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Posted in: News on 9/24/09 at 9:58 PM PST

Nurse Carole Stevenson smiles for her fellow Seahawks

With all the economic struggles and worries about your future; your health should still be your number one priority. It's very important to learn that the flu and even the H1N1 virus (swine flu) can prove to be a very contagious and serious virus in all ages. It's very vital for students to learn what your school has to offer and what could be done to help prevent the viruses from affecting you and your classmates; not to mention your family.

First, let's learn the basics and the symptoms of the flu; the flu is a respiratory infection caused by viruses and many of the symptoms include a fever, chills, headache, dry cough, sore throat, and even muscle aches. Most of these symptoms can last for days to even a week and beyond. Of course, to reduce any chances of contracting the flu, you should get vaccinated. Keep in mind that the vaccination only protects you for the time period of the flu season at hand, so it's always good practice to get vaccinated every season.

There's a myth that the vaccine may cause sickness, which is false, hence the word myth, nor does it cause the flu itself. Some known side effects are soreness at the sight of injection for up to 2 days, a fever, malaise, and/or muscle aches beginning 6-12 hours after the injection lasting for up to 2 days.

According to the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee, the only reasons to not get the shot are if you have a fever, egg allergy, allergy to thimerosal (a mercury derivative), or any kind of history of paralysis from Guillain-Barre Syndrome. If you're allergic to sulfates like the ones found in wine then you should think twice about getting vaccinated. Lastly, pregnant women should consult with their physician before considering the vaccine.

When it comes to the swine flu (H1N1), the flu vaccine will not protect against it, but luckily there is one offered for it. The symptoms of the swine flu are almost in comparison with those of the flu, ranging in severity from mild to severe illness. Most cases are mild and can be treated with rest, fluids and temperature reducing medications such as Tylenol and Ibuprofen (Motrin). The symptoms include fatigue, body aches, cough, temperature or 100 degrees or higher, and a sore throat. The vaccine is not a live virus although does contain a mercury derivative known as thimerosal.

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