Flu is a self-limiting, unpleasant respiratory illness. Usually it lasts a week but can be up to 2 weeks, during this time the individual is unlikely to be able to work. However, for certain individuals, flu has more risks to it;
- Elderly (60+)
- Pregnant Women
- Children
- Immunosuppressed
- Underlying long-term disease, particularly if respiratory or cardiac in origin.
Flu is highly contagious; being spread through droplets, aerosol spread for instance sneezing or touching the respiratory secretions of an infected person. An individual may not know they have the virus (no or mild symptoms) and be able to infect others. Generally, 1-5 days will pass between being infected and symptoms occurring with the average being – 2-3 days. The “flu season” is September to March.
Symptoms include high temperature, joint and muscle aching, chills, extreme fatigue, headaches, cough, sore throat and stuffy nose. Complications can be a result such as bronchitis, sinusitis, bacterial pneumonia, meningitis and encephalitis.
Normal hygiene practices such as handwashing with soap and water regularly, wiping work surfaces, using tissues when coughing or sneezing and putting them in the rubbish bin can reduce the spread but one of the most effective methods is vaccination.
The flu virus has a degree of unpredictability about it. There are x3 types of virus; Type A – tends to be the epidemic causing type, Type B – less severe and tends to affect children and Type C – causing minor respiratory illness. The virus is then categorised further into H and a number and N and a number. It is the H & N factors that result in the virus constantly changing. When a new subtype is made is when a pandemic could occur. There is always more than 1 strain of flu virus that is circulating.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is responsible for predicting the strain that is likely to be most prevalent during the following Winter. Pharmaceutical companies will make a vaccination specific to the strain of virus that the WHO predict to be prevalent that year. The vaccine will contain either 3 – (trivalent) or 4 (quadrivalent) different viruses.
The vaccination is 50-60% effective for adults. The vaccination programme should start as early as possible between September and November. The immune response (developing protection) takes about 2 weeks.
The flu vaccination is the most effective way of minimising the occurrence of flu in your workforce. The vaccine cannot cause flu. It is easily administered by a trained nurse in the workplace and can be accompanied by a campaign to encourage take up and bust myths about the vaccination.
By Anna Harrington, Occupational Health Advisor.
