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Employees, students have time to get protected by Cindy Abole Public Relations MUSC’s hospital work force should know better than to pass up something that’s free. More than two-thirds did pass it up when free flu shots were offered to employees this past year. Health care workers, above other working professionals, are notorious for ignoring their own illnesses. For some people, the perception of working at a hospital also provides a false sense of immunity from getting sick.  “It’s not uncommon for health care workers who have a cold or infection to go to work anyway,” said Bruce Ribner, M.D., MPH, associate professor of medicine and hospital epidemiologist. “The problem is, they can’t do this with influenza. This virus infection is highly contagious.” National reports for cases attributed to this year’s influenza virus are staggering. In South Carolina, the strains of influenza have been of two types: Type A/Syndey-like, A/Sydney (H3N2). Both cases are covered by the current vaccine.  With only 40 to 50 percent of MUSC employees who participated in this year’s flu vaccination, only about one-third are really protected, according to Ribner.  Mid-way into flu season, Ribner feels that it may not be too late to get a flu shot. It usually takes about two weeks for the vaccine to provide effective protection. For those people who do show flu symptoms, he suggests they rest and remain at home and visit their primary care physician in the first 24 hours so that they can take advantage of the new flu medications that are available.  “It’s actually more cost effective in any outbreak situation to assume that anyone who comes in with a fever and upper and lower respiratory symptoms, probably has influenza,” Ribner said. “In an outbreak situation, there’s going to be a lot more hits versus misses in actually diagnosing influenza from viral and bacterial upper respiratory infections. Family medicine pharmacist Caroline Sullivan demonstrates the use of the inhalant, Relenza, one of two new FDA-approved drugs that provides some relief to flu sufferers. This year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two drugs that have proven to make a difference for people recovering from the flu. One is Tamiflu, and the other is Relenza. Both drugs may reduce the duration and severity of infection. In most cases, the drugs are only effective when given within 48 hours of diagnosis. Tracking local and statewide influenza activity is conducted through local and county Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) sentinel offices.  “We try to monitor illnesses affecting the hospital,” Ribner said. “But with something like influenza, there’s not much infection control that can be done anyway. There’s a chance for an enormous community outbreak. We’ve got to focus on protecting the patients from infected employees and visitors.”