The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command would like to remind you that August is National Immunization Awareness Month, which means it is time to ensure your family's immunizations are up-to-date and schedule your seasonal flu shot.
People of all ages should maintain their health through immunizations. Vaccines have helped wipe out or significantly reduce the number of many dangerous and deadly diseases in the U.S. and the world. Despite the success, many people become severely compromised or die from preventable diseases.
By staying up-to-date on recommended vaccinations, Soldiers and Army civilians help protect themselves, their families, friends and the Fort Detrick community from life-threatening infections. Vaccines are especially important for the military to ensure our Armed Forces are ready and fit.
The Army's history of using preventive vaccinations began in 1777 when George Washington ordered the inoculation of all Continental Army recruits to prevent smallpox, an extremely infectious and serious disease. In the years since, USAMRMC researchers have developed vaccines that have prevented diseases in the military but have also helped safeguard public health.
"While the Army has developed many vaccines, the development of the influenza vaccine is probably the vaccine that most Americans recognize," said Capt. Xiaoxu Lin, Ph.D., laboratory director of the USAMRMC's Walter Reed Army Institute of Research's Viral Diseases Branch.
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses and can cause mild to severe illness. In the 1940s, the U.S. Army Surgeon General commissioned research to develop influenza vaccines after recalling an outbreak of the flu that sapped the strength of the Army in the early 1900s. The vaccine was one of the first iterations of the flu vaccine still used today.
The single best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated each season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 1976 and 2006, estimates of flu-associated deaths in the U.S. range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people.
"There are a couple of common misconceptions about the flu vaccine that many people have that stop them from getting the vaccine," said Lin. "One is that the flu shot will give them the flu, and the other is that flu vaccinations are just for kids. Both of these statements are not true."
There are two vaccines available: the flu shot or the nasal spray mist. There are common side effects associated with both vaccines, which include soreness and redness at the injection site, cough, nasal congestion, sore throat and chills, but most resolve within 24 to 48 hours. Flu vaccines are safe and are not able to infect you with the flu because the vaccines contain killed or weakened viruses.
It is recommended that everyone over the age of six months receive a seasonal flu shot every year. Even healthy adults can become seriously ill, and can pass certain illnesses on to others.
Getting vaccinated for influenza is the most important step community members can take in the next few months to ensure they are healthy this coming flu season.
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