Flu season is upon us and will be until April. The disease, Influenza, effects more than 200,000 people each year — down from the worst pandemic in 1918 when 50 million people died from the virus — and is a direct result of approximately 36,000 deaths nationwide each year. The illness is a byproduct of a viral infection that attacks the entire respiratory system. It will impact the bronchial tubes, lungs, nose and throat while causing vomiting and diarrhea in children as well.

Julie Anderson, registered nurse at Oconee Medical Center, said the flu vaccination is the second safest shot behind Hepatitis B and yields only minor side effects like muscle aches and tenderness in the arm (at the site).

“It’s perfectly normal,” she said. “It’s your body’s way of building immunity. In very rare cases, one may experience a low-grade fever. Still, these side effects pale in comparison to getting sick with the flu.”

And the best way to avoid getting sick is signing up for your annual flu shot, she said.

The two types of flu virus arrive in the form of A and B strands, both of which are constantly changing through a process called antigenic drift. The only way to ensure a healthy stint through flu season is the yearly vaccination, which more people in Oconee County are paying attention to this year.

“We’ve administered 1,300 shots so far,” she said. “That’s an increase from last year. People seem to be more aware of the epidemic that the CDC (Center for Disease Control) is threatening. We had two flu clinics here and gave around 860 doses in two days. That is a lot.”

Approximately 145 million doses have been released for the 2008-09 season, an all-time high. Even though peak flu season doesn’t hit until February, the earlier the vaccination, the better, Anderson said.

In the northern hemisphere, flu season runs from early October until April, while flu season in the southern hemisphere is the opposite, running from April until October.

Although all persons older than six months of age are encouraged to receive the flu shot, certain people are in the high-risk category.

“The very young, the elderly and all health-care workers are urged to get their shots,” Alexander said. “These are requirements from the Center for Disease Control.”

Others in specific danger include pregnant women, the chronically ill and those residing in nursing homes, dorms or boarding schools.

And even though the winter is prime time for people to contract the sniffles, the CDC reported that there is a specific difference between the common cold and the flu. Colds move slowly, gaining complexity as the days go on while the flu hits fast, with little warning. Be on the lookout for abrupt fevers (to the tune of 101-105 degrees F.), the chills followed by the sweats, aching in the back, arms and legs, headache, dry cough, fatigue, nasal congestion and loss of appetite.

The flu is also highly contagious, picked up from breathing in the infection from someone’s cough or sneeze and even from talking face to face. In addition, the virus can be contracted by touching surfaces, such as the telephone and computer keyboard, prior to rubbing the eyes or touching the mouth. The best way to stay healthy, including the annual flu shot, is hand washing, eating well, getting plenty of sleep, avoiding crowds and exercising, all of which keep the immune system strong to ward off infection.

For more information, call the Oconee Medical Center at (864) 882-3351 or visit www.cdc.gov/flu.