Flu (Influenza)

Influenza (flu) is a contagious viral infection that can cause mild

to severe symptoms and life-threatening complications,
including death, even in healthy children and adults.

Influenza viruses spread mainly from one individual to another

through coughing or sneezing. Less often, they can also spread
through touching a contaminated surface and then touching the
mouth, eyes, or nose. Individuals can pass flu on to others even
before their own symptoms start and for a week or more after
symptoms begin.

Burden
While the numbers vary, in the US, millions of individuals get sick,
hundreds of thousands are hospitalized, and tens of thousands
die from flu and related complications each year. Flu also affects
employers and businesses and costs an estimated $11.2 billion
in direct and indirect costs in the US annually. During the 2019-
2020 flu season, flu vaccination prevented approximately 7.5
million flu illnesses, 105,000 hospitalizations, and 6,300 deaths.

Symptoms
Flu is not just a common cold. It usually comes on suddenly, and
people with flu may have some or all of the following symptoms
(think F.A.C.T.S.):

 Fever
 Aches (muscle, body, and headaches)
 Chills
 Tiredness (fatigue)
 Sudden onset
 Cough, runny or stuffy nose, and/or sore throat
  Vomiting and diarrhea (more common in children than
adults)

Prevention
The best way to prevent flu is to receive an influenza vaccination
every year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) recommends that everyone age 6 months and older get
vaccinated annually. Flu vaccination is especially important this
year to help protect individuals and prevent additional strain on
an already overburdened US healthcare system. The best time to
get vaccinated is in the early fall, before influenza viruses begin
spreading in your community. However, vaccination throughout
the flu season is still beneficial.

Flu vaccines are updated annually to protect against the

influenza viruses research indicates are most likely to circulate
during the upcoming season. Flu vaccines can vary in how well
they work, but even in cases when flu vaccination does not
prevent infection completely, it can reduce the severity and
duration of disease and prevent serious complications. For more
than 50 years, hundreds of millions of individuals in the US have
safely received seasonal flu vaccines.

View ACIP Recommendations for the Prevention and Control of

Seasonal Influenza during the 2021-2022 Influenza Season

Note: On June 30, 2022, CDC adopted the Advisory Committee

on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendation to
preferentially recommend the use of specific flu vaccines for
adults 65 years and older, including higher dose and adjuvanted
flu vaccines.
Treatment
Annual flu vaccination is the best way to prevent flu. Antiviral
drugs are not a substitute for annual flu vaccination; however,
prescription antiviral medications serve as an additional line of
defense. CDC recommends that all individuals who are
hospitalized, severely ill, or at high risk for developing serious flu-
related complications should be treated with antiviral drugs
immediately if flu is suspected.

Treatment of flu with antiviral drugs can reduce influenza

symptoms, shorten the duration of illness by one to two days,
and prevent serious complications, like pneumonia. Antivirals
work best when taken within 48 hours of getting sick, but may
still be beneficial when given later in the course of illness.