by Jacquie Schmall

Created on: November 16, 2007

We are warned about the "flu" every year, and advised to get vaccinated against it. That injection will not necessarily prevent a person from getting the current "flu." There may be more than one "flu" virus moving through the population, or you have already developed immunity to the current virus when it passed through the population years ago.

In the 1917 Pandemic, a very large number of the fatalities were the result of a secondary infection from Haemophilis Influenza, a bacteria that attacks the lungs. Secondary infections are frequently the cause of death from the "flu."

Influenza is a viral disease that attacks the immune system causing multiple symptoms. The virus can cause both chronic and critical health problems particularly harmful to the elderly and the very young. As the virus mutates, creating new strains, the general population remains vulnerable, although once the immune system has created antibodies toward one strain it is highly unlikely to succumb to that particular strain ever again. In other words, you can become ill from one strain of the virus, and the following year become ill only if exposed to another strain of the virus.

A healthy immune system is our best defense against the flu. As the days grow shorter, there is less sunlight and therefore less Vitamin D available to support a healthy immune system. The seasonal changes bring people together indoors more frequently. There may be a tendency to a diet less reliant on fresh vegetables and fruit. All of these may tend to make us more vulnerable to viral invasion. In any case, the flu season tends to peak in the middle of the winter.

Like all virus particles, the flu virus has no attributes of a living organism. Once traveling through the bloodstream, likely after entry via mucous membranes, it strips away the defense mechanisms of the white blood cells trying to fend it off, and enters into those cells. Once inside it uses the nuclear material of that cell to replicate itself. They are extraordinarily successful invaders, and our immune system weakens temporarily, causing multisymptoms and making us quite ill.

It's a good idea to act defensively by washing hands appropriately after touching doorknobs, and keyboards, or other objects handled by many others. It's an excellent choice for most of us to pay attention to eating a balanced diet, and getting enough rest, so we sustain more robust health in general.

The flu vaccine may not prevent you from getting this year's strain of the flu. However it's a good idea to take personal responsibility by washing hands frequently, staying away from crowds, and sustaining a strong immune system by eating and sleeping well. However, if you do come down with the flu, don't blame the vaccine.

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