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Wellness Matters: ’Tis the Season to Prevent Flu by Jenny Hackel

Remember the Ebola virus scare, when everyone was afraid that the virus would spread to the United States and they would die from it? Millions of dollars were spent to contain the virus, thus preventing an epidemic in this country. But every winter there is an epidemic of influenza, and many people do die from it—over 3,600 in the United States in 2013 ( http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_02.pdf ). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now lists influenza and pneumonia together as the eighth leading cause of death here. Worldwide, influenza virus sickens 25 percent of children and 10 percent of adults, especially those with chronic diseases and the elderly. Yet many Americans decline a flu shot, though the vaccine can be a powerful defense if we all use it. How does the virus invade our bodies? Exposure to a simple sneeze or a cough from an infected person will do. The viral particles expelled by sneezing may land on a doorknob or counter—or your face. When you touch that doorknob and then place your hand to your mouth or breathe in the particles, you welcome the virus into your body. Once there, the virus hijacks certain cells and takes over the controls, forcing your cells to make more copies of the virus. Once these copies are released into your system, the host cell is destroyed.

Flu vaccines work by exposing you to deactivated, or killed, virus, which enables your body to recognize the virus and build an army of defensive antibodies to fight it. Because there are several types of influenza virus, each year the vaccine formula changes slightly to reflect what scientists believe will be the most common strains causing illness. This means that some years the vaccine is very effective and other years, it doesn’t quite match the current viral mix. That is also why a person who has been vaccinated does not stay immune: the influenza virus is able to cause repeated epidemics because it undergoes clever genetic shifting. So the antibodies you built in the past no longer help you—you need new ones! If everyone over the age of six months were to get the vaccine as recommended by the CDC, many flu- related illnesses and deaths would be prevented. Ideally, you should get a flu shot in the autumn as it takes a few weeks to build immunity from the inactivated vaccine, and the epidemic is due to arrive in December. Don’t get the flu for Christmas! The Chebeague Island Council is holding a flu shot clinic on Friday October 14 from 9:00 to 11:00 am at the Hall through the Visiting Nurse Association. So

come get the vaccine: ’tis the season to help prevent the next epidemic.

Call us to get the most from your dollar this winter!! We will clean and service most appliances, including gas stoves, gas fireplaces, gas dryers, water heaters, Monitors, Toyo stoves, on-demand water heaters, wall-hung systems, floor models, and—of course—all furnaces and boiler systems. LnL Enterprises Home/Office 207-809-0373

Tim Larrabee State-Licensed Master * 207-844-3450

Linda Larrabee General Manager * 207-272-4487

Call us for Your Heating (Oil, Propane, Natural Gas, Solar), HVAC, and Plumbing Needs! Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. • Monday through Friday 24-Hour Emergency Service

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OCTOBER 2016 CHEBEAGUE ISLAND COUNCIL CALENDAR