FLU SHOTS AS A FORM OF ASTHMA PREVENTION

Having asthma doesn’t make you more likely to get the flu, but asthma patients who contract the flu virus are more likely to have severe asthma attacks that lead to hospitalizations and pneumonia. Viral respiratory infections are the leading cause of asthma attacks, and as many as 80% of them are believed to be flu-related. Additionally, a recent respiratory infection such as the flu is said to quadruple a person’s chances of having severe asthma attacks afterward. People with asthma are already at higher risk for pneumonia, and contracting the flu further increases this risk. For all these reasons, many doctors argue that getting the flu shot each year is one of the best ways to prevent complications from asthma.

P.S. One in five flu-related hospitalizations is a person with moderate to severe asthma. Doctors recommend that asthma patients start antiviral drugs within 48 hours of being exposed or developing symptoms.

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