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Flu vaccine offered to employees through December This year MUSC Infection Control Practitioners are providing influenza vaccinations for medical center and UMA employees. Influenza vaccinations are being offered for university employees through Carolina Center for Occupational Health at 158 Rutledge. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that all health care workers be vaccinated against influenza. Influenza is easily transmitted through close contact and persons with various health problems such as asthma, immunosuppression, recurrent respiratory infections, heart disease, and others are at risk for very serious illness and even death from influenza. Each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the CDC conduct surveillance to monitor influenza activity and to detect antigenic changes in the circulating strains of influenza viruses.  Based on findings from samples taken around the world and on the strains which predominated during the previous winter’s epidemics, the flu vaccine is compounded to protect recipients from the viruses most likely to affect the U.S. This year, the 1999-2000 trivalent vaccine for the U.S. contain A/Sydney/5/97-like(H3N2), A/Beijing/262/95-like(H1N1), and B/Beijing/184/93-like viruses. This recommendation was based on antigenic analyses of recently isolated influenza viruses, epidemiologic data, and postvaccination serologic studies in humans. During the 1998-99 influenza season, both influenza A(H3N2) and influenza B viruses circulated worldwide and influenza A(H3N2) predominated in the U.S.  This is the third consecutive year that influenza A(H3N2) viruses have predominated in the U.S. and the fourth consecutive year in which the proportion of deaths caused by pneumonia and influenza reported by 122 U.S. cities was elevated for several consecutive weeks.  Overall, the 1998-99 influenza vaccine strains were well matched with the circulating virus strains. Although influenza epidemics generally peak during December-March each year in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, sporadic cases of influenza and occasionally large outbreaks can occur during the summer, particularly among travelers to the tropics or Southern Hemisphere or among persons traveling with large international groups.  Experts have already reported cases of documented influenza in the lower 48 states this year. It is never certain when the peak season will occur and it takes a week or more to gain protection from the vaccine. It is not true that one can acquire influenza from taking the vaccine because it is composed of completely inactivated virus material. The vaccination season often coincides with times of occurrences of  respiratory illnesses, but these illnesses are not caused by the vaccine. Side effects of the vaccine are usually limited to soreness at the injection site and occasionally, one might experience a low-grade fever and feelings of malaise for a very short time.  These reactions occur in less than a third of recipients and compared to influenza symptoms, these mild symptoms are insignificant and do not lead to more serious illness. Persons who have systemic allergies to eggs or thimerosal (or if you have had a significant reaction to the flu vaccine in the past) should not take the vaccine. Pregnant women must have the approval of their obstetrician—however, it is not contraindicated for use in pregnancy! The ICPs will be giving shots from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Wednesday through December in their office, room 281 and 282 of the main hospital.  Special arrangements can be made with the ICPs for group vaccinations. The ICPs will travel to units (including the Institute of Psychiatry) to administer the vaccine to off-shift employees. Off-shift evenings can receive the vaccine on Oct. 28 and Nov. 1, and nights, Nov. 11 and 18.  The vaccine will also be given on weekends, Oct. 30 and 31 and on Nov. 6 and 7. University employees can receive the vaccine at Carolina Center for Occupational Health during regular operating hours.