Vitamin D is Imperative Vitamin D works beyond strengthening your bones; it plays many essential roles in the body. One of the primary functions associated with… Trista Smith -
November 14, 2019
Every aspect of the immune system plays a unique and integral role in protecting the body against germs and infections. Our immune system is a collection of cells, tissues, and organs. As these functions work together, they not only combat disease but also ensure the overall well-being of your health. The body is an adequate environment for pathogens like viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi are survive. The immune system fights towards eliminating access to such microbes and prevents them from growing and causing health issues.
While a majority of people understand the primary function of an immune system, there remain many facts that they might not be aware of yet. These are the most interesting and lesser-known facts about the immune system.
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The Importance of Vaccines
Vaccines work by prompting the immune system to generate antibodies against any foreign invader without infecting you with a disease. Consecutively, when you encounter the same infection in the future, your body will be prepared to combat it.
Vaccinations educate your immune system by using a unique component of that particular pathogen; therefore, when the body is exposed to that pathogen in the future, you will have minimum to nil symptoms.
You can’t see them, but thousands of cells are fighting for you. Credit: Pixabay
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Cells Everywhere
The immune system is similar to a military where there are various branches, and each of them serves a dedicated function in order to protect the body. White blood cells are the first line of defense. They are the first to identify pathogens and combat infection.
Lymphocytes, specific white blood cells function to enable the body to remember the microbes in case the body encounters them in the future and fight them off faster. Bone marrow is an area where white blood cells are formed, lymph nodes form and store infection-fighting cells in the body, and lastly, there is a spleen that controls the blood quantity in the body and removes the old or damaged cells.
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Not All Germs Are Bad
It is not pleasant to think about, but our body is home to thousands of microbes, and they are vital to maintaining good health. There are good bacteria that provide our body with the essential nutrients it requires and offer protection against harmful bacteria and infection. Your body needs a balance because when the number of good bacteria decreases, harmful bacteria tend to take more and create illnesses.
The good bacteria may impact the sensitivity of the immune system to antigens, and might also its ability to prevent autoimmune diseases. The bacteria also provide antibodies and trigger the function of intestinal proteins that allow the immune system to repair internal injuries.
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Positive Emotions Help the Immune System
According to research, positive emotions can make your immune system function more efficiently. Whether or not it is a direct effect is still unknown. However, the more positive an individual is, the more likely they eat healthily and are less stressed, which has a healthy impact on the immune system.
In a recent study, around 350 adults volunteered to be exposed to a cold virus, which they were compensated for substantially. The positive attitude in adults, such as feelings of pleasure and energy, was assessed for about two weeks before exposure to the cold. People who reported the most positive emotions were less probable to get infected with the common cold.
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Stress and the Immune System
The ability to combat illnesses depends on various factors. The way you react to stressful situations has a significant impact on your immune system. If you are often stressed, then you will continuously find yourself dealing with hormonal battles, leading to some severe health issues like diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and others.
Your immune system and brain are always in communication, and this balance can be affected by both physical and emotional stress. Moreover, stress can result in an increased level of cortisol, which is a steroid hormone that is critical for overall body functioning. However, excess of this hormone can lead to various health issues and can impact immunity.
Lots of people have autoimmune diseases in which the body mistakenly attacks itself. Credit: Pixabay
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The Absence of the Immune System
The movie “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble,” released in 1976, shows a person who suffers from a deficient immune system, and he lives his life in an entirely sterile environment because his immune system is unable to combat the infection.
While the story was fictional, the disease’s severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) or Bubble Boy Disease is real. It occurs in one in 100,000 people. Bone marrow transplant from the matching sibling donor has been the only treatment available for such people. However, in recent years, the potential of gene therapy has also proved quite helpful.
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The Myth About Fluid Imbalances
The germ theory of disease, which states that microorganisms are responsible for some illnesses gained relevance in the 19th century. Before the germ theory, humorism or humoralism was a concept that dominated the minds of Western medicine for up to 2,000 years.
This discredited theory states that the human body is formed of four aqueous humors or substances – blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm. A deficiency or surplus in any of these can result in illnesses or disabilities. Such disease treatments are known as bloodletting, which primarily focuses on trying to restore the balance of fluid in the body.
Sometimes Symptoms Are the Results of the Immune System Doing a Good Job
There is a popular notion that viruses, bacteria, and fungi are the causes of disease symptoms that is not technically correct. Often disease symptoms occur because your immune system is fighting off the microorganisms. For instance, let’s take the common cold. Your immune system immediately gets to work when rhinovirus gets in the epithelial cells. These are cells that line the cavities in the body and are present in your upper respiratory tract.
Histamines, immune system chemicals dilate the blood vessels and boost their permeability, enabling white blood cells and proteins to contact the infected epithelial tissues. However, the inflammation you experience in the blood vessels of your nasal cavity results in nasal congestion. Furthermore, you may experience a runny nose because of the increased leakage of fluid from the permeable capillaries that are combined with mucus production caused by histamines.
Ancient immune theories were slightly different than modern-day research. Credit: Pixabay
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Immunity Dates Back to Two Millennia
The very first vaccine was developed in the 18th century; however, people comprehended the importance of immunity way before it. During 430 B.C., Athens was infected with the devastating disease. They identified that people who previously survived smallpox were not affected by the plague the second time.
These people were called to attend to the ones who had contracted smallpox. In the 10th century, healers in China began blowing the scab of dried smallpox into the nostrils of healthy patients, who eventually contracted mild disease forms and the patients who managed to recover became immune to smallpox. This practice reckoned as inoculation or variolation became quite popular in New England and Europe in the 1700s.
By the 1700s, variolation had emerged as a common practice in Western society. The technique, at times, did kill patients; however, the fatality rate with regard to this practice was ten times lower as compared to full-blown smallpox. It was found in the journal labeled by Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings in 2005. As the times passed, tales began to spread that dairymaids could not contract smallpox if they had previously suffered from cowpox.
Furthermore, cowpox’s fatality rate was lower compared to the variolation. Using this information as the base English Physician Edward Jenner commenced to hypothesize that states that cowpox provides protection against smallpox. He further illustrated that cowpox could be transmitted between patients safely as a way to protect themselves from contracting smallpox.
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Lack of Sleep is Bad for the Immune System
A healthy immune system is crucial to get rid of influenza, colds, and various other illnesses. However, numerous research in the past decades depict that sleep deprivation impacts the disease-fighting capabilities of the immune system by reducing the proliferation of T-cells. In fact, a single night of inadequate sleep can reduce the immune system by decreasing the number of natural killer cells.
A study published in 2012 revealed that vaccines might be less effective for individuals who get less than six hours of sleep in the night as opposed to people who get a full night of rest.
Women Are More Affected by Autoimmune Diseases Than Men
An autoimmune disease is a disorder in which the body’s natural defenses turn hyperactive, attacking healthy tissues, and treating them as foreign bodies. Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and celiac disease are some examples of this disease.
However, women are most affected by the disease as opposed to men. An article published in the American Journal of Pathology suggested that five to eight percent of the US population have an autoimmune disease. 80% of these people are women.
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Complexities of Sunlight
For many decades, scientists have understood that sunlight exposure, especially ultraviolet radiation, can influence the response of the immune systems to viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. In order to suppress the immune system of a human, it takes UVR doses that merely account for 30 to 50% of what is necessary to cause minor sunburn.
Sunlight, on the other hand, causes the body to generate vitamin D. According to a recent study published in Nature Immunology, T-cells don’t get mobilized if they identify a small amount of vitamin D in the bloodstream. Moreover, more research suggests that the presence of vitamin D might stimulate the development of anti-microbial peptides in the skin. These are essential components that help your body protect against new infections.
The human immune system does not have the same abilities as a starfish. Credit: Pixabay
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The Ancient Immune System from a Starfish Point of View
There are two primary and vital aspects of our immune system – adaptive immunity and innate immunity. The innate immune system includes proteins and cells that are always active to combat microorganisms as soon as they detect an infection. The adaptive immune system, on the other hand, gets called to act when the pathogens circumvent the innate defenders.
Invertebrates typically lack the adaptive immunity that is possessed by vertebrates. However, in the 19th century Elie Metchnikoff, a Russian biologist, discovered the presence of the innate immune system in invertebrates. He pierced a starfish larva using a rose thorn. The very next day, he found tons of tiny cells trying to cover the thorn. Since its evolution somewhat 5000 years ago, starfish have remained virtually unchanged. This was long before vertebrates were discovered, meaning the innate immune system has strong ancient roots.
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The Small Percentage of White Blood Cells
The immune system works round the clock to fight off microbes and protect you from diseases. It is natural for people to accept that the main soldier, the white blood cells, will account for a majority of the blood.
However, the reality is not the same. Blood cells cover only one percent of the cells in blood worth five liters in a healthy adult’s body. But there are adequate white blood cells to protect you from infection. In every microliter of blood, there are between 5,000 and 10,000 white blood cells.
Being clean is good, but you still need some exposure to germs. Credit: Pixabay
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The Hazard of Being Too Clean
Cleaning as well as disinfecting your surroundings might seem like an effective way to infection. However, this is a case where too much good can turn into a bad thing. When you clean your environment too much, you tend to minimize the foreign pathogens that reduce the development of the immune system.
It is a popular notion in the case of young children that they are not at all exposed to harmful microbes. Subsequently, their bodies fail to develop adequate antibodies to combat the harmful microbes. If someone has a cold, keep your hands clean around them and avoid getting in direct contact, but don’t obsess about cleaning. In your quest to prevent foreign pathogens, you don’t want to minimize the contact with good bacteria present in the environment.
Your immune system is very strong in order to fight off allergies. Credit: Pixabay
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Allergies Might Actually be a Good Sign
When you experience an allergic reaction, it is your immune system reacting to harmless allergens that the system detects as a threat. From a runny nose to fainting and breaking out in hives, there are various symptoms of an allergic reaction. These are basically the result of misguided attacks from the body.
Studies reveal that allergies may be a sign of a robust immune system that protects your body against the toxins of the environment. As mentioned above, your immune system reacts differently to fight off various pathogens.
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The Rivalry Between the Two Scientists
Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch are the two scientists who discovered the primary functions of the immune system. You would think that both scientists work together and view their works as complementary, but in reality, they were both rivals. Louis Pasteur, a French microbiologist, was well-reckoned for his experiments illustrating the mechanisms of vaccines through weakened microbes.
Koch, on the other hand, was a German physician who established four conditions in which pathogenic bacteria can infect the hosts and further used them to determine the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium that was responsible for tuberculosis. While both scientists helped establish the germ disease theory, the feud between them was exasperated by nationalism, criticism of each other’s work, language barrier, and other factors.
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The Strongest Link in the Chain
Yes, the white blood cells take the award again. These cells are segmented into two types – lymphocytes that develop antigens for particular pathogens and remove them from the body and phagocytes that ingest hazardous bacteria.
Primarily, white blood cells are produced in bone marrow, but they are also present in lymph nodes, thymus, and spleen. Inside the lymph nodes that are present in your entire body but noticeable in the throat, armpit, and groin, the white blood cells transfer through the tubules that appear like a vein to remove the foreign invaders.
The spleen is a vital organ that resides between the stomach and the diaphragm. While you can survive without the spleen, it is essential for your immune system’s function. According to a reckoned doctor Adriana Medina whose expertise lies in hematology and oncology, the spleen basically considered a large lymph node that generates new white blood cells and removes the old and damaged blood cells from the body.
Moreover, the spleen is a place in which immune cells congregate. Since the immune cells are spread throughout your body, eventually, these cells would need to communicate with one another. So the communication occurs in the spleen as well as lymph nodes.
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Immune Cells in the Tissues
Even though the immune cells gather up in the lymph nodes, immune cells are present in each tissue where it circulates, continuously roving for an attack sign. These cells are also found in the blood.
The reason they are so widespread is that there are a thousand kinds of pathogens that infect the human body. In order to eliminate different types of threats, there are just as many, if not more, immune cells.
Amiability Can be Associated with Your Immune System
From the perspective of evolution, the amiability of humans might have less to do with their brand and more associated with the immune system’s exposure to pathogens. At the University of Virginia School of Medicine, researchers have come up with a theory that interferon-gamma (IG), a component that assists the immune system in combat invaders, was associated with social behavior, which is one of the primary ways one gets in contact with pathogens.
When testing the theory in mice, the researchers found that IG acted as a brake to the prefrontal cortex of the brain, primarily halting aberrant hyperactivity that results in adverse changes in social behavior. Furthermore, when they blocked the IG molecule, the prefrontal cortex of mice became quite hyperactive, leading to less sociability. When the function was restored, the mice’s brains began to function normally, and so did their social behavior.
The body is made up of tons of unique organs with specific functions. Credit: Pixabay
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The Home to Unusual Organs
The appendix has a bad reputation as the vestigial organ that does not do anything but creates a need for immediate surgery. However, the appendix might assist in keeping your gut in good shape.
According to Gabrielle Belz, a reckoned professor of molecular immunology at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia, reveals that the appendix abodes symbiotic bacteria that are vital for the overall health of your gut especially post-infection when the good microbes have been washed off. Innate lymphoid cells, specialized immune cells present in the appendix, may assist in the generation of healthy bacteria and stimulate the recovery process of the gut.
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The Upcoming Cure to Treat Cancer
Hyperactive pediatric tumors are complex to treat because of the toxicity associated with chemotherapy. However, some scientists are working on developing effective treatments that do not have harmful side effects. Researchers at Standford worked on a study around a rather new molecule called CD47, a protein expressed on the cell’s surface and how the molecule interacts with the macrophages, white blood cells that eliminate the abnormal cells. The lead study author and assistant professor of neurosurgery at the university said that the macrophages were considered similar to the Pac-Man.
CD47 transfers the macrophages a “don’t-eat-me” signal, and the cancer cells trick the immune system into not destroying them by producing a high amount of CD47. When the researchers blocked the messages on the cancer cells, the macrophages identified the cancer cells and killed them without any toxic side effects. This treatment successfully shrank five of the most common pediatric tumors without the harmful implications of chemotherapy.
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The Evolution of Immunotherapy
Over the past few years, essential research in the immunology landscape has been centered on developing effective cancer cures through immunotherapy. The treatment prepares the healthy cells of the patient to attack the cancer cells.
This technique could be the tip of the iceberg and can be used to treat many severe health conditions. It is only a matter of gaining a better understanding of what immunotherapy and cancer are depicting. This can provide the research with a direction, and they can manipulate the responses and obtain better outcomes for not just cancer but other diseases as well.
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Treating Type 1 Diabetes
In Type 1 diabetes, the body tends to attack its own pancreatic cells, disrupting its capability to produce insulin against glucose. A researcher at MIT in 2016 collaborated with a Children’s Hospital in Boston and designed a new material that enabled them to encapsulate and transplant healthy pancreatic islet cells into diabetic mice without impacting the immune response.
Developed using seaweed, the substance is gentle enough to protect the body from reacting to it and porous to enable the islet cells to be positioned in the mice’s abdomen where they restore the pancreatic abilities. This experiment has a strong potential to provide Type1 diabetes people with a new and healthy pancreas that is shielded from the immune system. This would ensure that their blood sugar level stays in check without having to rely on medications.
The diet you have will affect your immune system response. Credit: Pixabay
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Food and the Immune System
The way your immune system functions can be impacted by what you eat. For instance, when you suffer from a food allergy, there is a presence of a lot of undesirable immune responses to particular nutrients. However, there are specific growing indications that food also has substances that can have a positive impact on the functioning of your immune system.
The project, known as IMMUNO-ARRAY, focused on determining which substances have better positive effects. Proper nutrition is vital to building a robust immune system that can effectively protect you against various health disorders. An adequate amount of protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and more are some nutrients essential for your immune system.
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Healthy Relationships and the Immune System
More than those fluttery butterfly feelings, love can actually be quite useful for your immune system. When that happens, it directly boosts your physical as well as mental health. It is no coincidence that caring and loving relationships make you feel better, mentally and physically.
Loving experiences have a positive impact on the microbiome and immune system in multiple ways. When you are aware that you are not alone, it can significantly reduce your stress level and help you be more relaxed. Such a state of mind supports the microbiome by making it difficult for bacteria to enter your gut.
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Laughter is Medicine for the Immune System
In order to understand the connection between laughter and the immune system, you must be aware of the lymphatic system. It is basically the backbone of the immune system that continually collects waste from all parts of the body deposited in the tissues through blood capillaries. The system then cleans the fluid and transfers it back into the circulating blood at your neck.
Contrary to our circulatory system which has a heart that pumps the blood in an ongoing circle throughout the body, the Lymphatic system is a simple transport system devoid of a pump. Studies suggest that laughter facilitates diaphragmatic breathing, which is essential to creating intense pressure inside the thoracic duct. During such time, the lymphatic fluid moves to the area with lesser pressure, transferring the lymph through the vessels and increasing the flow and speed.
A little exercise goes a long way for your immune system. Credit: Pixabay
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Exercise and the Immune System
Regular physical activity helps in reducing the chances of contracting heart disease. Furthermore, it also helps keep your bones strong and healthy. According to studies, exercises may help in flushing out the bacteria via airways and lungs. Such actions reduce the chance of dealing with illnesses.
Furthermore, exercises stimulate changes in white blood cells and antibodies and allow them to circulate more rapidly. This activity enables them to detect the pathogens earlier and fight them off quickly.
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A Majority of the Immune System is Located in the Gut
Your immune system is present mainly within the lymphatic system. It is a meshy network of vessels as well as glands found throughout your body. There are also congregates in and around the gut. The food passes through the digestive system that carries microbes, toxins, and allergens into your body, so it makes sense that for the immune system to be present in the gut.
Inside the stomach, the immune system regularly works to detect those components and organisms that enter your body so that it can properly absorb the nutrients. If you continuously consume food that your immune system identifies as harmful, you risk throwing it out of balance and becoming more prone to illnesses.
When your immune system gets in contact with a foreign invader, the first reactor is the cells and biological compounds associated with the inflammation process. It is a fast and somewhat messy signal that destroys many things in its way.
While inflammation is somewhat life-saving, when it becomes chronic, it can damage the tissues and make it easier for you to contract illness or disease. A healthy immune system response includes quick inflammation that also resolves quite quickly.
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Vitamin D is Imperative
Vitamin D works beyond strengthening your bones; it plays many essential roles in the body. One of the primary functions associated with vitamin D is that it helps balance immunity. Therefore, it is crucial to take the necessary amount of vitamin D daily to maintain an adequate level. If you often get sick, then your vitamin D level might be lower, and it is worth getting it checked.
The primary function of the immune system is to keep harmful germs out of the body by destroying them. Your immune system is formed of various networks of cells and organs that work in unison to protect you from illness.
Evidently, a healthy immune system is imperative for your survival. You must make the right efforts to ensure that you have a robust immune system. Furthermore, being well aware of its functioning can help you stay knowledgeable. Above are some important and interesting facts about the immune system that will help you understand your health and well-being a little better.
The flu is around every year, but it is not always the same. Yes, certain aspects of the illness remain constant, but there are minute changes… Trista Smith -
November 13, 2019
The flu is around every year, but it is not always the same. Yes, certain aspects of the illness remain constant, but there are minute changes between each season that makes the flu extremely difficult to cure. Understanding the nature of the beast may help you stay healthy this year. With the flu season coming to a head, it may be beneficial to look back at this year’s flu to see what we can learn and how we can prepare for next year.
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What is the Flu?
The flu is considered an upper respiratory infection that affects the nose, throat, and can potentially infect the lungs. Depending on your immune system, the flu can wreak havoc on your body and can potentially cause death. Most people have mild symptoms, which can include fever or chills, vomiting, cough, diarrhea, fatigue, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, and body aches.
The flu generally has a fast onset and lasts from a few days up to a week. Flu season itself tends to starts in October and November, peaks between December and February, and can last into May.
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How Does the Flu Spread?
Influenza (another name for the flu) can be spread by tiny droplets that hang around in the air after an infected individual has sneezed or coughed. It is also possible to catch the flu if you touch something after a sick person has handled it and then immediately contact your mouth or hands. This is not usually how the illness is spread, but it can’t hurt to be careful.
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Who Can Become Infected?
Best estimates suggest that each year, around eight percent of the population comes down with the flu. Those affected are typically children, while adults older than age sixty-five seem to be immune to the illness. Those most at risk for contracting the condition are also pregnant women, anyone with a chronic medical disease and health care workers.
Though we know who can come down with the illness, how many individuals are hospitalized due to the flu? It is estimated that as many as 200,000 people a year are put in the hospital due to the flu, with 20,000 of that total being children. And these are only the people who see a doctor: what about everyone else? The CDC estimates that around 26,176,000 million individuals will come down with the flu this year.
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How Long Is Someone Contagious?
A good question to clear up here is how long a person remains contagious. Due to the sudden onset of symptoms, it is quite possible to infect other people before your symptoms develop. For the first three to four days after symptoms have developed is when a person is most contagious.
If you have a compromised immune system, it is possible to infect people longer than those first few days. As a rule of thumb, it usually takes about two days after being exposed to the virus before symptoms develop.
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Complications with the Flu
Do not think for one minute that the flu can be completely harmless. Multiple complications can occur due to influenza, including sinus infections, bacterial pneumonia, and ear infections. It can also worsen chronic symptoms such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, and asthma.
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The Flu Shot
The best thing you can do for yourself is to get a flu shot before you become ill. You can also protect yourself by staying away from infected individuals, washing your hands, and covering your sneezes and coughs.
While diagnosis is complicated based on symptoms alone, most people can figure out if they have the flu or not. If you are seeking relief, there are some influenza antiviral medications out there, but they typically have to be taken shortly after symptoms start.
Vaccination does not always ensure perfect health. It is still possible to develop the flu even after being vaccinated against it. How does this happen? There are a few different possibilities. First, it may be possible that you were exposed to the flu virus immediately after being vaccinated; it takes time for the vaccine to work at protecting you against the infection (it takes up to 2 weeks for antibodies against the virus to be abundant in the body).
Another possibility is that you were exposed to a strain of the virus that was not included in the vaccination. Remember that researchers guess at the top four strains that will cause illness in any given year, and there are way more than just four strands of the flu virus.
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The 2019 Flu Season
Vaccines for the Flu
It might be an excellent place to start and explain what exactly is contained within a vaccine. Some people believe that the flu shot gives you the flu, and that is not true. The flu shot contains the deactivated virus, which provides the body with the ability to build up its immune system and learn how to fight the infection.
This year, the flu vaccine needed to be tweaked to combat the specific virus that rampaged through the United States. The A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine component was updated from an A/Michigan/45/2015 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus to an A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus. The A(H3N2) vaccine component was updated from an A/Singapore/INFIMH-16-0019/2016 A(H3N2)-like virus to an A/Kansas/14/2017 (H3N2)-like virus. Some things did stay the same, however. Both B/Victoria and B/Yamagata virus components from the 2018-2019 flu vaccine remain the same for the 2019-2020 flu vaccine.
All vaccine types provided this flu season will be quadrivalent (both regular dose and recombinant vaccines), meaning that it will be useful against two type A viruses and two type B viruses. The vaccines are also being produced differently this year; all four vaccine viruses will be grown in cells, not eggs.
There are tons of different vaccine types out there, and depending on your age, some will work better than others. We have already talked about the regular dose, which can be given to any individual, usually in the muscle (for those years 18 to 64, you can get your shot with a jet injector which uses high pressured fluid to penetrate the skin in place of a needle). Live attenuated vaccines are made with live viruses and can be given via nasal spray. High dose shots and shots made with adjuvant ( an ingredient added to the vaccine to produce a greater immune response in the patient) are recommended for individuals older than 65.
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Doses of vaccinations have also been altered this year. The changes all started in January. The first change came concerning the drug called Fluzone Quadrivalent; doses are now higher for children aged 3 to 6 years old. It is now recommended that children receive 0.5 milliliters instead of 0.25 milliliters of the drug. The next change came in October, and this time the drug was Afluria Quadrivalent. What changed here is the age range: it is now safe for children as young as six months! Doses do differ depending on the age of the child: children six months to 3 years old should receive 0.25 milliliters while all older children should receive 0.50 milliliters.
While the last two vaccines were altered, this next one is a new treatment that just came out in October. Baloxavir is best suited for non-complicated flu symptoms in children twelve years or older. There is a small drawback to this new development; it is only useful is taken two days after symptoms have started.
For best results, both adults and children should receive their vaccinations by the end of October; treatments last about six months, so receiving a shot in October ensures your health until the end of the flu season. Be warned: vaccinating too early can cause the vaccine to be less effective. If you typically receive two doses of the flu shot (children between 6 months and 8 years of age), it would be most beneficial to get the first dose as soon as flu shots become available and then to receive the second dose by the end of October as treatments need to be spread out by four weeks.
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While companies have been preparing for the flu season by manufacturing millions of flu shot doses, there may be a delay in delivery in some parts of the United States. While shipments may not be arriving when expected, it should not impact how many doses will be delivered. Reports say that the latest shipment should arrive by the end of November, which still allows patients plenty of time to receive their flu shot before the season peaks. What exactly caused the delay? Manufacturers needed to recalibrate the vaccine to try to cover the viruses that are circulating in the community.
In the past, vaccines have stirred up much discussion concerning their safety. No need to worry; all types of influenza vaccines are safe and effective. Granted, they are not without their own set of side effects: some patients may experience redness, soreness, or swelling at the injection site, which may last up to a few days after the dose was given. Individuals may also experience a headache and low-grade fever after treatment.
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Flu Viruses
Now that we have talked a lot about this year’s vaccinations let us talk about which viruses are causing the problem this year. Since the flu mutates so quickly, it is difficult to come up with a one hundred percent effective vaccine. Each year the virus types are analyzed, and vaccines are updated accordingly. The vaccine is created to protect against the top four virus types experts believe will be the most significant problems.
There are four different types of influenza viruses: A, B, C, and D. As stated earlier, the flu vaccine only protects against A strains and B strains of the virus, which tend to cause the most problems. C strains can cause upper respiratory infections, but it does not wreak havoc like the A and B strains. No worries about D strains: they only seem to affect cattle.
There are trivalent and quadrivalent vaccine types. This year, the trivalent vaccine will work against A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus (updated),
A/Kansas/14/2017 (H3N2)-like virus (updated) and B/Colorado/06/2017-like (Victoria lineage) virus. The quadrivalent vaccine will fight the three infections above, plus B/Phuket/3073/2013-like (Yamagata lineage) virus.
Not all children can get the vaccine. Shutterstock
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Children and the Flu
There is a special note this year about children and how many doses of vaccinations they should receive. Children ages six months to 8 years old should be receiving two doses of the flu vaccine. Any children in this age group who have not received two or more doses of any trivalent or quadrivalent vaccines will need to be given two doses this year. Even if your child turns 9 in between the two treatments, it is still recommended that they receive the second dose.
However, not all children are eligible to receive a vaccine. Any child six months or younger may not receive a flu vaccination as of this year. The best thing you can do is vaccinate yourself if you are around children who can not be protected against the virus. It has also been shown that pregnant women who get a flu shot protect their child after birth for a few months.
It is estimated that private companies will produce between 162 and 169 million doses of the flu vaccination this year.
Much easier to use than vaccines. Shutterstock
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Nasal Spray
In the past, the nasal spray vaccine has not been recommended as an effective treatment against the flu. However, we have seen that this year, experts are urging the spray. Why is that? Manufacturers this year have changed the game: they have changed the H1N1 vaccine virus, making it more effective at treating this particular strain of the virus.
The nasal spray does have its own unique set of side effects: individuals may experience a runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, or cough after they receive the treatment.
It may not always work since the flu virus mutates quickly. Shutterstock
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Effectiveness of the Flu Shot
It is tough to determine how effective the flu vaccine will be; there are too many variables determining the onset of illness. The two main contributing factors as to whether or not the vaccine will be effective for a particular individual are the overall health of the individual being vaccinated as well as how closely the viruses in the vaccine match up to what is circulating in the community. In general, the flu vaccine has an efficacy rate of between 40 and 60 percent.
This year experts are saying that the vaccine will be effective against the H1N1 strain and the H3N2 strain as well as the two B strains that are currently circulating.
Keep in mind why it is so challenging to produce a perfect vaccine; the vaccine is partially built from information from the previous year’s flu, which means that researchers have to use old data to make a new vaccine. Because they have to develop the vaccine months before the season starts, it is not always the most effective treatment. What is worse is that the virus can change during the season; it can mutate and become immune to the vaccine. Do not be discouraged, though; even if the vaccine is not a perfect match, it can still protect from closely related viruses.
Due to the activity in Australia this year, experts predict that our flu shot will not be a perfect match against the flu viruses that will circulate our communities. Decisions were made for this year’s vaccine back in March based on the previous year’s virus circulation. Why is that? It takes at least six months to produce enough flu shots for the population, so decisions need to be made way before the flu season starts. This also does not leave enough time to watch the Southern Hemisphere’s flu season unfold.
While the vaccine may not be 100 perfect effective, it is still worth your time to get a flu shot: since there are similarities between flu virus strains, you may still receive some protection and may not have as severe symptoms and will avoid hospitalization.
There may be some good news, though: our vaccine is developed by looking at which strains are circulating through the United States as well as Australia, so our vaccine may be more effective than theirs was this season.
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Deaths Related to the Flu
Even though it is early on in the flu season this year, we have already experienced loss across the United States. Minnesota, Arkansas, North Carolina, California, Wisconsin, and Indiana recently reported their first deaths. New York also recently declared its first death, that of a child. The good news is that only two children have perished so far this flu season.
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Flu Activity
As of last month, the flu seems to be well-contained within the United States. The two locations that seem to be experiencing an outbreak at this time are Louisiana and Puerto Rico.
Our flu activity is often based on what Australia’s flu season looks like. This year, Australia’s flu season hit two months earlier than expected; similar reports have emerged from Arkansas, as they have already started reporting cases before flu season typically begins. To safeguard yourself, get a flu shot as early as possible this year.
Why did Australia get struck this year for its flu season? It seems that scientists were not good at predicting which viruses to protect against this year. It appears that one of the virus strains that was circulating mutated through antigenic drift, which changes the outside composition of the virus, making it harder for antibodies to attack and neutralize them. The concern is that the same thing will happen in the United States.
It’s in the works, but how effective is it? Shutterstock
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Universal Flu Vaccine
Work is currently being done to develop a universal flu vaccine that will cover more than just four strains in a single dose. This would hopefully ensure that more people are protected against the types of viruses that are making people ill. To date, fifteen universities across the country are working together on this new development.
The hope is that this new vaccine will invoke a stronger and longer immunity to the virus and that it will protect against more than just four strains of the virus. The ultimate goal is to make a vaccine that lasts about five years.
Taking precautions with the vulnerable. Shutterstock
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Who Should Not Be Vaccinated?
The CDC stated this year that those who suffer from Guillain-Barre syndrome within six weeks of a previous flu vaccination should not be vaccinated this year.
A special note is also needed for pregnant women. Concern has been given to the fact that some women who received flu shots eventually had miscarriages. The CDC came out to address the matter by advising pregnant women to get a flu shot but not the nasal spray.
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Costs Associated with the Flu
When people come down with the flu, what happens? They stay home from work! So it is no wonder that the flu costs the United States each year from lost productivity. It also costs money to visit a doctor once you become sick, and some individuals pay out of pocket for their flu shot. The Center for Disease Control estimates that the flu costs around $10.4 billion just in outpatient costs and doctor’s visits. Lost wages amount to a figure of $16.3 billion annually from the flu.
Trends are showing a rise in infection rates. Shutterstock
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The Current Flu Report for USA
Weekly reports are generated during flu season to track the progression of the epidemic. The last report was created on October 26, 2019. The rate of the flu is currently low, but it is slowly rising. Specimens collected from patients show that 2.4% were infected with the influenza virus. The virus profile indicates that Influenza A(H3N2) and Influenza B/Victoria viruses have been the most common thus far in the season, with the A strain being slightly more prevalent than the B strain.
More people are consulting their doctor as well: 1.9 percent of outpatient visits were due to the flu. This is still good news, though; this is lower than the baseline percentage of 2.4. The only state so far that is reporting no flu activity in Rhode Island.
As was stated previously, deaths are already being reported. What was not mentioned earlier was that there had been deaths attributed to pneumonia (complications of the flu caused 5.1 percent of all pneumonia deaths). Again, this is still below the epidemic threshold, which is considered to be 5.8 percent. The good news is that there are no new pediatric deaths!
A majority of reports of influenza are coming from the south; 75 percent of all influenza viruses and 86 percent of the B strains, to be exact. Specifically, influenza B/Victoria has been the most prominent in the south and southeast regions of the country.
While most activity has been seen in Louisiana and Puerto Rico, other states are experiencing lower levels of influenza activity. The low activity has been reported in Virginia, Alabama, Texas, Connecticut, South Carolina, Georgia, and Missouri. Minimal influenza activity has occurred in the District of Columbia, New York, and every other state besides Rhode Island.
The CDC also monitors the spread of the illness. The regional spread of influenza has been reported solely in Louisiana. Local spread of the flu has been observed in Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Hawaii, Nevada, Idaho, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Indiana. Sporadic dispersion of the disease was reported in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and all other states except Rhode Island.
Trouble in the southern hemisphere. Shutterstock
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The Flu in Australia
It has been touched upon multiple times earlier that the United States predicts it’s flu season based on what happens in Australia. It only seems appropriate to spend some time exploring their fu season in full detail so that we can prepare ourselves for what is to come.
This year, Australia has experienced one of its worst flu seasons in recent history. They have already reported more cases of the flu than they did their entire 2017 season. In 2017, Australia reported 229,000 cases of laboratory-confirmed influenza. This year they have already surpassed that number with a total number of cases of 272,146.
Their flu season generally starts in June and ends in September with a peak in August. As stated earlier, flu season commenced two months early, and it is still rampaging through the country. This year, influenza activity increased in March and through May with a peak in June and July.
This year there were more flu-related deaths than typically occurs in a year. Hospitalization rates were also quite high, and there was an extreme problem in nursing homes.
Deaths in Australia are calculated a little bit differently than they are here in the United States. Australia only counts deaths that the hospital deems were caused directly from influenza. This year’s flu season caused 662 deaths. Most deaths were associated with some type of A strain of flu; 128 were caused by A(H3N2) and 29 with A(H1N1)pdm09. Just 30 deaths were due to a B strain of flu.
The current flu season was dominated by the H3N2 strain, which tends to cause more hospitalizations and deaths compared to other strains.
Things are starting to look up for Australia, however. Over the past few weeks, fewer reports are coming in concerning influenza and influenza-related illnesses. Although levels were very high during the interseasonal period, reports of flu are now slowly declining.
The severity of the epidemic is determined by the number of patients who have been admitted to the ICU as well as deaths; this year, it was determined that the severity of influenza was low. This year, 246 individuals who sought treatment for the flu were sent to the ICU.
Another item measured by Australia is impact, which looks at how influenza impacts society. They do this by looking at how many hospital beds are being occupied as well as how many people are absent from their jobs. This year it was determined that the impact was low to moderate.
The four strains that were included in this year’s vaccine are A/Michigan/45/2015, (H1N1)pdm09-like virus, A/Switzerland/8060/2017, (H3N2) like virus, B/Phuket/3073/2013 like virus, Yamagata lineage and B/Colorado/06/2017 like virus, Victoria lineage. The vaccine was determined to have good effectiveness.
There were some antiviral resistances recorded this year. Influenza viruses are tested for neuraminidase inhibitor resistance; one virus tested demonstrated reduced inhibition to Oseltamivir and Zanamivir.
There is some good news in all of this mess. Because the flu season started early, it is predicted to end soon as well. This is because once the season begins, it typically only lasts between 12 and 16 weeks. It was concluded that Australia had such a bad year due to its geography; thus, it is not likely that other countries will experience the same problems.
Colder climates make it easier. Shutterstock
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The Flu in Canada
Our close neighbor, Canada, also determines their flu season based on what happens in Australia. It is only fitting to spend some time exploring what their expected flu season will be this year.
Canada’s flu season generally starts in the fall and peaks between December and February, just like in the United States. While Australia began its season early, it does not seem like that will happen here; Canada just started receiving their first cases of influenza, which is pretty typical for this time of year. It is predicted that this year the peak will happen in December.
Estimates suggest that the flu season will not be a rough one; experts say only 40,000 individuals will become infected over the season. The only downfall prediction comes regarding the vaccine; experts say that if H3N2 strains are abundant this year, the vaccine may not be as effective as initially hoped.
