How to prevent flu with the history of diabetes

[Trina]

Hello, my aunt is a 58-year-old. She says her diabetes mellitus (DM) is controlled well with medication and lifestyle modifications. She states that because it is September, she is concerned about getting the flu. She had it last year and could not get out of bed for a week. Her friend recommended that she should get some special vitamins that prevent the flu. She has never had the flu shot and is not against it. She has no allergies to foods or medications. Please help me with some fruitful suggestion.

[Analava]

@Trina Currently, no vitamins on the market are associated with good data suggesting they can prevent influenza. The most effective way to prevent it is to get the influenza vaccination each year. Patients with DM are at higher risk for complications related to influenza, so she should definitely get a flu vaccination every year. Because she has DM, she would not be a candidate for intranasal influenza vaccination. Therefore, she should get the intradermal or intramuscular injection. She should be informed that influenza is associated with complications that can result in significant morbidity and mortality. Although she could not get out of bed when she last had the flu, she was relatively lucky not to be hospitalized for secondary complications. The most frequent complication of influenza is pneumonia, which can lead to hospitalization. Influenza can exacerbate DM, and the risk for complications, hospitalization, or death from influenza is usually higher in patients with underlying medical conditions.