Influenza Education 2009

1. Influenza Education 2009

2. Influenza • Influenza is the 6th leading cause of death among adults in the US, killing an average of 36,000 Americans annually. It infects 5-20% of the U.S. population every year. As many as 431,000 people are hospitalized. • Influenza kills as many or more people than breast cancer (40,000) and 3 times as many as HIV/AIDS. • 1 out of 20 deaths in persons 65 or older is related to influenza. • The direct annual cost of influenza infection is approximately $3-$5 billion in the US.

3. How do deaths due to vaccine-preventable diseases stack up? Deaths due to various preventable diseases (1989-1998)

4. Seasonal Flu Facts • Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. • Influenza is spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing or directly touching a surface contaminated with a live flu virus. • Symptoms of the flu: ► Fever ► Sore throat ► Headache ► Runny or stuffy nose ► Extreme tiredness ► Muscle aches ► Dry cough ► Stomach symptoms: nausea, vomiting (more common in children) • Complications from the flu: ► pneumonia ► bronchitis ► sinus & ear infections “ The single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccination every year!”- Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

5. Flu Vaccination Facts • Why should healthcare personnel get vaccinated to prevent influenza? • Provides protection to HCW and prevents the transmission to patients, coworkers, family members and close contacts. • Healthcare workers have an ethical and moral duty to protect vulnerable patients from transmissible diseases.

6. Facts… • What types of vaccines are available? • Shot: trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) • Nasal Spray: live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV)

7. Facts… • What are possible side effects of the flu shot (TIV)? • Mild arm soreness, redness, or swelling at injection site that may last 1-2 days • Allergic reactions, fever, fatigue, and body aches are uncommon • What are possible side effects of the nasal spray vaccine (LAIV)? • Children: runny nose, headache, vomiting, muscle aches, & fever • Adults: runny nose, headache, sore throat, and cough

8. Facts… • Should pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding get the flu vaccine? • Yes. The injection is recommended for pregnant women, not the nasal spray. • The flu shot or nasal spray are safe for mothers who are breastfeeding and will not harm their infants. • Can influenza vaccines cause influenza? • No, neither type of vaccine causes influenza (the flu shot contains killed or inactivated virus and the nasal spray contains attenuated or weakened virus).

9. Common Myths about Flu and Vaccine (cont.) Myth: People say, “I don’t need the vaccine because I never get the flu”. Fact: Anyone can catch the flu. Often people are spreading the disease while they are asymptomatic. Up to 50% of infected people have no symptoms, yet can still be infectious.

10. The Facts: Healthcare workers (HCW) come to work when sick • Study of HCW in Kansas: 47% reported working with an influenza like illness (ILI)* • Nurse study, 95.5% reported direct patient contact with high risk patients • 78% had influenza-like illness; 80% of those went to work ill ** *Allah et al. Am J Infect Control 2008; 36:588-91 **Wilde JA et al. JAMA 1999; 281:908-13

11. Common Myths about Flu and Vaccine (cont.) Myth: I’ve had the flu before, so I don’t need the vaccine. Fact: Flu viruses change every year so you can’t be immune to all the viruses.

12. Common Myths about Flu and Vaccine (cont.) Myth: The viruses are different each year, so the vaccine doesn’t work. Fact: The flu vaccine is changed each year to match the flu strains that are anticipated to be circulating in the coming year.

13. Common Myths about Flu and Vaccine (cont.) Myth: The vaccine can give you the flu. Fact: It is impossible to get the flu from the vaccine. The vaccine is made from broken down parts of viruses. These are not live viruses and are not infectious. They can’t cause the flu.

14. Common Myths about Flu and Vaccine (cont.) Myth: Vaccines are associated with side effects, even deaths Fact: Flu vaccination comes with some risk, including the risk that you may not be protected from infection after getting vaccinated. However, flu vaccinations are generally safe and well tolerated, and getting the flu can make you very sick. The flu shot contains broken down or weakened viruses that cannot cause the flu. * Note: People who should not get a flu vaccination: those who are allergic to chicken eggs or those that had severe reactions to previous flu shots.

15. Concerns • Gullain-Barre Syndrome • In 1976, vaccination with the swine flu vaccine was associated with getting GBS. • Only one study showed an association between the flu vaccine and GBS since 1976. That study suggested that one person out of 1 million vaccinated persons may be at risk of GBS associated with the vaccine. • Egg Allergy • Prevalence of egg allergy in adults is less than 0.13%

16. Additional ways to prevent the spread of influenza…

17. YOUR 5 MOMENTS FOR HAND HYGIENE: • Before Patient Contact • Before an Aseptic Task • After Body Fluid Exposure Risk, even after removal of gloves • After Patient Contact • After Contact with Patient Surroundings

18. Respiratory Etiquette

19. Why should you get vaccinated? “Influenza vaccination of healthcare workers protect patients from influenza and decreases mortality. Moreover, the influenza vaccine is safe. Knowing these facts and not acting upon them is a dereliction of the responsibilities of the medical community to the safety of the public with whose care they are entrusted.” -Virginia Mason Medical Center St. Luke’s Mission: To Improve the health of people in our region.

20. “There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.” -John F. Kennedy

21. Questions? • Reference http://www.cdc.gov/flu/ • If you have any questions please contact Infection Prevention x7-8475