Influenza, otherwise known as the flu, is one of the more commonly known diseases around, and one that most people have at least some experience with. It is spread primarily through coughing and sneezing, as well as causing muscle pains, headaches, and many other unpleasant symptoms.
Although on average the flu causes the deaths of 250,000 to 500,000 people around the world per year, the death rate in the United States is relatively small, ranging somewhere between 3,000 and 49,000 depending on the year. This can be largely attributed to the availability of flu vaccinations in the U.S. and other developed countries. Such vaccines are given to people, as well as to poultry that might spread the disease on farms. Most commonly, people receive the rivalent influenza vaccine, which contains inactive and non-dangerous strains of the virus, allowing our bodies to build up immunity while having no risk of transmitting the disease to others. Vaccines are good for one year, at which point a new vaccine must be taken in order to build immunity again. These vaccines do not make anyone completely immune, as they simply cannot contain all the flu virus strains that might be affecting people around the world in a given year, but they significantly reduce the risk that one will come down with the flu. Though a good idea for anyone to take, flu vaccines are especially recommended for various high-risk groups, including children and the elderly, as well as people with certain conditions such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes.
If one does come down with the flu, it is best to drink lots of fluids and get a lot of rest. Although certain medications, such as paracetamol, can help relieve the symptoms of the flu, antibiotics will have no effect on the virus outside of secondary infections related to it, as antibiotics are ineffective against viruses. Whether you want to prevent or treat flu symptoms, make sure to speak with a doctor to figure out what works best for you.