Why You Should Get A Flu Shot
As fall comes around I hear people debating, “Should I get the flu shot?”, “Should I vaccinate my kids?”. I’m always surprised to hear just how hesitant people are to vaccinate. The flu is a highly infectious and serious viral respiratory infection. Many viruses can give you the sniffles, but allow you to continue working or going to school. The flu, however, actually knocks you out, and flu symptoms can be quite severe and prolonged. In addition, bacterial infections (superinfections) can occur on top of the flu infection– those are situations which can truly overwhelm the lungs. Such a situation is especially dangerous for the elderly and the very young. It can even cause death. People’s main concern with the influenza vaccine tends to be that the injection will actually give them the flu. This is not true. While the vaccine can cause soreness or redness at the site of the shot, pains in the joints, and even mild fever, it is nothing like the flu itself. A good excuse not to get vaccinated is if you have an egg allergy, in which case the vaccine is contraindicated, since the vaccine is developed in eggs. Many people don’t get the flu vaccine, and they are okay. People with diabetes, however, shouldn’t take a chance. Most people with diabetes are not aware that for them, the flu can pose a much bigger threat than it does for people without diabetes. When blood sugar levels are elevated, especially above 200mg/dL, the immune cells do not work as efficiently and therefore patients with diabetes may have abnormalities in immune function. Studies have shown that diabetics are sick longer with the flu, have a higher chance of ending up in the hospital, and even an increased risk of death. This is particularly true for patients who have diabetes complicatio Continue reading >>
Why People With Diabetes Need A Flu Shot
If you have any form of diabetes, even if its well-controlled, I strongly recommend you get the flu vaccine . Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy Heres why. Everyone has the chance to get the flu . If you have diabetes , your immune system is already weakened. Taking extra precautions is important because your overall risk for catching the flu is higher than those who dont have it. For the same reason, you are also more likely to have complications from the flu. Even more fundamentally, if you have diabetes, it is so important that you take active steps to keep it under control. This can help protect you from a range of more serious health problems, including those that can all spiral from the flu. A few exceptions apply. You should not get a flu vaccine if you have ever had an allergic reaction to the flu vaccine in the past, if you are allergic to eggs or if you currently have symptoms of flu or common cold. Why inadequately controlled diabetes heightens risk Uncontrolled or less controlled diabetes and flu do not play well together. Heres how this duo can affect your health: The immune system of people with uncontrolled or less controlled diabetes is weakened. For this reason, they are more likely to develop complications of flu even potentially life-threatening conditions, such as bacterial pneumonia. The risk of pneumonia in people with diabetes is even greater if they have other chronic conditions, including chronic kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) . Flu and infections can worsen blood glucose control and exacerbate diabetes symptoms, particularly in people whose diabetes is less controlled. Th Continue reading >>
Should I Get A Flu Shot If I Have Diabetes?
Having type 1 or type 2 diabetes puts you at increased risk of illness because elevated blood sugar weakens the immune system. Getting an annual flu shot is the best way to protect yourself. Fall is here, and that means that along with pumpkins and hay rides, it’s influenza (flu) season—which can last until May. For those with diabetes, flu isn’t just a drag: It can result in hospitalization, and occasionally even death. Fortunately, a vaccine can slash your risk of the illness by an estimated 40-60%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The flu shot also lowers your chances of hospitalization, which is most common in flu patients with chronic conditions like diabetes. The vaccine can also “prevent major respiratory infections during the flu season,” says Kavita Seetharaman, MD, staff physician at Joslin Diabetes Center, a Boston-based non-profit affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Why Is the Flu So Dangerous for People with Diabetes? “As with any other infection, the flu virus can cause inflammation, congestion, and mucus production in the respiratory tract,” as well as cough, fever, and even breathing difficulties, Dr. Seetharaman says. But for diabetes patients, there’s another risk. “When patients with diabetes are not feeling well,” due to illness, infection, or injury, “they can become more insulin resistant. Blood sugar rises [even if patients aren’t eating], and ketones can develop,” she explains. Ketones are chemicals that are produced when there’s not enough glucose (sugar) to fuel the metabolism; the presence of ketones (which can be detected with over-the-counter test strips) indicate that the body is using fat for energy. Patients with diabetes can accumulate ketones in the blood, which can make Continue reading >>
Should People With Diabetes Get A Flu Shot?
Should People with Diabetes Get a Flu Shot? What is flu anyway? Flu is influenza , an infectious disease that spreads from person to person. Symptoms are chiils and fever, muscle pain, sore throat, headache, coughing, weakness and fatigue and general discomfort. In some children, flu may have nausea and vomiting accompanying, but most often that is not a classic symptom of influenza. Many people confuse the stomach bug, gastroenteritis a 24 hour wipe your insides out kinda bug, which is unrelated to influenza. Historically, one of the most horrific flu epidemics was Spanish flu of 1918. It was a particularly virulent and lethal pandemic, coming in three waves starting in 1918, 1919, ending in 1920, and its spread was amplified through troop movements and global transportation. Spanish flu was estimated to have killed 40 million people in Europe, with some scientists estimating 100 million globally. In the US, Spanish flu affected twenty five percent of the population, but more remarkably, in only one year the average life expectancy in the U.S. dropped by 12%. The flu usually killed the very young and the very old, but this virus strain attacked teens and young adults with robust immune systems. Immune cells were activated by the virus, increasing the number of immune cells circulating in the blood and overwhelming the lungs with fluids. Healthy young adults essentially drowned from within. Patients would turn blue, suffocating from a lack of oxygen as their lungs filled with a frothy, bloody substance. Some patients died only a few hours after their first symptoms appeared; others died in a matter of days. Anyone watching Downton Abbey remembers the episode when the house comes down with Spanish flu. Flu vaccine is always controversial in a complimentary medicine prac Continue reading >>
Did The Flu Shot Cause My Daughter's Diabetes? | Ask D'mine
We're sorry, an error occurred. We are unable to collect your feedback at this time. However, your feedback is important to us. Please try again later. Got questions about life with diabetes? So do we! That's why we offer our weekly diabetes advice column, Ask D'Mine, hosted by veteran type 1 peep W il Dubois , a diabetes author with many years' experience as an educator in a New Mexico clinic. This week, Wil is taking on one of those questions about whether vaccines -- the flu shot specifically -- might have led to diabetes. Well, we guess in this day and age of anti-vaccine scares, it's worth addressing this particularly long question head-on. {Got your own questions? Email us at [email protected] } Gerry, D-mom from California, writes: My9-year-old daughter Ruby has been newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Thisdiagnosis has come completely out of the blue to us. We are a healthy family, one that doesnt eat junk food or ready meals, doesn't drink lots of sugary drinks,and there is no family history on either of the parents sides. We dont takeunnecessary medications, preferring a more holistic approach. Our consultant told us that the medicalprofession doesnt really know why T1 can suddenly start in juveniles, exceptto say that they think it is virus-related. I have a suspicion, though, whichis shared by my ex-husband.My daughters school was taking part in aprogram of vaccinating children under 11 against the flu virus toward the endof last year in November, and my daughter was given the fluvaccine via a nose spray. She didnt immediately appear to have a cold ortemperature but then shortly after began to complain of the occasional headacheor tummy ache. In the new year she had an increasedthirst and was weeing a lot more than usual, and saying she had a sore Continue reading >>
Why I Get The Flu Shot As A Person With Type 1 Diabetes
Why I Get the Flu Shot as a Person with Type 1 Diabetes The flu-shot, explains Diabetes Educator Will Dubois from DiabetesMine , is just a vial of the dead flu. I didnt get a flu-shot for several years (because I didnt have health insurance and was paying full-price for insulin and test-strips) and I never got the flu. But I was in college surrounded by germs, so my immune system was on its game. After college, I worked at a gym for 5 years, where I was surrounded by peoples sweat, germsbut thankfully not their blood. Regardless, the point is: my immune system was happy and strong because I was surrounded by germsdaily and therefore less susceptible to small symptoms growing into worse symptoms. Did I ever acquire flu-like germs? Sure, probably, but they never exploded into the full-on flu, which I attribute to being surrounded by all those germs! Then, I left my work as a personal trainer and yoga instructor to pursue my bubbling writing career full-time. This pursuit meant that I was working primarily at home by myself (with dogs, of course), and no longer surrounded by other peoples germs all day. (Sure, I still went to the gym for my own workout, but that handful of hours didnt seem to be the same as training people, touching sweaty people, and touching sweaty equipment all day long.) My boyfriend brought it home from his office. His symptoms were mild and went away within a few days. (He never goes to the doctor and is naturally quite healthy despite his lack of interest in health! LOL.) But my symptoms turned into thereal flu for the first time since I was a kid. I spent the next 3 weeks battling moderate ketones even when my blood sugar was 120 mg/dL, and lying in bed because even the slightest effort of activity left me dizzy, nauseas, rapidly rising fever, and Continue reading >>
Diabetes And The Flu
Diabetes can turn a simple case of the flu into a serious problem. "People who have diabetes are three times more likely to be hospitalized if they get the flu," says Helena Duffy, CDE, a nurse practitioner at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. Diabetes can weaken your immune system and make it harder for your body to fight off the influenza virus, she says. The flu can affect your blood sugar levels. You're also at higher risk for pneumonia. And if you're not eating well while you're sick, you could be at risk for hypoglycemia. Get a Flu Shot for Prevention The best way to protect yourself is to get a flu shot at the beginning of every flu season. Avoid the nasal flu vaccine, which has not been extensively studied in people with diabetes (PWDs). Ask people living in your house to get a flu vaccine, too. PWDs also should get the pneumococcal vaccine to protect against pneumonia. If you have diabetes, ask your doctor about getting a second shot five to 10 years after the first. When You Have Diabetes and the Flu If you do get sick, ask your doctor about Tamiflu (oseltavimir), a prescription antiviral medication that can ease symptoms and shorten the duration of your illness. For best results, take it as soon as you notice symptoms. It's also important to pay close attention to your blood glucose levels. "Check your blood glucose every two to four hours, and record your readings," Duffy says. "If your blood sugar remains high or gets too low, call your doctor." Duffy says people with type 1 diabetes who feel ill and have a blood glucose reading over 250 mg/dl should test for ketones in the urine. Left untreated, excessive ketones can result in ketoacidosis, a dangerous condition that occurs when fat is burned for energy instead of glucose. If you have the flu, do Continue reading >>
Does The Flu Shot Affect Blood Sugar?
While most physicians will tell you that your blood glucose will not be impacted by a flu shot, anecdotally there are reports of increased blood sugar levels immediately post- injection. Does this mean you shouldn’t get a flu shot? Absolutely not. Your risk from contracting the flu is far greater than a brief period of elevated blood glucose. The Flu Shot Doctors say that diabetics should not take the nasal form of the flu vaccination, only the injection. The vaccine is made of killed flu viruses, and cannot give you the flu. The vaccine is between 70% and 90% effective, and takes about two weeks to provide full immunity. It is generally available sometime during September, and physicians urge diabetics to get it as early as possible so they have complete immunity when the season begins. Some people report higher-than-normal blood glucose readings immediately after their vaccination and for a week or two. Generally, these levels are not high enough to signify an emergency situation, i.e. hyperglycemia and all of its ramifications. There is no real explanation for this increase, other than a possible small bump to the metabolism as the body processes the vaccine. Being aware of the possibility, and adjusting insulin and diet to address the higher readings should be sufficient. If after a couple of weeks glucose levels don’t return to normal, consult your physician. Why Getting a Flu Shot is Critical for Diabetics According to the CDC, diabetics are three times more likely to be hospitalized for the flu and the complications it causes than the rest of the population. Diabetes weakens the immune system, making diabetics more susceptible to the flu, and more likely to develop complications. Doctors not only urge diabetics to get vaccinated, but also strongly recommend t Continue reading >>
The Truth About Flu Shots
**Editors Note: This article is based on current recommendations and research from the CDC . We encourage everyone to consult their doctor whenmaking personal health decisions. I got my flu shot in a Target CVS this year. I went in to pick up my insulin from the pharmacy, and when the pharmacist asked if Id like to get a flu shot I agreed. Id been meaning to anyway. Within 2 minutes Id filled out the necessary paperwork and she gave me the injection. Unfortunately, she hit a vein when she took the needle out, blood was dripping down my arm right in the middle of a public area of Target. The pharmacist was embarrassed and worried that Id be upset, but with 15 years as a Type 1 diabetic under my belt, this felt like a pretty average day. I laughed, thanked her, and left with a $5 gift card. A win-win, because I know how important it is to get a flu shot as a T1D. No doubt, your healthcare professional has urged you to get a flu vaccine. In the United States, flu vaccines are recommended for everyone over 6 months old but if you have diabetes, getting vaccinated is especially important ( CDC ). Dr. Marina Basina, an endocrinologist at Stanford explains that If a person with diabetes gets the flu, it becomes much more difficult to manage blood sugars any infection will elevate blood sugars and increase variability in the readings and resistance to insulin. On the other hand, fevers, sweats and poor appetite may lead to low blood sugars, or ketone formation even in the setting of normal blood sugars. Furthermore, DKA is more frequent in the setting of flu even when blood sugars are not significantly elevated. Flu shots are a safe, inexpensive and effective way to lower your risk ofgetting sick. One study found that flu vaccination is associated with a 79% lower rate of hosp Continue reading >>
What Is Influenza?
People with diabetes are at high risk of serious flu complications. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting vaccinated each year, and vaccinating the entire family. If you have diabetes, you are three times more likely to be hospitalised and three times more likely to die from the flu and its complications than other people. The flu may also interfere with your blood glucose levels. So prevent flu and get a flu shot! Influenza is highly contagious as the viruses are spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes small virus-containing droplets into the air. If you’re nearby, you can breathe them in and infect your respiratory tract. However, it’s important to remember that touching contaminated surfaces (including hands) and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes can also lead to infection. Influenza infection usually has different symptoms and causes a more severe illness than most other common viral respiratory infections and may be a life-threatening infection in certain people; it should not be confused with the common cold! Influenza, and its potential complications, can be very serious for people living with diabetes. The NHMRC recommends vaccination in adults and children older than 6 months with chronic pulmonary or circulatory disease, including severe asthma, and other chronic illness that require regular medical follow-up or hospitalisation in the preceding year. People living with diabetes need to get vaccinated– it could save their lives and will ensure they are protected when others bring the infection into their workplaces or social environment. People who work with or live with people who are at risk of complications, such as people living with diabetes, should also be immunised to avoid spreading the flu. People can unknowingly infect othe Continue reading >>
Flu Shot Is Key For People With Diabetes
With predictions calling for a potentially bad flu season this year, doctors are urging people — particularly those with diabetes — to get vaccinated. Many people with diabetes don't get a seasonal flu shot each year, according to the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE). Some people with the blood sugar disease don't realize they're at risk for flu-related complications. Others have misguided fears that the shot will trigger an adverse reaction, the group explained. However, people with diabetes are more likely to develop serious flu-related health problems if they get the virus, the AADE cautioned. The group said the flu shot is a safe and effective way to prevent or reduce the severity of these complications. "Reducing risks is one of the AADE's seven key self-care behaviors for managing diabetes, and getting the flu shot every fall is an excellent way of reducing the risk of getting sick," certified diabetes educator Evan Sisson said in an AADE news release. "It's widely available, it takes just a few minutes and it can make a real difference in your health." Good hand hygiene is another important way to stay healthy and hopefully avoid the flu, the diabetes experts noted. There are several ways a seasonal flu shot can benefit people with diabetes, according to the AADE. They include: ♦ Better disease management. The flu and other infections can raise blood sugar levels and disrupt a healthy diet plan. Avoiding the flu can help people with diabetes stay on track and manage the condition. ♦ Complication prevention. People with diabetes are more likely to be hospitalized for flu-related complications, such as pneumonia. They are also more likely to die from the flu. ♦ Immune system boost. As people age, their immune system weakens. The flu can t Continue reading >>
Why You Need A Flu Shot If You Have Diabetes
Why You Need a Flu Shot if You Have Diabetes David Mendosa / @davidmendosa , Patient Expert If youre like more than half of all Americans, you dont get an annual flu shot. But that could be a deadly mistake for someone who has diabetes. A large population-based study of 124,503 adults in the UK who have Type 2 diabetes found that those who got a flu vaccine had a 24 percent lower death rate than those who didnt get vaccinated. Flu vaccinations also resulted in a 30 percent reduction in hospital admissions for stroke and a 22 percent reduction in heart failure admissions. Researchers from Imperial College London used one of the worlds largest computerized medical databases of primary care records, the Clinical Practice Research Datalink in England. They studied the results for seven flu seasons between 2003 and 2010 and reported their findings in CMAJ , the Canadian Medical Association journal, in July 2016. Chronic conditions can lead to flu deaths Most flu deaths every year occur in people with pre-existing health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, said the studys lead author, Eszter Vamos, M.D., Ph.D. Currently more than one-third of people with diabetes do not receive their flu vaccine year-by-year in England. An important difference between the people there and in the United States is that an even smaller proportion of Americans get an annual flu vaccination. Only about 44 percent of adults and 59 percent of children from six months to 17 years got vaccinated for the 2014-2015 season, the most recent one for which data are available, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . The people who dont get vaccinated for the flu offered many reasons in a RAND Corporation survey . The most common reason, given by 28 percent, is that they dont Continue reading >>
Flu And People With Diabetes
People with diabetes (type 1 or type 2), even when well-managed, are at high risk of serious flu complications, often resulting in hospitalization and sometimes even death. Pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections and ear infections are examples of flu-related complications. The flu also can make chronic health problems, like diabetes, worse. This is because diabetes can make the immune system less able to fight infections. In addition, illness can make it harder to control your blood sugar. The illness might raise your sugar but sometimes people don’t feel like eating when they are sick, and this can cause blood sugar levels to fall. So it is important to follow the sick day guidelines for people with diabetes. Vaccination is the Best Protection against Flu CDC recommends that all people who are 6 months and older get a flu vaccine. It is especially important for people with diabetes to get a flu vaccine. Flu shots are approved for use in people with diabetes and other health conditions. The flu shot has a long, established safety record in people with diabetes. People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of developing pneumococcal pneumonia because of the flu, so being up to date with pneumococcal vaccination is also recommended. Pneumococcal vaccination should be part of a diabetes management plan. Talk to your doctor to find out which pneumococcal vaccines are recommended for you. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and throw the tissue away after using it; Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing; Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth (germs are spread that way); and Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care. If you are sick with flu-like symptoms you should sta Continue reading >>
Flu Shot Key For People With Diabetes
(HealthDay)—With predictions calling for a potentially bad flu season this year, doctors are urging people—particularly those with diabetes—to get vaccinated. Many people with diabetes don't get a seasonal flu shot each year, according to the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE). Some people with the blood sugar disease don't realize they're at risk for flu-related complications. Others have misguided fears that the shot will trigger an adverse reaction, the group explained. However, people with diabetes are more likely to develop serious flu-related health problems if they get the virus, the AADE cautioned. The group said the flu shot is a safe and effective way to prevent or reduce the severity of these complications. "Reducing risks is one of the AADE's seven key self-care behaviors for managing diabetes, and getting the flu shot every fall is an excellent way of reducing the risk of getting sick," certified diabetes educator Evan Sisson said in an AADE news release. "It's widely available, it takes just a few minutes and it can make a real difference in your health." Good hand hygiene is another important way to stay healthy and hopefully avoid the flu, the diabetes experts noted. There are several ways a seasonal flu shot can benefit people with diabetes, according to the AADE. They include: Better disease management. The flu and other infections can raise blood sugar levels and disrupt a healthy diet plan. Avoiding the flu can help people with diabetes stay on track and manage the condition. Complication prevention. People with diabetes are more likely to be hospitalized for flu-related complications, such as pneumonia. They are also more likely to die from the flu. Immune system boost. As people age, their immune system weakens. The flu can tax Continue reading >>
Flu Shot & Diabetes | Joslin Diabetes Center
Each year people with diabetes are offered flu vaccinations. Should you get an annual flu shot if you have diabetes? Everyone with diabetes over the age of six months. People who are allergic to eggs (they are used in the production of the vaccine). A yearly flu shot is highly recommended if you have diabetes, according to M. Donna Younger, MD, at Joslin Diabetes Center. Diabetes puts you at a higher risk of getting the flu, particularly if your diabetes is not well controlled. Having the flu also makes it more difficult to manage diabetes. Its important to get a flu shot when you have diabetes, so you can reduce the risk. The flu vaccine is 70-90 percent effective and takes two weeks after the shot for your immunity to build up. Its a triple vaccine against three types of influenza strains that public health officials predict are most likely to strike in a given flu season. The flu shot is effective for about six months. Cases of flu usually peak in January or February, but you can still get infected any time up until May. Although it is recommended you get the vaccine as soon as it is available in the fall, even January is not too late. Should you get the flu when you have diabetesbefore you get thevaccine or despite it, Younger recommends that you contact your primary care provider right away. There are also other treatments for the flu, but they arent as effective as getting the vaccine. Tamiflu, for example, has to be taken in first 48 hours and continued for a week. In order to be prepared, you should also have a sick day plan made with your health care team. We also encourage others in your family over six months years old to get the vaccine as well, so the flu is not passed around the house, Younger says. Prepare yourself for theflu season and get your vaccine Continue reading >>
