Much Ado About the Flu
Posted by Danielle Bean in Health on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 10:00 AM
Last year, in the midst of the swine flu frenzy we talked about flu shots and faith.
This year, though there seems to be less of a general panic about getting everyone vaccinated against this year’s flu virus, the shots are still on my mind. I was happy to get myself and all of the kids vaccinated at a local drug store last week.
According to Flu.gov, this year’s flu vaccine “protects against an influenza A H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus and the 2009 H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season.”
Whether you choose to vaccinate against the flu or not, as we head into sickness season, I think we can all use the common sense reminders of illness prevention available at Flu.gov:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. You can also use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- Stay home if you are sick until at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (100°F or 37.8°C) or signs of a fever (without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol).
- While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
To these, our family adds liberal use of hand sanitizer and an emphasis on healthy eating and vitamin supplements.
What about you? Do you plan to get the flu shot this year? And in what ways do you prevent illness during flu season?
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