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1. Why should I get a flu vaccine? Isn't there a chance it could give me the flu?

   A flu vaccination is your best chance to protect yourself against the flu. It has a 70 percent to 90 percent success rate in healthy adults and children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People do not get the flu from a flu vaccine, but some people who have immunity against one of the flu proteins contained in the flu vaccine can feel achy for a day or so after the vaccine. This is not the flu.

2. What is the difference between vaccine and antivirals?

   Vaccination is the first line of defense against the flu. Adults and children over six months of age should have a flu vaccine annually. The flu vaccine helps the body build antibodies that are immune to the flu. However, the flu vaccine is not 100 percent effective. If you get vaccinated but still come down with the flu, ask your doctor about prescription antiviral medications. Antivirals attack the virus at the source and can help you feel better faster. It is important to remember that antivirals must be taken within 12 to 48 hours of symptom onset for optimal effectiveness.

3. I feel awful. Why won't my health care professional prescribe antibiotics for me?

   Because the flu is a viral infection, it cannot be treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics only kill bacteria and thus are useless against the flu. Taking antibiotics when you don't need them contributes to antibiotic resistance—an increasingly common and alarming trend where disease-causing bacteria no longer respond to treatment. However, your health care professional can prescribe you antiviral medication. If taken within 12 to 48 hours of symptom onset, antivirals can help lessen flu symptoms and the duration of the illness.

4. When I blow my nose, the mucus is greenish. Doesn't this mean I have an infection and need antibiotics?

   A "green" runny nose is not necessarily an indication of a bacterial infection, but it could be. You should check with your health care professional. Persistent green secretions lasting beyond five to seven days can indicate a sinus infection, in which case you will need antibiotics.

5. What medications are available for influenza?

   Antiviral medications, such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza), can be prescribed by a health care professional to both treat and prevent influenza. These prescription medications can shorten the duration of flu by one to two days and may reduce complications, including pneumonia and bronchitis. Additionally, if you've been exposed to the flu you can take antiviral medication to prevent coming down with the virus. However, for optimal effectiveness, antiviral medication should be started within 12 to 48 hours of symptom onset or exposure.
   Note: Never give aspirin to a feverish child under age 19 who has the flu. Reye's syndrome is a severe and potentially fatal illness that affects children, following use of aspirin-containing products for viral infections. Reye's syndrome affects all the organs, most severely the liver and the brain. A child's risk for developing this disease is markedly lowered by avoiding aspirin use whenever they have a viral infection.

6. How can I tell if I have the flu or a cold?

   The symptoms of the flu come on suddenly and include a fever (usually high), headache, muscle aches, severe deep cough with mucus production, tiredness, weakness and chest discomfort. Sometimes it involves a stuffy nose, sneezing and sore throat. A cold, on the other hand, rarely causes a fever, headache, extreme exhaustion or severe aches and pains. Its most prominent symptoms are a stuffy nose, runny nose with clear secretions, sneezing, sore throat and a mild to moderate cough.

7. When do I need to call my health care professional?

   It's important to contact your health care provider if you experience flu symptoms or if you've been exposed to the virus. To be effective at treating or preventing the flu, prescription antiviral medications, such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza), should be taken within 12 to 48 hours of symptom onset or exposure. You should call your health care professional if you develop these hallmark flu symptoms:

   • sudden onset of illness

   • an illness so bad you feel entirely drained and immobile

   • a high and persistent fever, over 101 degrees Fahrenheit

   • severe aches and pains, which can include headache

   • fatigue and weakness that persists

   • chest pain other than over your windpipe

   • coughing up thick or discolored mucus

   • facial swelling or pain

   • earache

8. Does chicken soup really help?

   There is nothing medicinal or magical about chicken soup. However, warm liquids can help break up your chest congestion, helping you feel better.

9. I started to feel better, but then my symptoms came back with more severe coughing, chest pain and redevelopment of fever. Did I relapse?

   It's not unusual for the flu to lead to pneumonia. These cases of pneumonia result when bacteria, viruses and other organisms invade the lungs and cause them to become inflamed. The body's defense mechanisms ordinarily prevent these bacteria from reaching the lungs, but when the defenses are weakened, by the flu, severe pneumonia may develop. Bacterial pneumonia symptoms will appear after you start feeling like you're recovering from the flu. A brief period of improvement is followed by the sudden onset of:

   • high fever

   • shaking chills

   • chest pain with each breath

   • a continuous hacking cough that produces thick, yellow-greenish-colored phlegm, or sputum; or sputum with blood in it

   • extreme weakness and fatigue

   You should always check with your health care professional right away if you have these symptoms.