Healthy Trucking

The long-term benefits of annual flu shots

For the past 10 years, after nearly dying of the flu, I have not missed a flu shot. I noticed that after a few years of not missing a shot I did not get colds during the winter months. These colds were viral and consisted of nasal congestion, cough and a morning sore throat that cleared after standing. It dawned on me that maybe the flu shot was having crossover coverage for mi-nor viral infections such as the common cold. As any good physician would, I looked to medical literature for confirmation of my idea. None was to be found. So I just kept getting my shot and telling my patients what I suspected.
     On a recent search to find why I had not had a cold in the past 10 years, I discovered a ray of hope in an article in the Archives of Internal Medicine, October 2006. Dr.Bettie Voordouw of the Hague, Netherlands, published what I consider to be the tip of the iceberg. Dr. Voordouw found that people who took a yearly flu shot had a reduction in lower respiratory infections.
     This means bronchitis and pneumonia and, if you ask me, colds, since I always used to get bad bronchitis following the virus.
     The bad news is that if you have a chronic respiratory disease such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis, there was no reduction in lower respiratory infections, according to Dr. Voordouw. This study is directed at the elderly with an average age of 73. I was much younger when I decided that there has got to be some boost to my immune system.
     I’ve contacted a couple of doctors for feedback, and I hope to hear from over-the-road professionals as well. Who knows, may-be we can get drivers to take the flu shot on a yearly basis. I’ll even contact Dr. Voordouw so she can chime in on the debate.
     I do know one thing: drivers need to take the shot. The excuse that “it gives me the flu” is just not true. With the shot, if you are a first time taker or infrequent taker, you may get aches and stiffness, but that’s usually the extent of the side effects.
     After giving 1,500 shots to drivers at truck stops in Knoxville, TN and West Memphis, AR, I can say this: We need to keep giving flu shots until the drivers say, “You know, I don’t get those pesky colds since I started taking my flu shot every year.”
     I ask you Kings of the Highways and Queens of the Interstate to stay safe. We need you out there, and we need you healthy.
     Dr. John McElligott is the founder of Professional Drivers Medical Depots (pd-md.com), a planned nationwide network of medical clinics located at truck stops and travel centers.