2010-2011 Influenza Season- Flu Vaccine is available please contact your clinic to see about getting vaccinated!

The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get vaccinated each year, but good health habits like covering your cough and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu. How do I know if I have the flu?Your respiratory illness might be the flu if you have fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea. People may be infected with the flu and have respiratory symptoms without a fever. Flu viruses usually cause the most illness during the colder months of the year. However, influenza can also occur outside of the typical flu season. In addition, other viruses can also cause respiratory illness similar to the flu. So, it is impossible to tell for sure if you have the flu based on symptoms alone. If your doctor needs to know for sure whether you have the flu, there are laboratory tests that can be done.

·         CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses.   

·         While there are many different flu viruses, the flu vaccine protects against the three viruses that research suggests will be most common.

·         The 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against an influenza A H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus and the 2009 H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season.

·         Everyone 6 months of age and older should get vaccinated against the flu as soon as the 2010-2011 season vaccine is available.

·         People at high risk of serious flu complications include young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease and people 65 years and older.

·         Vaccination of high risk persons is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness.   

·         Vaccination also is important for health care workers, and other people who live with or care for high risk people to keep from spreading flu to high risk people.

·         Children younger than 6 months are at high risk of serious flu illness, but are too young to be vaccinated.   People who care for them should be vaccinated instead.

Things you can do to minize your risk: 

1. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
2. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
3. Stay home when you are sick.If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
4. Cover your mouth and nose.Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.Clean your hands.
5. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
6. Practice other good health habits.Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.