ADVISORY:
The coming flu: What to do?

 By MARC SIEGEL, M.D.

Just when the Centers for Disease Control and other health organizations were beginning a full-court press to persuade more people to get flu vaccines, the supply shrunk by half with a tainted batch discovered in the labs of the British manufacturer.

So what does 50 million fewer vaccines mean for the average patient? First, there may be more flu around as a result of the vaccine shortage, but most healthy patients should tolerate the illness without serious complications. Since there are 100,000 hospitalizations and 40,000 deaths from flu-related illnesses in an average year, it is crucial for doctors to target their vaccination supply for those who need it the most — the elderly, those with chronic illnesses like diabetes, people with respiratory difficulties including asthma and emphysema, pregnant women and very young children. Panic-driven flu-vaccine consumption should be discouraged, especially this year.

You can limit your exposure to flu by washing your hands frequently. If you do get sick, minimize your exposure to others by staying home from work or school. Consult your physician at the onset of muscle aches, fever and respiratory congestion, cardinal signs of flu.

If the diagnosis of flu is made quickly, either by a nasal swab test or identification of clinical symptoms, anti-viral agents such as Tamiflu and Relenza (neuraminidase inhibitors) are useful in reducing severity and duration of the illness. This approach may be particularly helpful this year when more vulnerable groups are at risk because of the vaccine shortage.

When should you get the vaccine? Since flu season usually doesn't peak until late December or January, there is still plenty of time. Physicians are trying to get enough of the vaccine to handle the higher-risk patients. Doctors should do their best to make sure this group is vaccinated first.