Presbyterian Health Plan | Summer 2019 | Your Story

6 Influenza, or the flu, is an illness caused by influenza A or B viruses. Flu symptoms include fever and chills, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, cough, headache, and runny or stuffy nose. Flu season usually starts in October and can last through May of each year. The flu virus infects the nose, throat, and lungs. The virus can be spread to others up to six feet away when a person with the flu coughs, sneezes, or talks. People can spread the flu virus to others before they have any of the symptoms. Flu vaccines Flu vaccines can help you avoid the flu. They can also make the symptoms less severe if you do get the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone six months of age and older get the flu vaccine every year, with rare exceptions. You should talk to your healthcare provider before getting a flu vaccination if you have a severe allergy to the influenza vaccine or any of its ingredients, had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccine in the past, have been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, or have been feeling ill. Some minor side effects from getting the flu shot include soreness or redness of the skin where the shot was given, a low-grade fever, and body aches. Formulary Check your Formulary for a complete list of flu vaccines covered by your pharmacy benefit at www.phs.org/providers/formularies . Then select “Pharmacy Resources— Drug Formularies” to find the formulary for Large Group plans and Health Insurance Exchange Metal Level plans. You can also call the Presbyterian Customer Service Center. We are here to help. Presbyterian began covering flu vaccines for the 2019–2020 flu season on Sept. 1. What is the flu? You can learn more about the flu or flu vaccines at www.cdc.gov/flu and by talking to your healthcare provider. Who should get the flu shot? ● ● Everyone six months and older should get a flu shot every year. A new vaccine is made each year to protect against the latest flu viruses. ● ● Women who are pregnant (to protect themselves and their unborn babies). ● ● Very young children (older than six months). ● ● Adults 65 years of age and older. ● ● People with certain chronic (long- term) medical conditions like asthma, diabetes, and heart disease. ● ● Caregivers and family members of any of the people listed above. ● ● Healthcare workers. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention