The Flu is Coming! Oh, Joy!

The Flu is coming, if you haven't had it already. I had a chance to talk with Dr. Andrew Jameson, Medical Director-Infection Control, with Mercy Health Physician Partners about the flu, always a dreaded part of winter.

What is the flu? Dr. Jameson said it is a respiratory illness, not the "urpy" kind we think of. That is totally another virus. I can't wait for that.
Dr. Jameson said that it is important for everyone to get a flu shot. The most at risk are very young children and seniors with weakened immune systems, but, hey, whatever, get your flu shot.

Will it make you sick? No! Sometime your body may react to the shot to make you feel a little "punk," but, no, you will not get the flu from the flu shot.

It is interesting that the long-rumored theory that a man experiences the flu worse than women actually might be true. All of the extra whining and complaining could be coming from a place of truth.

A British Medical Journal study has found limited evidence that men have a harder time of it with the flu.

Among the findings, women have a stronger immune system than men, women are more responsive to vaccine than men and testosterone acts as an immunosuppressant while estrogen operates in reverse. Guys with a lot of testosterone tend to get the flu worse. So all the "man's - men," watch out.

All said and done.....get your flu shot!