Doug Karr

‘Tis the season for stuffy heads, sneezing and generally feeling awful. Flu season is already on us and we all need to stay safe and healthy so that we can prevent the continuous spread of this awful bug.

Though many of us attribute anything from stomach illnesses to colds to the flu, the flu or influenza is actually a potentially deadly member of a virus family. Recently, the H1N1 flu epidemic not only caused many deaths but headlines across the world. The H1N1 is a strain of influenza and is no longer a major health threat.

Tags: H1N1, CDC, flu, veteran health

With the approaching flu season almost underway, the VA will offer any veteran 65 years or older, or those with chronic respiratory problems the high-dose flu vaccine. This particular vaccine will include three strains of the flu, including the H1N1.The high-dose vaccine will reduce the number of elderly patients sickened or killed by influenza this year.

Dr. Marvin Bittner, acting chief of infectious diseases for the VA’s Nebraska-Western Iowa regions said, “he and other physicians in the region this year considered what would best protect senior citizens against the flu. Our answer was high-dose.”

Tags: flu vaccine, H1N1, VA, veterans