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www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know Disclaimer:The views and opinions expressed on this page are those of the authors and Parikh Worldwide Media does not officially endorse, and is not responsible or liable for them. News India Times (October 11, 2025 - October 17, 2025) October 17, 2025 4 Opinion HowTo Stop The No. 1 Killer Of Americans Long Before Any Symptoms Thinking Of Skipping Your Flu Shot? Here’sWhy You Should Reconsider A rift is growing between federal health officials and public health experts over who most needs protection from respiratory viruses. Coronavirus vaccine guidance remains contentious, with ma- jor medical societies diverging from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recently changed recommendations on the shots. But one message has remained consistent: Everyone 6 months and older should receive the seasonal influenza vaccine. Four recent studies, all published in CDC’s Morbidity and MortalityWeekly Reports, highlight the necessity of getting this year’s influenza vaccine. Here are my take- aways from these studies. 1. Last year’s flu season was especially bad. The 2024-2025 influenza season was associated with at least 43 million illnesses, 560,000 hospitalizations and 38,000 deaths. The hospitalization rate for the disease surpassed that of covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus. In fact, more people were hospitalized for influenza in last year’s season than any year since 2010-2011. Re- searchers believe this is because more people than usual caught the virus, not because cases were more severe. Children were among those hit especially hard. Last season, 280 children died from influenza, the highest number since pediatric flu deaths became nationally reportable in 2004 (excluding the 2009-2010 H1N1 pan- demic). The median age of death was 7. 2. Influenza can lead to severe complications. As in past seasons, the most common complication among hospitalized patients with influenza was pneu- monia, affecting approximately 30 percent of cases. More than 18 percent of patients developed the life-threaten- ing, body-wide infection known as sepsis, and about the same amount ended up with acute kidney failure. Six percent required mechanical ventilation, and 3 percent died in the hospital. One CDC report examined a rare but devastating brain complication from the flu that leads to swelling, seizures and sometimes death. Last season, 109 children were di- agnosed with this condition, called influenza-associated encephalopathy, which killed roughly 1 in 5. Thirty-seven had an especially severe form, of which a little more than half survived. 3. Flu is most dangerous for people with underlying conditions. As in prior years, most hospitalized patients last season (89 percent) had one or more medical condi- tions that made themmore vulnerable to severe illness. Among children, asthma was the most common underly- ing issue. Among older adults, cardiovascular issues and metabolic diseases such as diabetes predominated. Age itself is another major risk factor. The highest hospitalization rates were among adults 75 and older. Influenza-related deaths among children were most frequent in infants younger than 6 months. 4. However, healthy people can also become very sick from the flu. Severe influenza isn’t limited to those with preexisting conditions. A significant portion of people hospitalized for flu complications were previously healthy. This pattern is especially pronounced in children: Roughly half of pediatric flu deaths occurred in children with no known underlying medical conditions. Likewise, about half of those who developed IAE had no prior health issues. 5. Deterioration can be rapid. I was surprised to learn that about half of the children who died from flu-related complications had not been admitted to the hospital. Some of them died in urgent care or the emergency department; others died at home or other community settings. It typically took just two or three days for these chil- dren to go from first experiencing symptoms to death. Notably, they were less likely to have underlying medical conditions than those who died after hospitalization. Par- ents and clinicians should be watching for warning signs of severe flu, such as difficulty breathing, dehydration, excessive drowsiness and persistent or worsening fever. Seek emergency medical care quickly if a child exhibits these symptoms. 6. Antiviral treatments are underused. Several antiviral drugs are approved to treat influenza. These prescription medications should be started as soon as possible after symptoms begin, ideally within the first two days. These medications are especially important for people at high risk of complications, including those with chronic medical conditions and anyone who develops severe illness. CDC data, however, shows that use of antivirals has long been suboptimal. Among 5-to-17-year-olds hospi- talized for the flu last year, more than a third did not re- ceive treatment. That rate was much lower for those who died outside the hospital. This gap underscores the need for greater clinician awareness of these medications. 7. Vaccination reduces severe illness. Two-thirds of hospitalized patients last season were not vaccinated against influenza. Among children who died, 89 percent were not fully vaccinated. The flu shot is far from perfect; you can still become sick after getting it. But it does reduces your risk of severe disease, hospital- ization and death. There is also encouraging news about this year’s vac- cine: Eight countries have already completed their flu seasons because they are in the southern hemisphere, and a CDC study based on those nations suggest that this year’s updated formulation - the same one now avail- able in the United States - cut flu-related medical visits and hospitalizations by roughly half. In other words, this season’s vaccine appears to be a good match against circulating strains and is doing what it should to prevent the most severe outcomes. Getting vaccinated remains one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect yourself and your family. My kids and I will be getting our flu shots this week. I hope many of you will, too. Leana S. Wen, a Washington Post contributing columnist who writes the newsletter The Checkup with Dr. Wen, is an emergency physi- cian, clinical associate professor at George Washington University and author of “Lifelines: A Doc- tor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health.” Previously, she served as Baltimore’s health commissioner. -Special to TheWashington Post By Leana S.Wen WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOURSELF AND YOUR HEART To improve your heart health, consider following the American Heart Association’s checklist, said Neha Pagi- dipati, a cardiovascular disease prevention expert with the American College of Cardiology. The AHA’s “Life’s Essential 8” include: -Eating better. Recommendations include whole foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, nuts, seeds, and using olive or canola oil for cooking. -Quitting tobacco and vaping. -Getting healthy sleep. For most adults, this is seven to nine hours of sleep each night. -Managing weight. -Controlling cholesterol. LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, should be 100 milligrams per deciliter or lower, Nissen said. -Managing blood sugar. If you have diabetes, pay at- tention to your hemoglobin A1C levels, which should be below 5.7 percent. -Managing blood pressure. For most people, blood pressure should be below 120/80, Nissen said. “We have all the strategies now to look at cardiovascu- lar disease very holistically,” said C. Noel Bairey Merz, a cardiology professor and director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai. “Why wait for them to need bypass? And also our holistic strategies actually are quite affordable.” It’s also critical to know if you have a family history of heart disease, Nissen said. Consult with doctors about the best way to manage your risk. You can ask your doctor if you need to treat any potential risk factors, such as elevated blood pressure or cholesterol levels, with medication or lifestyle changes. Al-Lamee encouraged people to view heart disease like cancer. “People are very aware of what they need to do to re- duce their risk of cancer, and they are very keen for early detection,” she said. “I want to see the same happening in coronary artery disease.”. Allyson Chiu is a reporter focus- ing on chronic diseases for The Washington Post. She previously covered climate solutions and well- ness, and worked overnight on The Post’s Morning Mix team. - TheWashington Post Photo:TheWashington Post Photo:TheWashington Post - Continued From Page 3