Tips for Flu Prevention
Wash your hands frequently with warm soapy water.
- Clean surfaces with a disinfectant.
- If you cannot wash your hands, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer for quick clean up.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Try to avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Cover your nose and mouth while coughing or sneezing using the crook of your elbow or a facial tissue to help cover these areas, rather than your hands.
If you do become sick, stay home. This helps prevent the infection from spreading to other people.
Each year the contagious respiratory disease affects thousands of people with symptoms such as fever, chills, sore muscles, and cough. People each year die of influenza or its complications – mostly the very young and the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.
Who Should Get Vaccinated?
The flu shot is encouraged for:
- People who have in-home contact with infants who are younger than 6 months old
- People who provide essential community services
- People living in dormitories or other crowded conditions
- Anyone who wants to reduce their chance of getting influenza
- Are 50 or older Have chronic lung or heart disease
- Have sickle cell anemia and other hemoglobinopathies
- Live in a nursing home or extended care facilities
- Live in any type of housing where there are chronic health problems
- Have kidney disease, anemia, severe asthma, diabetes, or chronic liver disease
- Have a weakened immune system (including those with cancer or HIV/AIDS)
- Receive long-term treatment with steroids for any condition
- Expect to be past the 3rd month of pregnancy during the flu season (you may want to consider requesting the mercury-free flu vaccine)
Children and teenagers receiving long-term aspirin therapy and children between the age of 6 months and 2 years should also receive a flu shot each year. Mercury-free vaccines are preferred in younger children.
Who Should Not Get Vaccinated?
According to the CDC, some people should not be vaccinated without first talking to a doctor. In general, you should not get a flu shot if you:
- Had a severe allergic reaction to chickens or egg protein
- Have a fever or illness that is more than "just a cold"
- Had a moderate to severe reaction after a previous flu vaccine
- Are a woman who is, or might be, in the first trimester of pregnancy (first 3 months of pregnancy)
- Have ever been paralyzed due to Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Check with your physicians if the flu shot is right for you.
Information taken from the CDC website. www.cdc.gov
