system to produce more antibodies against the flu. The CDC has not yet recommended that younger people
with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, also get the high-dose vaccine.
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