Prevention: How to Avoid the Flu

Getting vaccinated is the best way to be protected from the flu. Your doctor's office currently has flu vaccines available. Please call the office to schedule your vaccination.

Who should get a flu shot? Everyone except babies less than six months old. Talk to your doctor before being vaccinated if you have a severe egg allergy or if you've previously had a reaction to flu vaccines.

This year, one vaccination protects against seasonal influenza and H1N1. Most people will only need to get one vaccine; however, some children under the age of nine years may need two doses. Please talk to your doctor to determine if your child needs one or two doses, given at least four weeks apart.

Some common sense approaches to avoiding the flu include:

• Wash your hands well and often, especially after your sneeze or cough. Use plenty of soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner.

• Avoid touching your mouth and nose.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into the bend of your elbow, rather than your hands.

• Clean places where the flu virus may linger, especially in the bath and kitchen, by wiping down surfaces with a disinfectant.