The Red and Black

Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: News

Media Credit: PHOTOS BY SARA GUEVARA [Click to enlarge]

This year has been an unfortunate one for the flu, with a high number of cases and a flu shot that has proven only 40 percent effective against the virus strains people are getting, according to the Center for Disease Control.

"The flu is worse this year," Liz Rachun, the public relations coordinator for the University Health Center said.

"Did fewer people get vaccines? Is it colder this year? There are always multiple causative factors," said Mark A. Jensen, associate professor of epidemiology. "The virus does its own thing just like people do."

How is the flu shot made?

There is a board that is constantly doing surveillance on flu, looking at Southeast Asia for next year's flu. Scientists study the influenza virus' mutations to predict what strains will be most prevalent in the upcoming flu season, Jensen said.

"It's a virus that likes to change and changes quite a bit," he said.

While scientists are often able accurately to predict which strains of flu virus to use in the vaccination, sometimes mistakes happen because there is still some guessing involved.

"It's kind of like predicting the weather," Jensen said. "They get pretty close."

There are two major families of the flu virus from which all strains form. Every year, the flu vaccine is made of one strain from each family.

Virus group A is divided into two subgroups, H1N1 and H3N2. These are the most common varieties of flu. The other virus group is known as group B.

One of the viruses people are getting this year - though it has undergone genetic changes to limit its virulence - can be traced to the 1918 Spanish influenza epidemic that killed between 20 and 50 million people, Jensen said.

H1N1 viruses are causing about 60 percent of this year's flu.

The flu vaccine has effectively protected against many of the viruses in group A.

"It's B - that third component - that's not particularly good," Jensen said. "Only about six percent of people were infected with a B strain closely related to the one in the vaccine."

"B is only a relatively small fraction of what people are getting sick with," he said.

What if you get the flu?

Flu season begins in October and can last through April or May, so there are a few more months to go.

"It's not too late to get a flu shot," Rachun said. "We'd love to see a lot more students get shots." Rachun said only about 1,500 to 2,000 students got flu shots from the Health Center this year.

Although this year's shot is not as effective as it has been in past years, it can still prevent many types of flu and help reduce the severity and duration of the illness.

But if you are infected with flu you should not get the shot while you're sick.

If you think you have the flu, go to the Health Center as quickly as possible to get a diagnosis. Because the flu is viral and not bacterial, it is important to take the correct medication.

Rachun said the Health Center offers Tamiflu, an antiviral medication that will help ease symptoms and speed recovery time. Tamiflu costs $90 without insurance.

To prevent catching the flu, Rachun recommends to "do exactly what your mother told you to do … wash hands frequently, sleep, don't share food."

She also recommended staying home if you are sick to get better and prevent others from catching your illness.

"Anything that keeps your immune system boosted is good," Rachun said.

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