30 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • DECEMBER 16, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
health
There is still time to protect against fl u
Th e holidays are here, and while that
means more opportunities for spreading
cheer, there is also more opportunity for
spreading fl u and other respiratory viruses
as people resume travel and gather with
family and friends. National Infl uenza
Vaccination Week (Dec. 5-11) served as
an important reminder to check off one
thing no one should go through the holiday
season without: A fl u vaccine.
Flu activity during the 2020-2021
season was very low, likely because of
COVID-19 prevention measures - and
it’s important to know that immune protection
against fl u decreases over time, so
many people may have reduced immunity
to fl u this season. As we celebrate this holiday
season, health experts at the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) are particularly concerned about
the impact reduced immunity could have
on people who are already at higher risk
of developing serious fl u complications,
including those with certain chronic
health conditions like asthma, heart disease
and diabetes.
“CDC estimates that only about half of
adults 18 to 64 years of age with at least
one chronic health condition received a
fl u vaccine last season,” Dr. Michael Jhung,
a medical offi cer with CDC’s Infl uenza
Division, said. “Th is means many people
who are most vulnerable to getting very
sick with fl u are not getting the protection
they need.”
While it is ideal to get a fl u vaccine
before fl u starts spreading in your community,
getting vaccinated later is still
benefi cial during most seasons. Flu most
commonly peaks in February and significant
activity can continue into May, so
there is still time to get vaccinated if you
haven’t already. Go to your doctor or local
pharmacy to get your fl u vaccine, encourage
your loved ones to get their fl u vaccine,
and learn more about the benefi ts of
getting vaccinated against fl u.
Did you know? Flu vaccines
are the only vaccines that
protect against fl u
Flu and COVID-19 are diff erent diseases
caused by diff erent viruses. Flu vaccines
protect against the four fl u viruses
that research indicates will be the most
common during fl u season, and COVID-
19 vaccines protect against the virus that
causes COVID-19. One vaccine is not a
substitute or a replacement for the other.
Both vaccines are recommended, and
it’s important that people be up to date
on their recommended fl u and COVID-
19 vaccines. In fact, a fl u vaccine and a
COVID-19 vaccine can be given during
the same visit, if the timing coincides.
Flu vaccines are critical
for people with certain
chronic health conditions
Adults with asthma, heart disease,
diabetes and certain other chronic
health conditions are at higher risk of
developing potentially serious fl u complications,
including hospitalization or
even death. In past fl u seasons, nine out
of 10 adults hospitalized with fl u had
at least one reported underlying medical
condition.
“Even more concerning is that heart
disease and diabetes were the most common
chronic conditions among hospitalized
adults with fl u during recent seasons
- about half of adults hospitalized with fl u
had heart disease, and about 30% had diabetes,”
Jhung said. “If you or a loved one
has a chronic condition like asthma, heart
disease, diabetes or had a stroke, please
get your fl u vaccine.”
Additionally, CDC’s fi rst estimates for
fl u vaccine uptake among children and
pregnant people so far this fl u season are
lower than the same time last season. Th is
could be dangerous for many of the people
in these groups as well who may also
be at higher risk of developing serious fl u
complications. Flu vaccines can be lifesaving
in children, and fl u vaccination helps
protect pregnant people during pregnancy,
as well as their baby for several months
aft er birth.
Flu vaccines are needed
every year — and there’s
still time to get vaccinated
Flu viruses are constantly changing, and
multiple fl u viruses can circulate at the
same time during any given fl u season.
Because of this, fl u vaccines are reviewed
each year and updated as needed - in fact,
two of the components included in this
year’s vaccine were updated from last year
to better match fl u viruses that are expected
to spread in the U.S. this season.
Getting an annual fl u vaccine is recommended
for everyone 6 months and older
and is the best way to help protect against
fl u. Th ere’s still time for you and your
loved ones to get vaccinated; get your fl u
vaccine today.
Additional information about the seriousness
of fl u and the benefi ts of fl u vaccination
can be found on the CDC website
or call CDC at 1-800-CDC-INFO.
— Courtesy of BPT
You can help solve medicine’s “one-size-fi ts-all” problem. Here’s how
Have you ever been put on a treatment
that just didn’t work for you?
Most people like to think that our doctors
will always know what treatment will
work best. It turns out that all the things
that make people diff erent - DNA, age,
gender, race, living conditions - can mean
“trial and error” to fi nd a treatment that
works for individuals.
Th e problem isn’t because health care
providers are overlooking data and
research about what treatments might
work best for you. Oft en, the knowledge
simply doesn’t exist. Th at’s because many
groups have been left out of research in
the past. Th e result is less information
about the health needs of women, Black,
Hispanic, LGBTQ+ and Asian-American
patients, and people with multiple conditions.
Th at can leave your health care provider
making best guesses, based on what
worked for other patients who may not
share the factors that make you unique.
Th ose diff erences can mean treatments
come with extra side eff ects or might not
work at all. For example, because of certain
genes, a commonly prescribed blood thinner,
clopidogrel, does not work in about
50% of people with Asian ancestry.
To learn why a treatment works better
in one patient than another, scientists need
data - lots of data. Th e National Institutes
of Health’s All of Us Research Program is
well on its way to fi ll that need by inviting
one million people to help build one of the
largest and most diverse medical databases
in existence. Participants choose what
types of data they contribute, and whether
they would like to receive information
about their DNA, free of charge.
“We know that ‘one-size-fi ts-all’ medicine
fails too many people,” said Joshua
Denny, M.D., M.S., Chief Executive Offi cer
of the NIH program. “Th e more than
400,000 people who have already joined
the program are making it possible for
researchers to better solve many medical
mysteries, diagnose faster, prevent better
and treat more accurately.”
Protected by privacy and security safeguards,
the data equips registered researchers
with real-world information to study
better ways to prevent, manage and treat
disease, including common conditions like
cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Andrea
Ramirez, M.D., M.S., Senior Advisor to All
of Us, is a practicing endocrinologist and
has seen fi rst-hand the challenges of managing
patients with diabetes.
“Th ere are so many factors that can
impact what treatment will get the best
results for a patient, including genetic variations,”
says Ramirez. “All of Us goes beyond
fi nding the DNA information and allows
researchers to study diabetes therapy in
relation to participants’ electronic health
records, environment and lifestyle. Th at
combination of data shared through All of
Us changes the game and opens doors to
answering questions more quickly.”
Th e participants who join the research
program can help make sure scientists like
Ramirez won’t be slowed down by the lack
of data when they search for answers to the
health issues that aff ect your family or your
community.
— Courtesy of BPT
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