How do you prevent influenza (flu)?

From the Guidelines

To prevent influenza, getting an annual flu vaccine is the most effective strategy, as it provides the primary protection against the flu virus. According to the most recent and highest quality study 1, annual vaccination is the most effective way to prevent influenza, and it is recommended to provide routine vaccination to persons at higher risk for influenza complications.

Key Preventive Measures

• Get an annual flu vaccine to protect against the flu virus
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after being in public places
• Avoid close contact with sick individuals and stay home when you're sick to prevent spreading the virus
• Cover mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, and dispose of used tissues properly
• Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces like doorknobs, light switches, and electronic devices
• Maintain healthy habits such as getting adequate sleep, staying physically active, managing stress, drinking plenty of fluids, and eating nutritious foods to support the immune system

Additional Measures for High-Risk Individuals

Antiviral medications like oseltamivir (Tamiflu), zanamivir (Relenza), peramivir (Rapivab), or baloxavir (Xofluza) may be prescribed by a doctor for high-risk individuals exposed to the flu, but these are not substitutes for vaccination 1.

Importance of Vaccination

The flu virus spreads through respiratory droplets when infected people cough, sneeze, or talk, and these preventive measures help reduce transmission and infection risk. Vaccination is the primary strategy for preventing complications of influenza virus infections, and it is essential to get vaccinated annually to protect against the flu virus 1.

From the FDA Drug Label

RELENZA does not take the place of receiving a flu vaccination. Talk to your healthcare provider about when you should receive an annual flu vaccination. To prevent influenza (flu), it is recommended to receive an annual flu vaccination. Additionally, zanamivir (RELENZA) can be used to help prevent the flu in people aged 5 years and older, taken as 2 inhalations (use 1 blister per inhalation) 1 time each day for 10 or 28 days as prescribed by a healthcare provider 2.

• Oseltamivir phosphate can also be used for prophylaxis of influenza, with a recommended dose of 75 mg once daily taken for 42 days during a community outbreak or 7 days for post-exposure prophylaxis in adults and adolescents (13 years of age and older) 3.
• For pediatric subjects (1 year to 12 years of age), oseltamivir phosphate can be used for prophylaxis at a dose of 30 to 60 mg taken orally once daily for 10 days 3.

From the Research

Prevention of Influenza

To prevent influenza, several measures can be taken:

• Vaccination is the most effective public health measure to combat this illness 4, 5, 6
• Influenza vaccination with current inactivated vaccines homologous to the prevalent wild-type virus can reduce influenza illness in 75%-80% of healthy adults 4
• The influenza antiviral agents amantadine or rimantadine, zanamivir and oseltamivir can modify the severity of illness and reduce the duration of illness by about 1.5-2.5 days 4, 5
• Oseltamivir is a well tolerated orally active neuraminidase inhibitor which significantly reduces the duration of symptomatic illness and hastens the return to normal levels of activity when initiated promptly in patients with naturally acquired influenza 7
• Oseltamivir, zanamivir and amantadine can be used in the prevention of influenza, with oseltamivir and zanamivir being effective in preventing symptomatic laboratory-confirmed influenza in seasonal prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis 8

High-Risk Groups

For high-risk groups, such as the elderly, young children, and people with chronic underlying diseases, vaccination is especially important:

• Vaccine is recommended for all individuals with chronic underlying diseases and for those aged 65 years or older 4
• Oseltamivir has been shown to be effective in the treatment of children with influenza, and data suggest that the drug may also be of use in high-risk populations such as the elderly or those with chronic cardiac or respiratory disease 7
• Interventions that improve access to and uptake of the influenza vaccine must be initiated, targeting multiple levels, including health care policy, patients, health care systems, and the health care team 6

Timing of Vaccination and Treatment

The timing of vaccination and treatment is crucial:

• Vaccination should occur at the beginning of flu season, which typically begins in October 6
• It takes approximately 14 days after vaccination for a healthy adult to reach peak antibody protection 6
• Antiviral medications should be initiated as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours of initiation of symptoms 6
• Treatment is most effective when given within 30-36 hours after the onset of illness, and the earlier the better 4