Radio Shows | What is the Flu? | mp3 … wma … wav

Every year, Americans line up for their flu shots but many more ignore the recommendations and simply take their chances.

If this is you - the statistics may make you reconsider. In an average year, the CDC reports about 90 million flu cases in the U.S. and 36,000 deaths.

Yet most of us don't worry because almost everyone infected with the flu virus recovers in one to two weeks.

But some people can develop serious and potentially life threatening complications, like pneumonia. The elderly and people with chronic health problems are more prone to develop these complications.

The flu is caused by a virus. Humans can be infected with three different groups of influenza viruses types A, B, and C.

Type C influenza virus is different than the A and B types - usually causing either mild or no symptoms at all.

Types A and B on the other hand are the ones that make us sick.

Normally influenza B causes a mild illness but in the elderly and immune compromised - it can be severe.

Influenza A is the one we're most concerned with and it can cause the epidemics and pandemics we worry so much about. It's also the one we focus the flu vaccines on every year.

The challenge for vaccine makers is that there are countless variations within the Influenza A type. They're categorized according to the proteins on the surface of the virus.

What protects people from influenza viruses is the immunity we develop to these surface proteins and getting a flu shot can help us do that.

If you need an incentive, just recall the last time you got the flu: you probably felt like you got hit by a Mack truck.

So reduce your risk of getting sick. Get the shot that can protect not only you but those around you.