February brings us Valentine’s Day, but it’s also a time when we might get something not so romantic from our loved ones.

The peak of the flu season is here — along with body aches, high fevers, chills, coughing and other unpleasant symptoms — but the good news is there is plenty you can do to protect yourself and your family from dreaded influenza viruses.

Although flu vaccinations don’t provide 100 percent immunity against all strains of influenza, they offer considerable protection, according to Dr. Jennifer Henn, epidemiologist for the Napa County Department of Public Health.

Most local flu shot campaigns are already over for this season, she said, but the county offers the vaccinations through May, which marks the end of the flu season. Henn said getting annual flu shots is particularly crucial for senior citizens, young children, pregnant women, healthcare workers, caregivers and people with chronic health problems.

“The vaccination is safe and effective. It prevents illness in the majority of people vaccinated and reduces the likelihood of severe illness in people who do become infected,” she said.

Rob Veneski, a Kaiser Permanente spokesman, said 11,182 flu shots have been given at Kaiser’s Napa medical offices so far this flu season, compared to last year’s 11,600. While that change might not raise any eyebrows, Kaiser employees are noting an increase in flu cases this year.

“We’re looking at the numbers of individuals affected, impact on inpatient and outpatient services ... that suggests this is probably the worst flu season we’ve had in the last three years,” said Dr. Randy Bergen, of Northern California’s Kaiser Permanente flu task force.

The increase in cases mirrors trends across the nation. In early February, “44 states were reporting widespread influenza activity,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Curtis Allen, a spokesman for the CDC, said although a handful of strains from two influenza families were not present in the most recently administered vaccine, “there is still cross-protection with the vaccine” — partial immunity provided by a similar strain in the serum.

Allen said because new influenza strains are selected for the vaccine each February, they can genetically mutate by the time people receive inoculations several months later. “It takes a number of months to produce the vaccine. ... You forecast what you expect to happen, but there may be shifts in the environment,” he said, adding that the vaccination usually becomes effective 14 days after a shot is administered.  

Dr. Robert Moore, medical director of Clinic Ole, said although getting a flu shot is the most effective way to avoid the illness, there are other preventative measures. He recommended frequent handwashing, avoiding people who are sick and tucking alcohol-based hand gel in children’s backpacks and family vehicles.   

If you become ill in spite of taking preventative measures and aren’t sure whether it’s the flu or a cold, take note of your symptoms. Influenza typically comes on suddenly, Moore said, with more severe symptoms ranging from a high fever and body aches to coughing and chills. In contrast, cold viruses — also known as rhinoviruses — don’t cause such pronounced symptoms, and usually result in a runny nose, cough, watery eyes and a fever, he said.

Although breathing trouble, confusion or a high fever that doesn’t respond to ibuprofen certainly warrants a trip to the doctor’s office, Moore said, recovering from the flu at home is best for otherwise healthy adults. The advice your mother gave you — getting enough rest, drinking lots of fluids, eating nutritious food and staying home from work or school — are tried and true treatments, he said.

Flu shots still available

It is not too late in the season to receive a flu shot. To get yours, check with your doctor or call the Napa County Department of Public Health at 253-4270.