Currently the typical person contracting the disease is a healthy teenager in the mid-teen years (15 - 17). Although, ages of people who have had confirmed cases of the flu range in all age groups, from toddlers to senior citizens. However, the people at most risk for severe symptoms or untoward outcomes are defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as:
Persons at increased risk of severe illness from influenza (i.e. high-risk persons) include those groups at higher risk for severe illness from seasonal influenza, including: children younger than 5 years old; persons aged 65 years or older; children and adolescents (younger than 18 years) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection; pregnant women; adults and children who have pulmonary, including Asthma, cardiovascular, hepatic, hematological, neurologic, neuromuscular, or metabolic disorders, such as Diabetes; adults and children who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by HIV); and, residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities.
With most influenza viruses, the people most at risk are the very young and the very old due to either immature or poorly functioning immune systems (respectively). For the H1N1/09 pandemic flu, those at highest risk of complications and death are listed in the related question below. These would be the same groups that are usually affected this way in any influenza virus infection.
It can affect people of all ages and what type of sickness are you talking abiut because influenze means some sort of illness.
Elderly people, young children, and people with weakened immune systems.
everybody is at risk...no one is not....
No, there should not be.
No, Only if you fly with someone who has swine flu, or you are flying to or from mexico.
No, if you have it you will be immune to it after that. However, viruses are able to mutate to slightly different strains rapidly. If that happens and you are exposed, you may still have some immunity, but you may not, in which case you could get the flu from a similar but different form of the virus.
You cannot get rid of the flu. It is a virus. The symptoms can only be treated, until your antibodies can destroy the viral structure. This is why you get a flu shot because it significantly reduces the risk of getting the flu.
It is expected that one of the types of flu that will be prevalent in the 2010-2011 flu season in the Northern Hemisphere and US is H1N1/09 Pandemic Swine Flu again/still. It is still infecting people who have not had the vaccination. H1N1/09 will be among the viruses that the 2010 seasonal flu shot will protect against. There is still risk for those who get this type of flu in 2010 to die from the infection, but, hopefully, more people will get the vaccination and protect themselves and those they come in contact with against it. Those at high risk of complications and death from the flu should be vaccinated now as we go into the new flu season or it may well be the cause of death of more people in 2010. See the related question below about the high risk groups.
Yes, because the flu changes from year to year and if you don't know if the flu you had was this years or last, why take the risk. Get one every year.
Not necessarily, babies are definatley a risk with swine flu being that their immune system has not fully matured so a flu shot might be an option if you are worried. Old people are also at a risk due to their dying immune system. In teen years you are most likely not going to die because of swine flu due to your strong immune system so they are not at a risk.
People 65 or over are at a higher risk to get the flu, but anyone of any age can be infected by the flu viruses. Infants and young children are also especially vulnerable to the flu since they have immature immune systems. See the related question below about those at higher risk for the flu.
You may get the flu. Next year get the flu vaccination.
To survive what? Getting the swine flu? No, you do not have to be immunized to survive. Most people will survive getting the flu, but older people and really young people are at risk of dying.
The young and old are traditionally most at risk of flu. Every year around 36,000 people in the USA die from "seasonal flu".People with existing medical conditions are at a higher risk due to complications.Finally pregnant women are at an increased risk because pregnancies reduce the body's immune system to help prevent rejection of the developing baby.
If you don't get a flu vaccination, either a shot or nasal mist, then you are putting yourself at an unnecessary health risk. It is proven that the risk of having a problem with the vaccine is so extremely low compared to the risk of catching and getting really sick from the flu (36,000 people a year in the US die from the seasonal flu), that it is ill-advised to avoid vaccination. The numbers speak for themselves. If you wouldn't bet your life in a poker game, you shouldn't gamble with it with serious diseases, either. You not only put yourself in unnecessary danger, you also put loved ones and others to whom you can spread it at the same or higher risk. It is just common sense.