Flu Season & Vaccination

Summer is now gone and as the days start to turn a bit cooler, it's time to remember that flu season is just round the corner.

Many people complain of catching 'the flu', but often what they are referring to is just the common cold. Colds tend to cause a mild fever, start with a runny nose and often only last a few days. By contrast, the symptoms of influenza are a high fever, muscle aches and general tiredness, sore throat, headache, chills and sweating. These symptoms can last a week or even longer.

In Australia, influenza on average causes 3,500 deaths, about 18,000 hospitalisations and 300,000 visits to the GP each year. It is thought that 10% of all sick days in workplaces are due to influenza.

The flu is caused by a highly contagious virus, usually spread by sneezes and coughs. The majority of people will recover from the flu relatively quickly, but for those people with an underlying medical condition or an impaired immune system, the flu can be very dangerous, and even fatal. These at-risk people are recommended to have the influenza vaccine every year and include:

• adults aged 65 years and older
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged 15 years and older
• people with chronic illnesses such as heart disease, kidney disease, lung disease (including severe asthmatics who require frequent visits to hospital), diabetes and some bleeding disorders
• pregnant women
• children on long-term aspirin therapy.

People who live with, work with or care for anyone in the above at-risk groups are also recommended to be vaccinated against influenza every year. These include people who work in health care or with children, or look after an elderly or chronically unwell person.

If you suspect you have the flu, there are antiviral medications which can be prescribed by your doctor, but these generally need to be started early in the illness (often within 48 hours). Other options for treatment are bed rest, paracetamol for fever, fluids and other medications to target your symptoms. Our pharmacists at Berwick Pharmacy can help advise you on which medications are best for you.

The best way to protect against the flu is an annual vaccine. The virus itself is constantly changing to try and avoid recognition by the body's immune system. The actual vaccine changes every year, depending on the most common strains found on the opposite side of the world in the previous season as these are the ones most likely to migrate to us this season. Immunisation should occur between March and May and protection develops within about two weeks and lasts a year.

I've heard many people say that the flu vaccine gave them the flu, but this is not the case. The vaccine itself does not contain the live virus. Like any medication though, some people may have some side effects to the vaccine. The most common ones are a mild fever, soreness at the injection site, a low-grade fever or muscle aches, so sometimes these are mistaken for the flu itself. Placing a cold, wet cloth over the injection site or taking a dose of paracetamol will often help reduce these side effects. It's important to keep in mind that the vaccine only protects against the most common strains of the flu, so you may still catch a different strain.

Before receiving the vaccine, make sure that you tell your doctor or nurse if you or your child:

• is unwell (temperature over 38.5˚C)
• has had a serious reaction to any vaccine
• has had a severe allergy to anything
• has had an anaphylactic allergy to eggs – this is because the virus used in the vaccine is grown in eggs
• is under six months of age
• has had Guillain-Barre syndrome.

As it is now so well recognised that getting the flu vaccine is the best way to protect people, it is freely available. People 65 years and older and/or in the at-risk groups are entitled to free vaccines (check with your doctor or pharmacist), and many doctors' clinics will only charge for the vaccine itself, without any additional appointment fee.

So everyone should definitely consider getting the flu vaccine this year and every year. It's even available for children from the age of six months old. It's a small inconvenience to ensure that you are protected, but also to protect other people you may come in contact with.

The flu vaccine is now available at Berwick Pharmacy and we have made sure that we have heaps in stock to try and avoid people missing out.

Don't forget:

• influenza is a potentially serious disease and may even be fatal
• flu vaccine can save you time and money by preventing you from having to take days off work
• the flu vaccine does NOT cause the flu
• you may get side effects from the flu vaccine but these are generally minor.

If you have any concerns or questions or just need to fill your prescription for the flu vaccine or anything else, come and see us at Berwick Pharmacy where giving advice and friendly service is what we do best.

References and further reading

• Colds & Flu Self Care Card, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, published February 2011
• Flu (influenza) Fact Sheet, Better Health Channel, published July 2011 (accessed 10 March 2012)
• Flu (influenza) - immunisation Fact Sheet, Better Health Channel, published April 2011 (accessed 10 March 2012)
• Immunise Australia Program website
• Influenza Specialist Group website
• Key Facts about Influenza and Flu Vaccine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published October 4, 2011 (accessed 10 March 2012)

Travel Health

We all love a good holiday and for some, the planning stage is all part of the fun. We check out weather forecasts, accommodation options, tourist must-dos and try and find the best places to eat. But it's also really important to think about our health and take appropriate precautions to make sure we come home as healthy as possible.

Travel insurance is essential for any trip. We are very fortunate that in Australia, we have an excellent public health system so in an emergency, everyone will be treated, but that is not always the case overseas. A few years ago, Darren and I went to Singapore for a wedding. It was only a five day trip, but thought we should get travel insurance just in case, especially since I was pregnant with The Munchkin. It turned out it was very lucky that we did because although I was fine, Darren ended up needing to see a GP then a specialist and have some expensive tests and we got the cost of everything back on our travel insurance. As they say, "If you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel."

You should definitely see your doctor at least eight weeks before you travel for a basic check-up and to see whether you need any vaccinations. General vaccines such as typhoid and hepatitis A and B are advisable even in Australia. Some countries such as those in parts of Africa and South America, will not allow you to enter unless you have proof of certain vaccines such as yellow fever. The vaccine lasts ten years and needs to be given at least ten days before entry into a high-risk country. You don't want to fly all the way across the world, only to be sent straight back home at the airport!

Speaking of flying, long flights can increase the risk of you getting a DVT (deep vein thrombosis, or a blood clot which starts in the leg but can move to other areas). Pop into Terry White Chemists Berwick to check out our large range of compression stockings and socks and try and stay hydrated during the flight (go easy on caffeine and alcohol!) and make sure you move your legs and feet around periodically and occasionally walk around.

For some countries such as those in Africa and South East Asia, it may be advisable to take malaria medication. There are different regimes depending on where you are travelling to, but they all need to be started before your trip, taken whilst you are away and generally also for a short time once you return. Make sure you read the directions carefully and finish the entire course to ensure you are protected. Some malaria medications can reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives so you may need to take extra precautions during this time. You can protect yourself further by using appropriate insect repellents, covering arms and legs with clothing when outdoors (especially at sunset) and using mosquito nets.

Traveller's diarrhoea is also a risk, especially in developing countries. It is usually caused by consuming contaminated food or water which local residents seem to have acquired an immunity to. Symptoms can include nausea, bloating, cramps, loose and frequent bowel motions and a general feeling of being unwell. You can reduce your risk by avoiding ice, drinking bottled or canned water and other drinks, avoiding salads which may have been washed in local water, only eating fruit which you peel, avoiding undercooked or improperly stored foods (especially seafood and meat) and washing and drying hands thoroughly before and after meals and going to the toilet. If you are unlucky enough to come down with traveller's diarrhoea, keep hydrated (buy some oral rehydration solution from Terry White Chemists Berwick before you leave home), rest and stick to bland foods.

If you need to travel with prescription medication, ask your doctor for a letter explaning the details of the medications, what they are for and that they are for personal use. Make sure you have enough medication for the duration of your trip. Ensure you have some medication in your hand luggage in case your suitcase goes missing and make sure that all your medications are in their original packets with the pharmacy labels on them. It's also worth checking that your medications are legal in the countries you are visiting. For example, codeine which is found in many over-the-counter painkillers such as Panadeine, is illegal in Greece and classed in the same category as heroin. Click here for contact details of the foreign embassies in Australia to check on your medications.

Our staff at Terry White Chemists Berwick are a great source of advice before you travel. They can assist you in putting together a basic first aid kit, help with alert bracelets and necklaces, dispense any vaccines and other medications and supply everything to protect and treat sunburn, insect bites, cuts and grazes and other common health conditions. We also have a Travel Health Self Care Card with lots more advice to help you on your way.

So get organised before your trip and happy travelling!

References and further reading

• Travel Health Self Care Card, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, published February 2011
• Australian Government's Smart Traveller website
• Travel Clinics Australia website
• World Health Organization website
• Travel Health - Yellow Fever Vaccine Fact Sheet - Better Health Channel, published November 2010 (accessed 19 September 2011) 
• Travellers's Diarrhoea Fact Sheet - Better Health Channel, published August 2011 (accessed 22 September 2011)