Flu Types

Flu Types

Influenza, more commonly known as "the flu", is a highly contagious disease that can cause fever, cough, sore throat, headache, muscle aches and fatigue.

The flu is caused by influenza viruses and is spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing.

Complications of the infection include pneumonia, seizures (in children), and worsening of existing conditions such as heart disease, asthma and diabetes.

Every year in the United States, up to 20 percent of the population gets the flu, and more than 200,000 hospitalizations and about 36,000 deaths occur from flu complications. Approximately 90 percent of these deaths are among people age 65 and older.

Although the incidents of influenza are the highest in young children and they serve as a main source of flu virus transmission, deaths among children are uncommon.

2012-2013 Vaccine

The 2012-2013 vaccine provides protection against an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus, an A/Victoria/361/2011 (H3N2)-like virus and a B/Wisconsin/1/2010-like virus (from the B/Yamagata lineage of viruses). It will not prevent illness caused by other viruses. While the H1N1 virus from 2009 was the same virus included in the 2011-2012 vaccine, the recommended influenza H3N2 and B vaccine viruses are different from those in the 2011-2012 influenza vaccine.