The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that influenza claims between 3,000 and 49,000 lives annually. While the majority of patients who succumb to deadly complications are people over the age of 65, other high-risk patients include those who have otherwise complicated immune systems or diseases that make them more susceptible to infections from flu.
Flu Vaccines Are Life-Saving
It is unknown whether living with cancer may increase your chances of contracting influenza, but cancer may increase a risk of developing complications that result in hospitalization or death. Because of this, the CDC advocates that people who have cancer or a history of cancer, as well as their caregivers and those who share their households, should receive an annual seasonal flu vaccine.
While the flu vaccine is not 100 percent effective, these vaccines are developed annually to guard against three (trivalent flu vaccines) or four (quadrivalent flu vaccines) strains of flu that experts believe will be most likely to circulate among the general population during each flu season and may provide life-saving protection against an otherwise common illness.
What Type of Vaccine Is Right For Me?
Flu vaccines given in injection form are made up of inactivated (dead) viruses, whereas the nasal spray vaccine comprises live (active) viruses. Because many cancer patients have weakened immune systems, cancer patients and those with a history of cancer should not receive the nasal spray vaccine.
Flu season in the United States can begin as early as October and can run as late as May. Especially for those in high-risk categories, it is advised that you get a flu vaccine in late summer or early autumn because it takes up to two weeks for your body to develop the necessary antibodies to fight off a flu virus.
Do I Need Any Other Vaccines?
Most people who are at an increased risk for flu are also at an increased risk for pneumococcal disease. Cancer patients and survivors, as well as other people who are living with compromised immune systems, should speak with their healthcare providers about the risks and benefits of pneumococcal shots in addition to their annual seasonal flu vaccine.
What Steps Can I Take to Avoid the Flu?
All people should practice good hygiene steps, especially during flu season, to minimize their risks of contracting contagious diseases. The most important preventative step you can take is immunizing yourself against the flu virus. In addition:
The CDC distributes a weekly “FluView” report that tracks reported cases of influenza across the United States. Subscribing to this report can give you good insight about when and if the flu has taken hold in your local community, so that you can take steps to minimize your exposure to large populations of potentially contagious people.
Take extra hygiene precautions during flu season: wash your hands often and well, especially when touching public surfaces where the flu virus may be lingering. If you don’t have ready access to soap and water, carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and use it often to keep your hands virus-free. At home, especially if there are children in the house who may bring the virus home from schools or daycare centers, use commercial cleaners, such as Lysol, which may eradicate the flu virus from surfaces around the house.
Above all, you should train yourself year-round to keep face touching to a minimum. Most viruses and bacterial infections enter the body through the mucous membranes of the nostrils, mouth, and eyes, and we pick them up on our hands when we touch contaminated surfaces. By avoiding self-inoculation (by keeping your hands away from your face unless you’ve just washed or sanitized them), you can minimize your risk of developing the flu and other contagious diseases.
Engage Your Caretakers
Even if you are avoiding public places or locations such as hospitals, where flu virus is more prevalent, your caretaker(s) and household members should take steps to avoid transmitting the virus to you through daily activities.
If they receive a flu vaccine, it should be an injection unless they can quarantine themselves from you for seven days. If they develop flu symptoms, they should keep their distance for seven days, or until they are symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. And they should practice extra hygiene measures, including frequent hand-washing and sanitizing, to avoid bringing the flu virus into the home or potentially exposing you to it by touching you with hands that are carrying the virus.
What Can I Do To Minimize My Risks If I Get The Flu?
While otherwise healthy people may be able to rely on home remedies, bed rest and symptomatic treatments to overcome the flu, there are antiviral drugs available that can treat those who are very sick or who are at high risk of serious flu-related complications. To maximize the effectiveness of these antiviral drugs, they should be started within two days of the onset of flu symptoms. These drugs can help minimize symptoms and may even speed recovery times.
If you are in a high-risk category and you believe you are developing the early symptoms of the flu, contact your healthcare provider immediately to find out about starting antiviral drugs. Do not wait until the symptoms have progressed to seek treatment because at that point you will have increased your risks of contracting secondary, bacterial infections that can lead to potentially deadly complications.