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A Kalamazoo doctor said people should get influenza virus vaccinations now to decrease the chances of contracting the virus this flu season.
Dr. Brandon Hooks is a pulmonologist at Ascension Borgess Hospital.
“What I would recommend and strongly encourage is getting your flu shot now before the start of flu season to develop an immunity to protect you,” Hooks said.
By getting the flu shot at the beginning of the season, as opposed to during or at the end, Hooks said, people are better able to develop a resistance to the virus. He said flu season starts around this time of year and usually ends during the winter. However, he said, in 2018-19, the season lasted much longer than expected.
“Last year, we did see a lot of people that were hospitalized for the flu and some actually were required to be in the intensive care unit. Some people had prolonged hospital stays. The flu season for us tended to last longer last year, going into May. So, we were not only seeing patients early but we were seeing them late as well,” Hooks said.
There are many misconceptions surrounding flu vaccinations, Hooks said.
“The flu is a very serious illness. The unfortunate thing is it’s preventable. Now, the big misconception is the flu is something that people won’t get, or it won’t cause harm, but I do actually see people quite sick from it,” Hooks said.
The flu is a respiratory illness which spreads quickly and easily, Hooks said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that during the 2017- 18 season 48.8 million people contracted the flu, 959,000 people were hospitalized due to flu-related illnesses, and 79,400 people died from the flu.
“Symptoms of the flu are common-cold related sneeze, cough, and fatigue with a high fever,” Hooks said.
He said other misconceptions are that the flu shot makes people sick. He said that is not true.
“Prevention is key. Getting the flu shot would prevent you from the likelihood of getting the flu virus,” Hooks said.