Immune Health

Page 1

Dr. Vivien Brown Family Physician & Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

Read more at healthinsight.ca

A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTIONBY BYMEDIAPLANET MEDIAPLANET A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION

IMMUNE HEALTH Q&A

Q&A with Dr. Vivien Brown Why is it important for Canadians to continue to follow public health measures this fall, regardless of whether or not they’re fully vaccinated against COVID-19? We’ve learned that wearing a mask, physically distancing, and handwashing are effective in reducing viral spread. Despite vaccination, people can carry and spread the virus, particularly the infectious Delta variant. Thus, it makes good sense to decrease transmission regardless of your own status, to help protect others.

Should people still consider getting the flu shot this year? Yes, as the flu is very contagious, it can mimic COVID-19, and can spread easily. We don’t want to clog up hospital ERs with viral infections we can prevent. And although you may still

get the flu when you’ve had a flu shot, you’re much less likely to end up in the hospital with influenza.

What are some ways that people can build up immunity to prevent infection from viruses like the flu and COVID-19? Healthy eating, proper sleep, and exercise all have an impact on the immune system. Decreasing and managing stress, which we know can affect many aspects of immunity, is also important.

After being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, what precautions should Canadians still consider while travelling? Follow public health guidelines, wear masks, wash hands, and practise physical distancing. Wear that

mask and shield on a plane and in the airport. Get tested and, if needed, retested to be sure that you’re not at risk of infecting your loved ones.

Slowly but surely, those who have been working from home will be returning to shared work spaces. Why is it important that they take sick days if they’re feeling unwell and what can employers do to ensure that employees feel comfortable doing this? This is really important. If you come to work sick, whatever virus, you place your colleagues at risk by being in close quarters. When in doubt, stay home, work from home, and get tested. Hopefully employers will support the need for sick days and encourage honest reporting of symptoms, regardless of the workload.

What You Need to Know About the Flu Lucie Marisa Bucci, Senior Manager, Immunize Canada

D

o you remember last year’s flu season? You don’t? Well, there’s a good reason for that. With all of the public health measures in place to protect each other from COVID-19, a welcome consequence was the reduction in seasonal influenza circulating in Canada. With increased COVID-19 vaccination rates and some loosening of public health restrictions, however, we can expect that seasonal influenza (and other vaccine-preventable diseases) will start to make a reappearance. The words “it’s time for your flu shot” aren’t exactly what Canadians like to hear, but influenza is a serious disease usually accompanied by fever, headaches, cough and fatigue for most healthy adults and more severe symptoms that can lead to hospitalization or even death in people with high risk conditions. Even for healthy people, influenza infection can be debilitat-

ing and has been described as feeling like you’ve been hit by a bus. To make matters worse, the symptoms are very similar to those of COVID-19, so if you do get sick, you’ll likely have to quarantine and be tested for COVID-19. Many Canadians don’t know that the very young, those under five years of age, and older adults over the age of 65 are at high risk of severe influenza illness and related complications. These groups are at risk because they don’t respond as well to the influenza vaccine. Many also don’t know that in a given year an estimated 12,200 hospitalizations related to influenza occur and as many as 3,500 Canadians die from influenza and its complications, making flu prevention by healthy individuals who can pass it on to those at high risk for severe disease or complications a necessity. Healthy individuals can shed the

influenza virus and transmit influenza before they develop symptoms, and while handwashing, proper flu etiquette (coughing and sneezing into your sleeve), and staying away from others when you’re sick are important to decrease the spread of influenza, the most effective way to prevent influenza is to be vaccinated. Other people who need protection from their annual flu shot are adults and children with underlying health conditions such as asthma and diabetes, pregnant people, Indigenous peoples, and residents of long-term care facilities. The seasonal influenza vaccine is safe and your best choice to reduce your risk of getting sick. It’s free and conveniently available at your doctor’s office, local pharmacy, or local public health clinic. There’s no better benefit than protecting the ones you love by not taking chances with the flu.

Shingles: It’s Not Just a Rash

I

f you’re 50 years of age or more, odds are that you’ve heard of shingles or know someone who has experienced this notoriously painful condition. About 90 percent of people over 50 are at risk due to having chickenpox as children.1 Shingles, known medically as herpes zoster, occurs when the varicella zoster virus that causes childhood chickenpox is reactivated.2 While people of any age can develop shingles, the likelihood of being affected increases sharply after 50, as our immune defences weaken and resistance to the inactive chickenpox virus decreases. 2,3 About half of all cases occur in people aged 60 or over.4 Risk of shingles is also higher in people with weakened immune systems — for instance, due to cancer,

immune-suppressing medications, or even severe stress. Pain that persists for 90 days or more after the shingles rash first developed is known as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), and may affect up to 30 percent of individuals who have shingles. 3

lowers shingles risk and may help to prevent complications such as extended nerve pain from PHN.2,3 If you’re 50 years of age or older,ask your health care professional if shingles vaccination is right for you.7

Shingles symptoms vary

Disclaimer: This information should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your doctor. There may be variations in treatment that your physician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

Shingles causes a painful, blistering rash ­­­— typically the blisters scab over in 7 to 10 days and the rash clears in 3 to 5 weeks.4 Mild shingles may be simply itchy and inconvenient. When severe, pain may interfere with daily activities, like putting on a shirt or bathing.5

Get vaccinated! There are two shingles vaccines approved in Canada.6 Vaccination

Note: the hyperlinks that direct to other sites are not continuously updated. It is possible that some links become untraceable over time. Thank you. 1. National Advisory Committee on Immunization. Statement on the Recommended use of Herpes Zoster Vaccine. January 2010, 36(ASC1):1-19. 2. Kawai K, Gebremeskel BG, Acosta CJ. Systematic review of incidence and complications of herpes zoster: towards a global perspective. BMJ Open. 2014 Jun;4(6):e004833. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC4591524/ 3. Johnson RW. Herpes zoster epidemiology, management, and disease and economic burden in Europe: a multidisciplinary perspective. Ther Adv Vaccines. 2015 Jul; 3(4): 109–120. 4. NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA). Shingles. https://www.nia.nih. gov/health/shingles 5. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shingles (Herpes Zoster): Overview. https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/overview.html 6. Shapiro M. “Consider getting the shingles vaccine before 65: Doctors’ Notes.” The Toronto Star. 29/01/2018. https://www.thestar.com/ life/2018/01/29/consider-getting-the-shingles-vaccine-before-65doctors-notes.html 7. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shingles (Herpes Zoster): Prevention & Treatment. https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/ prevention-treatment.html

Strategic Account Managers: Anna Sibiga, Madison Trajkovski Strategic Account Director: Jessica Golyatov Country Manager: Nina Theodorlis Content and Production Manager: Raymond Fan Designer: Kylie Armishaw Web Editor: Karthik Talwar All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve Toronto Star or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com. @MediaplanetCA

facebook.com/HealthInsightCA

Please recycle

Find out where to go for your vaccinations at vaccines411.ca.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.