DGMC begins flu vaccine campaign

  • Published
  • By Merrie Schilter-Lowe
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The Immunization Clinic at the David Grant USAF Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, California, will offer flu shots to all TRICARE beneficiaries beginning Oct. 22.    

 

Vaccinations for people 18 years and older will be in the “Flu Room” located on the first floor in DGMC across from the Internal Medicine Clinic.  Operating hours are Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.  Vaccinations for people 17 years and younger will be in the Pediatrics Clinic Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

 

The flu kills enough people every year that it would wipe out the population of Suisun City, California. 

 

 “Influenza is the most frequent cause of death from a vaccine-preventable disease in the United States, with an average of 23,607 influenza-associated deaths each year,” said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Joshua Sacha, 60th Medical Group medical director of allergy and immunology and medical director of immunizations.

 

And the flu does not discriminate. There were 172 pediatric flu-related deaths in the 2017-2018 flu season, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

“About 80 percent of these deaths occurred in children who had not received influenza vaccination,” said Sacha. 

 

Although the flu shot is mandatory for military members, it is strongly recommended by the CDC for people in the high-risk for complications category, including  young children, pregnant women, people 65 years and older and people who suffer from asthma, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and those with a body mass index of at least 40.

 

Flu-related complications can result in hospitalization and even death, according to the CDC. Pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections and ear infections are examples of flu-related complications.  The flu also can make chronic health problems worse.

 

Although the influenza virus is detected year-round, flu season in the United States typically runs from October to February and, sometimes later, according to the CDC.    

 

“A history of egg allergy is not a contraindication to receiving seasonal influenza vaccine and even individuals with severe egg allergy can safely receive the vaccine in standard fashion without need for additional measures,” said Sacha.

 

Because it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to produce antibodies that protect against flu, the CDC recommends getting vaccinated early.  Getting vaccinated later can still be beneficial, but those who wait are gambling with their health, said Sacha. 

 

“Usually, people who get vaccinated in December or later may be infected with influenza virus shortly after the shot because they were exposed to someone with the virus before they became immune; it is not a result of the vaccination,” said Sacha.    

 

While the flu vaccine can vary in how well it works each season, a CDC study published in the journal, Pediatrics in 2017 showed that flu vaccination can be life-saving for children.  

 

The study looked at data from four flu seasons between 2010 and 2014 and found that flu vaccination reduced the risk of flu-associated death by 51 percent among children with underlying high-risk medical conditions and by nearly 65 percent among otherwise healthy children.

 

Sometimes, people avoid getting a flu shot because they fear getting the flu from the vaccine. 

“Most of the people who say they ‘get the flu’ don’t really have the flu,” said Sacha. “In fact, less than 1 percent of people vaccinated develop minor side effects to include flu-like symptoms such as low fever, chills, fatigue and muscle aches.  These side effects are not the same as having influenza, but people confuse the symptoms.” 

 

“In the last flu season, the CDC reports that more than 80,000 people became ill from or died from seasonal influenza,” said Sacha. “The flu vaccine can reduce morbidity and mortality rates, thereby protecting our most valuable resource – people,” he said. 

 

For more information, contact the Immunizations Clinic at 423-5107.  For the full list of high-risk populations, go to: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/high_risk.htm.