With the recent concern about the West Nile virus, which most people are at very little risk of contracting, much less dying from, the public needs to be aware of another infectious agent that creeps around every winter and causes thousands of deaths a year -- influenza.
Flu and pneumonia combined were the fourth-leading cause of death among people 65 and older in California in 1998, accounting for 13,316 deaths. Those deaths were preventable with effective vaccines. The elderly are in most need of a flu vaccine, but so are those with chronic diseases such as asthma, emphysema (or other lung diseases), diabetes and heart disease.

Despite the availability of shots (there is no expected shortage this year), surveys show that only 67 percent of people 65 and older claim to have had a flu shot in the past 12 months; the proportion of African-Americans and Latinos receiving the vaccine is far less.
The optimal time to receive a flu shot is in October, but individuals will benefit from a flu shot at any time during the flu season, which runs through January. Numerous studies have shown that the flu shot is safe, effective and does not cause people to get the flu. The only people who should avoid it are those with egg allergies or those who have had previous allergic reactions to the flu shot.

JOHN WALKER
Stanislaus County public health officer

JOSEPH PROVENZANO, D.O.
Stanislaus Medical Society president
Modesto