An Easy Money Saver: the Flu Shot

culled from:www.wsj.com

With illnesses from Ebola to enterovirus making headlines this fall, many health experts say one of the best ways to protect yourself--and your wallet--is to steer clear of an old holiday bug, the seasonal flu.

Flu season is just around the corner. Cases of influenza tend to pick up in late November and December, just as families start traveling and congregating indoors for the holidays, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Early symptoms, like aches and fever, can mimic those of other viruses, but flu is mainly a respiratory illness “not at all similar to Ebola,” says Michael Jhung, a medical officer in the CDC’s influenza division.

Flu can result in hospitalization, especially in young or old patients and those with underlying medical issues, says Dr. Jhung. The CDC estimates that the flu costs the U.S. more than $87 billion a year and results in 17 million lost workdays. A typical flu-related hospitalization for a child costs $4,000, and an emergency visit is about $730, says L.J. Tan, chief strategy officer at the Immunization Action Coalition, a nonprofit that educates the public and private sectors about vaccine-preventable illnesses.

One way to protect yourself is to get the flu vaccine, say health-care experts. Hand washing, hand sanitizers, covering your cough and staying home if you feel sick can also help contain the spread of the virus, which can affect up to 20% of the population yearly between October and May, says the CDC.
New Developments

Families should be aware of some recent developments. Under the Affordable Care Act, many insurance plans now cover preventive services, including the flu shot, without requiring copayments or coinsurance, says the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This should be true for policies bought on the federal health-insurance marketplace, even if you haven't met your deductible, or for Medicare policies. Check to make sure you don’t have a plan that is exempt from some of the law’s changes, and that you are using an in-network provider.

It’s also getting easier to get the shot at your local pharmacy, according to the National Association of Chain Drug Stores.

At CVS/Pharmacy, a new campaign this year is touting no-cost flu shots for insured people at the chain’s 7,800 locations. It’s a move to raise awareness of the new access many Americans now have because of the health-care law, says CVS/Pharmacy spokesman Michael DeAngelis. (Without insurance the shot costs $31.99, he says.)

Check the rules in your state: Laws vary about the age of patients who can receive vaccinations from pharmacists, he says.

You might also hear from your health insurer. Humana , for instance, is tracking flu outbreaks across the U.S. and reminding members about protecting themselves via mailings, emails, phone calls and home nurse visits, says Roy Beveridge, the insurer’s chief medical officer. The company gives some members points toward rewards for getting their flu shots.

There is a new CDC recommendation that children between the ages of two and eight receive the nasal-spray form of the flu vaccine if available. Some studies indicate that this mode of delivery offers more protection to children, because the virus tends to start in the respiratory tract, says Dr. Jhung.

Lastly, there are new formulations of the traditional injection. Starting last year, flu shots became available to inoculate against four strains of the virus, instead of just three, says Dr. Jhung. It is important, he says, to “go in and get whatever they have instead of waiting” for the version you might prefer, as both bolster your flu resistance.

The flu shot, though, doesn’t always protect you. One reason is that there are many strains of the flu, and it’s not always possible to predict which will circulate in a given season, says Dr. Jhung. As a result, he says, the shot only reduces your likelihood of getting the flu, by between 50% and 75%.

Roughly half of Americans forego the vaccine each year, the CDC says. “By anyone’s standards [the vaccine is] not foolproof,” says Mayer Eisenstein, a preventive-medicine and public-health doctor in Chicago who sits on the board of the International Medical Council on Vaccination, a group critical of vaccination.
Side Effects

There are also some, mostly rare, side effects to keep in mind. The most common are a fever and soreness at the injection site, says Dr. Jhung, that are “nothing like getting the flu.” Experts suggest talking with your doctor if you are susceptible to, or have a history of, a rare paralysis called Guillain-Barre Syndrome or egg allergies, for example. Dr. Jhung says vaccine supplies are adequate this year, but the agency encourages people to get vaccinated as early as possible. Getting the shot even after the holidays can help, he says, but it takes up to two weeks to be effective against the disease.