Should I get a flu shot？我應該接種流感疫苗嗎？

What is the flu?

什麼是流感？

The 「real」 flu, also known as influenza, is evoked through the influenza virus and develops an infection in the respiratory system. Fever,headaches and rheumatic pains, shivering and a dry cough are the usual symptoms that last for about five to seven days.

「真正的」流感，也稱為流行感冒，通過流感病毒引起並在呼吸系統中進展為感染。發熱，頭痛和風濕痛，發抖和乾咳是常見癥狀，持續約五至七天。

For whom can the virus be dangerous?

病毒對誰來說是危險的？

Healthy young people can normally overcome a flu without further complications. For older people, over the age of 60, the immune system』s functions have already begun to reduce. This leads to the flu lasting longer, its course being more severe and the virus more often resulting in super infections along the way. Aside from the influenza virus infection, this group is also often affected by a secondary infection through bacteria. One possible consequence, for example, is a lung infection, which can be especially dangerous and life threatening for older and weaker patients.

健康的年輕人通常可以戰勝流感，沒有進一步的併發症。對於60歲以上的老年人，免疫系統的功能已開始下降。這導致流感持續時間更長，病程更嚴重，病毒更經常導致期間的超級感染。除了流感病毒感染之外，這個群體還經常受到細菌繼發感染的影響。例如，一個可能的後果是肺部感染，這對年老體弱的病人來說尤其危險和危及生命。

Not only elderly, but also chronically ill patients are more sensitive to flu infections. Patients with lung diseases such as asthma ora chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as weakened patients,can also be easily affected by the flu. For this group, a flu vaccine is highly recommended.

不僅老年人，而且慢性病患者對流感感染更敏感。患有哮喘或慢性阻塞性肺疾病( COPD )等肺部疾病的患者以及虛弱的患者也容易受到流感的影響。對於這個群體，強烈建議使用流感疫苗。

Even though this is not very well-known, for patients with chronic cardiovascular, liver, kidney or neurological illnesses (such as diabetes mellitus) a flu shot is just as important. The third high risk group is made up of pregnant women. There are two reasons for expecting women to beat a higher risk when falling ill from the flu: pregnant women tend to suffer from the virus more intensely and for a longer period of time and secondly,severe infections that might attack the body while weakened from the virus, could potentially harm the unborn child. Receiving flu shots during the pregnancy not only has benefits for the mother but also the child, as within the first six months after birth, the baby has not yet developed a mature immune system. Avaccine given during pregnancy will supply the baby with protective antibodies against the flu. A study from the University of Utah has shown that infants born from vaccinated mothers are 64% less affected by the flu in the first months after birth than babies from unvaccinated mothers.

儘管這不是很被大家所熟知，但對於患有慢性心血管、肝臟、腎臟或神經系統疾病(如糖尿病)的患者來說，注射流感疫苗同樣重要。第三個高危人群是孕婦。有兩個原因可以讓孕婦在患流感時戰勝更高的風險:孕婦感染病毒的頻率更高，時間更長；其次，嚴重的感染可能會在病毒減弱的同時侵襲身體，可能會對未出生的孩子造成傷害。懷孕期間接種流感疫苗不僅對母親有利，對孩子也有利，因為嬰兒出生後的6個月內免疫系統還沒有發育成熟。懷孕期間服用阿瓦斯丁將為嬰兒提供抗流感的保護性抗體。猶他大學的一項研究顯示，接種疫苗的母親生下的嬰兒出生後第一個月感染流感的幾率比未接種疫苗的母親生下的嬰兒低64 %。

For people who are professionally in direct and regular contact with risk groups, such as medical staff, influenza vaccines are also recommended. Aside from self-protection, the vaccine also helps lower the danger of transferring the virus onto patients at risk.

對於與風險群體直接和定期接觸的專業人士，如醫務人員，也建議接種流感疫苗。除了自我保護之外，疫苗還有助於降低病毒傳染給高危患者的危險。

Why does the vaccine have to be repeated every year?

為什麼必須每年重複接種疫苗？

The influenza virus possesses a high genetic variability and adaptability. The influenza virus』s various subtypes can inter change entire gene sections amongst each other to constantly develop new virus forms - which our immune system is not yet protected against. For this reason, the flu shot should be renewed every Autumn/Fall, to incorporate all new subtypes of thevirus.

流感病毒具有很高的遺傳變異性和適應性。流感病毒的各種亞型可以相互改變整個基因片段，不斷發展成新的病毒形式，而我們的免疫系統尚未受到保護。為此，接種流感疫苗應該是每年秋天更新一次，以納入病毒的所有新亞型。

Does a flu shot fully protect me?

接種流感疫苗能完全保護我嗎？

Since the influenza virus can take on various shapes, the flu shot unfortunately can never guarantee a 100% protection against the virus.A patient could fall ill to a virus subtype which is not covered by thevaccine. Especially when travelling to foreign regions of the world, theaccording virus spectrum can be very different and the risk of becominginfected, despite a flu shot, is very high. A flu can also break out if theperson was infected before receiving the flu shot. There is a small amount of people,the 「non-responders」, who are not able to produce the correct antibodies even after receiving a vaccine.

由於流感病毒可以呈現各種形狀，不幸的是，流感疫苗無法保證100 %的病毒防護。病人可能會罹患疫苗未涵蓋的病毒亞型。特別是去國外旅行時，相應的病毒譜可能會有很大不同，感染的風險很高，儘管注射了流感疫苗。如果病人在接受流感疫苗注射前感染，流感也可能爆發。有一小部分人，即「無應答者」，即使接種疫苗也不能產生正確的抗體。

Does the vaccine have side effects?

疫苗本身有副作用嗎？

Light versions of symptoms similar to the flu can occur for several days after being vaccinated. Redness and pain can occur on the puncture. Some people have an allergic reaction against the chicken protein which is a part of the shot. In case such an allergy has already been detected,a consultation with your general physician can help find alternatives.

在接種疫苗後幾天可能出現類似於流感的輕型癥狀。穿刺處會出現紅腫疼痛。有些人對雞肉蛋白過敏，也是接種疫苗的一部分。一旦已經檢測到這種過敏，則諮詢您的全科醫師可以幫助找到其他方法。

Should I get a flu shot?

我應該接種流感疫苗嗎？

If you are part of one of the above mentioned groups at risk, a flu shot is highly recommended. For everyone else, it is advised to receive the influenza vaccine, even if for the sake of not endangering other people by being a carrier or simply to avoid being sick in bed for a week.

如果你是上述高危人群之一，強烈建議你注射流感疫苗。對其他人來說，建議接種流感疫苗，即使是為了不作為病毒攜帶者而危及他人，或者只是為了避免生病卧床一周。

健康貼士時間

出汗是人的正常生理反應，也是維持體溫恆定的重要環節。出汗有主動和被動之說，因運動產生的排汗是主動出汗，因為天氣、環境、情緒和心理變化造成的出汗為被動出汗。被動出汗時，汗從哪裡出，病從哪裡來！千萬要小心，快來對照看看，你一定想不到！

汗從哪裡出，病從哪裡來！

胸口出汗

脾胃失和

＝

如果胸口常出汗，中醫說是你的體內脾胃失和。西醫覺得這種情況下，你體內的血液循環多半很慢，氧氣運輸不順暢。

【醫師建議】平時不要過度焦慮，也不要看恐怖片，以免驚嚇過度更傷心脾。少吃油膩、生冷食物，平時用黃芪、大棗泡水喝，可以緩解癥狀。

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