Advocate South Suburban Hospital recommends flu shot for protection

HAZEL CREST | It might be hard to believe, but this year's flu season is almost upon us. Advocate South Suburban Hospital is urging everyone to get a flu shot to protect themselves against this potentially serious disease.

"The flu shot is the best weapon that a person can use to fight off the chances of contracting the flu virus and experiencing severe symptoms," said Robert Fliegelman, D.O., an infectious disease physician on staff at Advocate South Suburban Hospital, 17800 S. Kedzie Ave. "While nothing offers 100 percent protection, the flu vaccine has a solid track record of helping people stay healthy."

Normally, the flu season in the Midwest hits full stride in November and December, but it takes some time for the body to build up a resistance to the virus. So, Fliegelman recommends getting a flu shot early to help in protecting against the disease.

Advocate South Suburban Hospital has produced a brief video about the importance of flu shots and some other ways to keep yourself and your family safe this flu season. The virus strains in this year's flu vaccine are identical to last year. The new vaccine protects against influenza A (H3N2) virus, an influenza B virus and the 2009 H1N1 (swine flu) virus.

Advocate Health Care offers a flu shot hotline, (800) 995-4267, for people to find details on flu shots in their area.

Fleigelman says side effects from the flu shot are fairly rare. There may be some soreness at the site where the shot was given, but there are few other side effects. Although there are occasional reports that people get the flu after they get the shot, chances are that they already were exposed to the flu and they just hadn't developed any symptoms yet. Even so, a flu shot will lessen the severity of the flu, if people already have been exposed.

While everyone should get a flu vaccine each flu season, Fliegelman says that it's especially important that the following groups get vaccinated either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk for developing flu-related complications:

* Pregnant women

* Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old

* People 50 years of age and older

* People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions

* People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities

* People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:

* Health care workers

* Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu

* Household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)