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Detecting early symptoms of the flu
can help to prevent the spread of the virus and possibly
help you treat the illness before it gets worse. Early
symptoms can include:
Shorter days and reduced sunlight
can make you feel tired. There’s a difference between
being tired and experiencing extreme
fatigue.
Sudden, excessive fatigue is one of
the earliest symptoms of the flu. It may appear before
other symptoms. Fatigue is also a symptom of the common
cold, but it’s usually more severe with the flu.
Extreme weakness and tiredness may
interfere with your normal activities. It’s important
that you limit activities and allow your body to rest.
Take a few days off from work or school and stay in bed.
Rest can
strengthen your immune system and help you fight the
virus.
Body aches and chills are also
common flu symptoms.
If you’re coming down with the flu
virus, you may mistakenly blame body aches on something
else, such as a recent workout. Body aches can manifest
anywhere in the body, especially in the head, back, and
legs.
Chills may also accompany body
aches. The flu may cause chills even before a fever
develops.
Wrapping yourself in a warm blanket
can increase your body temperature and possibly reduce
chills. If you have body aches, you can take
over-the-counter pain relieving medication, such as
acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin).
A persistent dry cough can indicate
an early illness. It may be a warning sign of the flu.
The flu virus can also cause a cough with
wheezing and chest tightness. You might cough up
phlegm or
mucus. However, a productive cough is rare in flu’s
early stages.
If you have respiratory problems,
such as
asthma or
emphysema, you may need to call your doctor to
prevent further complications. Also, contact your doctor
if you notice foul smelling,
colored phlegm. Flu complications can include
bronchitis and
pneumonia.
Take cough drops or cough medicine
to calm your cough. Keeping yourself and your throat
hydrated with lots of water and caffeine-free teas can
also help. Always cover your cough and wash your hands
to prevent spreading the infection.
Flu-related coughing can quickly
lead to a sore throat. Some viruses, including
influenza, can actually cause a swollen throat without a
cough.
In the earliest stages of the flu,
your throat may feel scratchy and irritated. You may
also feel a strange sensation when you swallow food or
drinks. If you have a sore throat, it’ll likely get
worse as the viral infection progresses.
Stock up on caffeine-free tea,
chicken noodle soup, and water. You can also gargle with
8 ounces of warm water, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2
teaspoon of baking soda.
A fever is a sign that your body is
fighting off an infection. Flu-related fevers are
typically over 100.4˚F (38˚C).
A fever is a common symptom in
early stages of the flu, but not everyone with the flu
will have a fever. Also, you might experience chills
with or without a fever while the virus runs its course.
Usually, acetaminophen and
ibuprofen are both effective fever reducers, but these
medications can’t cure the virus.
Early flu symptoms can extend below the head, throat,
and chest. Some strains of the virus can cause
diarrhea,
nausea, stomach pain, or
vomiting.
Dehydration is a dangerous
complication of diarrhea and vomiting. To avoid dehydration, drink water,
sports drinks, unsweetened fruit juices, caffeine-free teas, or broth.
The flu virus also causes the above symptoms in
children. However, your child may have other symptoms that require medical
attention. These can include:
not drinking enough fluids
crying with no tears
not waking up or interacting
being unable to eat
having fever with a rash
having difficulty urinating
It can be hard to know the difference between the flu
and a
cold in children.
With both a cold and flu, your child can develop a
cough, sore throat, and body aches. Symptoms are typically more severe with
the flu. If your child doesn’t have a high fever or other severe symptoms,
this may be an indication that they have a cold instead.
If you’re concerned about any symptoms your child has
developed, you should call their pediatrician.
The flu is a progressive illness. This means that
symptoms will worsen before they get better. Not everyone responds the same
to influenza virus. Your overall health can determine how severe your
symptoms may be. The flu virus can be mild or severe.
Seek immediate medical care if you have the following
symptoms:
Symptoms of the flu usually go away within a week or
two. However, in some cases, the flu can cause additional
complications, especially in people at high risk. Some possible
complications include:
If you’ve been diagnosed with the flu, allow yourself a
reasonable recovery period. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted
Source
recommends that you don’t go back to work until you’ve been fever-free for
24 hours without needing to take a fever reducing medication.
Even if you don’t have a fever, you should still
consider staying home until other symptoms improve. It’s generally safe to
return to work or school when you can resume normal activity without getting
tired.
The recovery rate varies from person to person.
Antiviral drugs can possibly help speed up your
recovery time and make the illness less severe. Even after feeling better,
you might experience a lingering cough and fatigue for a few weeks. Always
see your doctor if the flu symptoms come back or get worse after an initial
recovery.
During flu season, protecting yourself from respiratory
viruses is a top priority.
The
flu virus can spread through saliva droplets that are projected when an
infected person coughs or sneezes.
These droplets can reach people and surfaces up to 6
feet away. You can be exposed by breathing air containing these droplets or
by touching objects that these droplets have landed on.
The good news is that the flu virus is preventable.
Getting a
flu shot every year is one of the best ways to protect yourself. The flu
shot is recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older, including pregnant
women.
Here are a few other preventive measures:
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home if you’re sick, especially if you have a
fever.
Cover your cough to protect others.
Wash your hands.
Limit how often you touch your mouth or nose.
3 sourcescollapsed
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and
relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and
medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can
learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current
by reading our
editorial policy.
These complications can be due to
influenza virus in itself or because of a secondary
bacterial infection. Serious flu-related complications
can lead to hospitalization and even death.
Additionally, flu infection may
make preexisting conditions worse. For example, if you
have
asthma, you may experience more severe asthma
attacks while you have the flu.
You’re at increased risk for
developing flu-related complications if you:
are 65 years old or older
are younger than 5 years old
and particularly younger than 2 years old
are of Native American
(American Indian or Alaska Native) descent
are pregnant or two weeks
postpartum
are extremely obese (BMI of 40
or more)
live in a nursing home or
long-term care facility
have a weakened immune system,
such as the kind seen in people with cancer or HIV
have a chronic illness, such
as asthma, diabetes, or COPD
have a liver or kidney
disorder
Do some strains of the flu last longer than other
strains?
Although different
influenza strains don’t generally affect the
duration of illness, some strains (and subtypes of
influenza A, like H3N2) can cause more severe illness
than others.
According to the
CDC, influenza A (H3N2) viruses have been associated
with more hospitalizations and deaths in children and
the elderly than other human influenza subtypes or
strains, such as influenza A (H1N1) and influenza B.
Additionally, vaccine effectiveness
for influenza A (H3N2) viruses has been generally lower.
Flu vs. cold duration
Despite having some overlapping
symptoms,
colds and the flu are two separate illnesses. Colds
are typically milder than the flu. Cold symptoms will
typically resolve in about 7 to 10 days and tend to not
come on as fast as the flu. Flu symptoms may last for a
couple of weeks.
It may take one to four days after
exposure to the influenza virus for symptoms to develop.
If you have the flu, you’ll
be contagiousTrusted
Source one day
before developing symptoms and up to five to seven days
after becoming ill.
Younger children or people with a
weakened immune system may be contagious for longer.
The influenza virus can also
survive on surfaces, such as doorknobs and tables, for
up to
24 hours. Viruses live longer on materials such as
stainless steel, plastic, and other hard surfaces.
To avoid transmitting the virus to
others, wash your hands frequently and avoid touching
your face or mouth.
If you’re sick, be sure to drink plenty of liquids and
get plenty of rest. You can also take over-the-counter pain and fever
relievers, such as ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol), to help
relieve your symptoms.
Stay at home while you’re sick and for at least
24 hours after your fever has gone down.
In some cases, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral
medication. Antiviral medications can reduce the length of your illness and
may help prevent complications. They don’t kill the influenza virus,
however.
Antiviral medications must be taken within 48 hours of
the onset of symptoms in order to be effective.
Most flu symptoms will typically resolve within a
week. However, the flu can cause serious complications in groups with
known risk factors or people who have preexisting conditions.
If you or your child experience any of the
following symptoms, seek medical attention immediately:
Adults
trouble breathing or shortness of breath
pressure or pain in chest or abdomen
dizziness that comes on suddenly
confusion
vomiting
symptoms that seem to improve, but then return
or worsen
Infants and children
trouble breathing, or breathing quickly
not getting enough fluids
not being able to eat
not waking up
not interacting or not wanting to be held
skin that’s blue in color
fever that comes with a rash
fewer wet diapers than usual
symptoms that seem to improve, but then return
or worsen
If you come down with the flu, your symptoms will
typically resolve on their own within a week. Prescribed antiviral
medication may reduce this duration.
But if you have a high risk for complications or
start to experience the more severe symptoms outlined above, contact
your doctor right away.
16 sourcescollapsed
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and
relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions,
and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references.
You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate
and current by reading our
editorial policy.
Uyeki TM, et al.
(2018). Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases
Society of America: 2018 update on diagnosis, treatment,
chemoprophylaxis, and institutional outbreak management of
seasonal influenza. DOI:
10.1093/cid/ciy866
Every year, people protect
themselves from
influenza, or the flu, by getting the
flu vaccine. This vaccine, which typically comes as
a shot or nasal spray, can reduce your chances of
getting the flu by as much as
60 percentTrusted
Source.
Most side effects from the flu shot
are typically mild. However, in rare cases, they can be
severe. Before you get your flu shot, you may want to
know what to expect.
A mercury-based preservative called
thimerosal is used in some multidose vials of the flu
vaccine. It’s used to prevent bacteria and other germs
from growing.
If you’re concerned about
thimerosal, you can ask for a vaccine that doesn’t
contain it. This
CDC tableTrusted
Source lists
currently available flu vaccines and whether they
contain thimerosal.
The more common side effects of the
flu shot are mild. They’re the same in adults, children,
and babies.
Reaction at the injection site
The most common side effect of the
flu shot is a reaction at the injection site, which is
typically on the upper arm. After the shot is given, you
may have soreness, redness, warmth, and in some cases,
slight swelling. These effects usually last less than
two days.
To help reduce discomfort, try
taking some ibuprofen before getting your shot.
Headache and other aches and pains
After your shot, you might have
headaches or some achiness and pain in the muscles
throughout your body. This also usually happens on the
first day and goes away within two days. Taking pain
relievers can help ease your discomfort.
It’s controversial whether it’s
safe to take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to treat these
vaccine side effects.
Some research
suggests that these medications might change or decrease
how your body responds to the vaccine.
One study involving children found that taking
acetaminophen or ibuprofen didn’t reduce the body’s
response to the flu vaccine.
Other research is mixed. It’s still
unclear whether these medications should be avoided.
Dizziness or fainting
You may experience dizziness or
fainting with the flu shot. These effects shouldn’t last
longer than a day or two. If you tend to get dizzy or
faint when getting a shot, be sure to tell your
healthcare provider before they give you the flu shot.
You can also try:
sitting for a while after you
receive the shot
having a snack before or after
the shot
Fever
A fever of 101°F (38°C) or less is
a common side effect of the flu shot. A slight fever is
considered a mild side effect. It should go away within
a day or two.
If the fever bothers you, you can
consider taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
As noted above, some concern has
been raised about both acetaminophen and nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs, including ibuprofen or
naproxen. The concern is that these medications could
diminish the body’s response to vaccines. However,
research isn’t conclusive at this time.
Q:
Does the nasal
spray flu vaccine cause different
side effects than the flu shot?
Anonymous patient
A:
Like the flu shot, the flu nasal spray — also called
the live attenuated influenza
vaccine (LAIV) — may cause headache,
dizziness, fainting, and a slight
fever.
However, the
nasal spray can also cause other
side effects that the shot doesn’t,
including tiredness, loss of
appetite, runny nose, and sore
throat.
Please note,
the nasal spray isn’t available
every year. Check the
CDC websiteTrusted
Source
for more information.
Healthline Medical
TeamAnswers
represent the opinions of our
medical experts. All content is
strictly informational and should
not be considered medical advice.
Serious side effects are rare with the flu shot, but
they can include:
High fever
A fever greater than 101°F (38°C) isn’t common. If
you’re concerned about a high fever, call your doctor.
Severe allergic reactions
Rarely, the flu vaccine can cause a severe allergic
reaction. Severe allergic reactions usually happen within a few hours of
receiving the vaccine. Symptoms include:
hives
swelling
trouble breathing
fast heart rate
dizziness
weakness
If you have any of these symptoms, call your doctor
right away. If they’re severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)
In very rare cases, some people who have received the
flu vaccine have experienced
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). GBS is a neurologic condition that causes
weakness and paralysis throughout your body. However, it’s not clear if the
flu vaccine is the actual cause of GBS in these cases.
GBS is more likely to occur in people who’ve had GBS in
the past. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have a history of this
condition. That said, having GBS in the past doesn’t always mean you can’t
receive the flu vaccine. Talk to your doctor to find out if the flu vaccine
is safe for you.
Call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of GBS
after receiving the flu shot.
The flu shot is typically recommended for everyone ages
6 months or older. Anyone at risk of serious complications from the flu
should also receive the flu shot, which includes:
pregnant women
people ages 65 and older
people with chronic health conditions as well as
their caregivers
The shot isn’t recommended for people who:
have had an allergic reaction to the flu shot in
the past
have a severe allergy to eggs
are currently sick with a moderate to severe fever
The flu shot is a safe, effective treatment with few
side effects. Still, if you’re concerned, you can talk to your doctor or
pharmacist. They can help you decide if a flu shot is right for you.
Questions you may ask include:
Is getting a flu shot a good idea for me?
Which flu vaccine is best for me?
Am I at risk of serious complications from the
flu?
Am I at high risk of side effects from the flu
shot?
Q:
Can I get a flu shot if I’m allergic
to eggs?
Anonymous patient
A:
Most flu vaccines are made using eggs, so they could
cause a reaction in people with an egg allergy. In the
past, the CDC advised many people with an egg allergy to
avoid getting the flu vaccine.
But now, the
CDCTrusted
Source says that
most people with egg allergies can safely get the flu
vaccine.
Whether you can receive the flu
vaccine or not depends on how severe your egg allergy
is. If you’ve only had hives as a reaction to eggs, you
can get any flu vaccine that’s otherwise safe for you.
If you’ve had other symptoms from
eggs, such as swelling or lightheadedness, you should
only get the flu vaccine from a healthcare provider
who’s trained to handle an allergic response.
But if you’ve ever had a severe
reaction to eggs, the recommendation is that you should
still not get the flu vaccine.
If you have an egg allergy, talk to
your doctor about getting a form of the vaccine that’s
safe for you.
Healthline Medical TeamAnswers
represent the opinions of our medical experts. All
content is strictly informational and should not be
considered medical advice.
6 sourcescollapsed
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and
relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions,
and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references.
You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate
and current by reading our
editorial policy.
Walter EB, et al.
(2017). The effect of antipyretics on immune response and fever
following receipt of inactivated influenza vaccine in young
children. DOI:
10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.10.020
If you get the flu, you’ll likely
experience a high fever, sore throat, cough, and lots of
aches and pains. You might feel like you don’t need to
see a doctor, and opt to treat yourself with extra rest
and fluids. But in certain cases, seeing a doctor will
help you get better faster and prevent major
complications.
Even though most people recover in
a week or two at home, the flu shouldn’t be taken
lightly. Being aware of when you should see a doctor is
important.
Some people are at a higher risk of experiencing
dangerous flu-related complications, like pneumonia or bronchitis.
You’re considered high risk and should see a doctor at
the first signs of the flu if:
you are age 65 or older
you have a chronic medical condition (such as
asthma, diabetes, or heart disease)
you have a compromised immune system
you are pregnant or up to two weeks’ postpartum
you’re a nursing home resident
If you fit into one of these categories, your doctor
may prescribe an antiviral medication. These medications work best when
they’re taken within the first 48 hours after symptoms start. The earlier
you can see a doctor, the better.
If you’re not considered high risk and you’re not
having severe symptoms, you can likely skip a trip to the doctor and
ride out the flu with rest and fluids.
But there are a few other reasons you should plan a
doctor’s visit. These include:
your fever gets better, then suddenly worsens
your symptoms don’t improve within two weeks
you can’t get rid of your cough or your cough
begins producing thick mucus
pain is concentrated in a single area (like
your ear, chest, or sinuses)
Most people recover from the flu within a week. But
if you start to get better and then rapidly deteriorate and your fever
spikes again, this could mean you have a flu complication. The main
complications of the flu are infections of the sinuses or lungs
(pneumonia).
If you get sick with the flu and are at high risk
of flu complications or you’re concerned about your illness, you can
always call your doctor’s office for advice and to find out if they
think you should come in.
If you decide to head to the doctor’s office or
emergency room, wear a facemask if you have one. Wash your hands and
cover your coughs and sneezes to avoid spreading the virus to others.
Getting a flu vaccine can greatly lower your
chances of getting the flu. In the
2016–2017 flu seasonTrusted
Source, the flu vaccine helped
prevent an estimated 5.3 million flu-related illnesses, 2.6 million
medical visits, and 85,000 hospitalizations in the United States.
9 sourcescollapsed
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relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions,
and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references.
You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate
and current by reading our
editorial policy.
Estimated
influenza illnesses, medical visits, and hospitalizations
averted by vaccination in the United States. (2018).
cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/2016-17.htm
The
flu, or influenza, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses
that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. The flu spreads
mostly from person to person, and people with flu are most contagious in the
first
three to fourTrusted
Source days after their illness
begins.
The flu can come on suddenly. Early
symptoms can include fatigue, body aches and chills, cough, sore throat,
and fever. For most people, influenza resolves on its own, but sometimes,
the flu, and its complications, can be deadly.
Flu viruses travel through the air in droplets when
someone with the infection coughs, sneezes, or talks. You can inhale the
droplets directly, or you can pick up the germs from an object and then
transfer them to your eyes, nose, or mouth. People with flu can spread it to
others up to about
six feet awayTrusted
Source.
At the time of publishing this article,
influenza activity in the United StatesTrusted
Source
for the 2018-2019 flu season remained low. The proportion of outpatient
visits for influenza-like illness increased slightly to 1.7 percent, which
is below the national baseline of 2.2 percent.
The 2017-2018 flu season, however, was
one of the deadliestTrusted
Source
in decades, with high levels of outpatient clinic and emergency department
visits for flu-like illness and high flu-related hospitalization rates.
You can find out more about flu facts and statistics,
below.
There are four types of influenza viruses: A, B, C, and
D. Human influenza A and B viruses cause seasonal epidemics almost every
winter in the United States.
Influenza C infections generally cause a mild
respiratory illness and are not thought to cause epidemics. Meanwhile,
influenza D viruses primarily affect cattle and are not known to infect or
cause illness in humans.
Most people who get sick with flu will have mild illness,
will not need medical care or antiviral drugs, and will recover in less than
two weeks. People at higher risk of developing flu
complications include:
children younger than age 5, especially those
younger than age 2
adults older than age 65
residents of nursing homes and other long-term
care facilities
pregnant women and women up to two weeks
postpartum
people with weakened immune systems
people who have chronic illnesses, such as asthma,
heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, and diabetes
people who are very obese, with a body mass index
of 40 or higher
During the severe
2017-2018 flu seasonTrusted
Source, one of the longest in recent
years, estimates indicate that more than 900,000 people were hospitalized
and more than 80,000 people died from flu.
Additionally, as of late October 2018,
185 pediatric deathsTrusted
Source
had been reported to CDC during the 2017-2018 season. Approximately 80
percent of these deaths occurred in children who had not received a flu
vaccination.
Last season took the greatest toll on adults age 65
years and older. About
58 percentTrusted
Source of the estimated
hospitalizations occurred in that age group.
The flu
costs an estimated $10.4 billion a year in direct medical expenses and
another $16.3 billion in lost earnings annually.
Additionally,
the fluTrusted
Source
causes United States employees to miss approximately 17 million workdays due to
flu, which costs an estimated $7 billion a year in sick days and lost
productivity.
One
report put the estimate of the cost of lost productivity to employers
due to the flu in 2017-2018 at more than $21 billion, according to
employment consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Moreover, an
estimated 25 million workers got sick, while $855.68 was the average amount
of wages lost due to missing shifts.
A
2018 reportTrusted
Source
estimated the average annual total economic burden of seasonal influenza to
the American healthcare system and society was $11.2 billion. Direct medical
costs were estimated to be $3.2 billion and indirect costs $8 billion.
The single best way to protect against the flu is to get
vaccinated each year. The CDC
recommendsTrusted
Source an annual flu shot for everyone
older than six months old.
The flu vaccine is available as an injection or as a nasal
spray. The
most commonTrusted
Source way that flu vaccines are made is
using an egg-based manufacturing process that has been used for more than 70
years.
There is also a cell-based production process for flu
vaccines, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in
2012. A third type of vaccine was approved for use in the United States
in 2013; this version involves using
recombinant technologyTrusted
Source.
While the annual influenza vaccine isn’t 100
percent effective, it’s still the best defense against the flu. Vaccine
effectivenessTrusted
Source can vary from season to
season and among different age and risk groups and even by vaccine type.
Recent studiesTrusted
Source,
however, show that flu vaccination reduces the risk of flu illness by
between 40 percent and 60 percent among the overall population during
seasons when most circulating flu viruses are well-matched to the flu
vaccine.
During the 2016-2017 influenza season, the
CDC estimatesTrusted
Source
that flu vaccine prevented an estimated 5.3 million illnesses, 2.6
million medical visits, and 85,000 hospitalizations associated with
influenza.
A
2017 study concluded that flu vaccination reduced the risk of
flu-associated death by half among children with underlying high-risk
medical conditions. For healthy children, it cut the risk by nearly
two-thirds.
Another
studyTrusted
Source
published in 2018 showed getting a flu shot lessened the risk of severe
flu among adults and also reduced the severity of illness.
Among adults who were admitted to the hospital with
flu, vaccinated adults were 59 percent less likely to have a very severe
illness that resulted in intensive care unit admission than those who
had not been vaccinated.
The overall vaccine effectiveness of the 2017-2018
flu vaccine against both influenza A and B viruses is estimated to be
40 percentTrusted
Source. This means the flu vaccine
reduced a person’s overall risk of having to seek medical care at a
doctor’s office for flu illness by 40 percent.
For the last several seasons,
flu vaccination coverage among children age 6 months to 17 years has
remained steady, but has fallen short of national public health goals,
which is 80 percent.
During the 2017-2018 season, coverage dropped to
57.9 percent compared with 59 percent the year before. In the same time
period, flu vaccination
coverageTrusted
Source among adults was 37.1
percent, a decrease of 6.2 percentage points from the year before.
For the 2018-2019 season, vaccine manufacturers
have estimated that up to
168 million dosesTrusted
Source of influenza vaccine will
be available in the United States.
Most people who get flu will recover anywhere from
a few days to less than two weeks, but high-risk children and adults may
develop
complications such as:
pneumonia
bronchitis
asthma flare-ups
sinus infections
heart problems
ear infections
The flu is a common cause of
pneumonia, especially among younger children, the elderly, pregnant
women, or those with certain chronic health conditions or who live in a
nursing home.
In 2016Trusted
Source, influenza and pneumonia
were the eighth-leading cause of death in the United States.
People
65 years and olderTrusted
Source
are at greater risk of serious complications from the flu. Estimates of
the number of flu patients who also develop a bacterial infection range
from as low as 2 percent to as high as 65 percent,
according to one 2016Trusted
Source report.
It is estimated that between
70 and 85 percentTrusted
Source of seasonal flu-related
deaths have occurred in people 65 years and older. Between
50 and 70 percentTrusted
Source of seasonal flu-related
hospitalizations have occurred among people in that age group.
In addition to the flu shot, the CDC recommends
everyday preventative actions like staying away from people who are
sick, covering coughs and sneezes, and frequent handwashing.
If you do get the flu, antiviral drugs — which can
make the illness milder and shorten the time you are sick — can be
prescribed by a doctor and can mean the difference between having a
milder illness versus a very serious illness that could result in a
hospital stay.
25 sourcescollapsed
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and
relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions,
and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references.
You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate
and current by reading our
editorial policy.
Leading causes of
death and numbers of death, by sex, race, and Hispanic origin:
United States, 1980 and 2016. (2016).
cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2017/019.pdf