Is it really the flu?
Our quick quiz helps you figure out if you really do have the flu, or just a nasty cold.
Check your symptomsHave you ever wondered why doctors encourage people to have the flu vaccine every year? Will the jab you had last year not be enough? The common cold is more common than flu so why are there no vaccines for colds? These are all interesting questions which I hope to be able to answer for you.
Firstly, the flu. This is more than a severe or ‘heavy’ cold as some might think – it is caused by a specific bug known as the influenza virus. This family of viruses contains variants which have caused death and illness over the decades – from Spanish flu (now believed to be H1N1)1, 2, in 1918; Bird or Avian flu (H5N1 in 1997 and H7N9 in 2013)3. and Swine flu (H1N1 again) in 20094.
For the 2013/2014 winter season, the World Health Organisation has recommended that vaccines provide protection against up to 4 viruses, including the H1N1 and H3N2 viruses5. These are the ones the WHO judges to be the most dangerous to health this winter. The choice is reviewed each year and new recommendations made as viruses change or mutate. For instance, the H3N2 virus is one which mutated out of the Swine flu virus in 20106.
However, most winters, it is not these ‘famous’ viruses which cause problems for the majority of people. Although not likely to be as dangerous or spread as easily, the more common flu viruses we pick up from day to day can lead to symptoms of a bad or heavy cold as well as flu symptoms.
Well, although in some cases, they may be more contagious, strains of the cold, tend not to be as dangerous. But the key reason that there are no vaccines, yet developed against cold viruses is that there are over 200 different types which cause infections, with exotic sounding names such as rhinovirus, coronavirus and respiratory syncytial virus, and it is impossible to know which ones to aim for.
So, it is clear that the flu jab will not protect you against all the flu viruses lurking around – just the ones which have hit the news and thought by the experts to be the most dangerous this coming winter. It does not protect you against any new ones which may be round the corner and it certainly does not help your body fight the common cold viruses, and some of these can cause symptoms which can be just as inconvenient when you are looking forward to a good rest and enjoyable time during the Christmas break.
However, on the other hand, every little helps. Protecting yourself from even one type of infection, may make your system more resilient to secondary infections.
The flu jab is a controversial topic and this article is not intended to add to the argument. However, whatever your views are and whether or not you will be having one this winter, we wanted to highlight it is unlikely to protect you against every bug lying in wait on the escalator rail, door handle or telephone, but just the strain of flu it was originally intended for.
There really is no substitute for keeping your immune system strong. Click the link here if you want to learn more.
Whilst there are no contraindications for the use of Echinacea drops or tablets either immediately before or after the flu vaccination, plus it makes sense to protect yourself with Echinaforce if you feel your immune system needs some extra support, if you currently have a cold or flu infection, our advice would be to wait until you have recovered from the infection, before having the jab. Watch my self-care tip below for more information.
In my latest self-care tip, I explain why you shouldn't get any vaccinations whilst you're feeling unwell.
Getting sufficient sleep may also help to improve one's response to vaccinations. Research has suggested that we may not get the maximum benefit from the flu jab, in terms of our body's ability to produce sufficient antibodies, if we regularly sleep less than 6 hours per night.7
1. http://www.nature.com/nature/focus/1918flu/index.html
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22967978/
3. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Avian-flu/Pages/Introduction.aspx
4. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pandemic-flu/Pages/Introduction.aspx
5. http://www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/encyclopaedia/f/article/flujab,seasonal/
6. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swineflu/h3n2v-cases.htm
7. https://insight.jci.org/articles/view/131487
Article originally written on 07/10/13, updated on 22/10/20.
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Our quick quiz helps you figure out if you really do have the flu, or just a nasty cold.
Check your symptomsI’m the Immune System expert here at A.Vogel, and if you’re looking for flu treatment, I recommend Echinaforce® and Echinaforce® Hot Drink.
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