#Middlebury #Veterans #Flu
Some of us just don’t want to get a flu shot every year. It’s too much trouble to get an appointment, or we just don’t like needles or maybe we figure that we’ll just tough it out for a week if we do get the flu. After all, it’s not going to kill us, right?
A researcher at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis has come up with a strong reason to get an annual flu shot: You could have a heart attack if you don’t.
After studying 450,000 medical records of four flu seasons, the VA researcher and his colleagues concluded that while the number of flu cases might go up only slightly (5 percent) in a given month, the number of heart-related problems soars (24 percent) during that same period.
They coordinated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for flu stats, and concentrated on four specific communities in Maryland, North Carolina, Mississippi and Minnesota. While a correlation between the flu and heart failure has long been suspected, this large study nails it with real numbers.
If you’re already a heart patient, don’t depend on the doctors to send you a note about getting your flu shot. Get one. If you’re otherwise healthy, take responsibility for getting your shot, and make sure others around you get it too, especially children. You can find the shots everywhere, including the local pharmacy and chain grocery stores.
While the 2018-2019 flu season is nearly over, get started early for the next round by paging through your calendar to September and October and making a note to get a flu shot then.
Consider this: As of March, there were 30,000 flu-related deaths and 300,000 flu-related hospitalizations.
© 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
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