What You Need to Know About Flu Season

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. – Riverside County saw its first flu death this month. Healthcare providers are now urging people to get vaccinated. Dr. Euthym Kontaxis is the Emergency Medical Director at Eisenhower Medical Center. He says vaccinations are critical.

“Sometimes when we have a particularly bad strain, we really regret the fact that people didn’t get the immunization,” Euthym Kontaxis said.

While some people are all for getting their vaccinations, others are skeptical. That’s because a person who is given a flu shot, is injected with strains of the flu that the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, have predicted might be more prominent for a particular year.

Barbara Cole, Director of Disease Control with the Riverside County Department of Public Health, says it is best to get vaccinated now before the fall and winter months.

“It takes about 2 weeks for the body to start developing antibodies, meaning the person is protected,” Barbara Cole said.

Cole says it’s also important to get the shot annually, but it’s not recommended more than once in that time frame. She say the strains of the virus are constantly changing.

Doctor Kontaxis says getting vaccinated and flu-like symptoms for 1-2 days, is better than the other possibilities.

“If you get influenza or pneumonia, you might end up in the Intensive Care Unit.

KESQ