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It’s time to start thinking about your annual influenza vaccine, and about what you can do to keep yourself and your friends and family healthy this coming flu season.
7 Things to Do to Avoid the Flu
Practical steps we can all take to reduce the spread of flu
Flu is nothing to sneeze about
Influenza is not something to take lightly. It can be very serious for some people, including the elderly, children and those with chronic conditions. And even if you don’t get seriously ill, having the flu can put a dent in your normal activities, causing you to feel awful and miss work or school.
Last year, it is estimated that more than 50 million people were infected with influenza in the United States, says Timothy Friel, MD, an infectious diseases specialist and Chief Clinical Officer of Jefferson Health–Lehigh Valley Region. This made last winter one of the country’s worst influenza seasons in the last 25 years.
“Vaccination remains our best strategy to reduce the likelihood of infection and, for those who do become infected, decrease the severity of illness and likelihood of hospitalization. - Timothy Friel, MD
Thankfully, as we approach the onset of another respiratory virus season, there are simple steps we can all take to help prevent the spread of the flu and other common respiratory viruses.
7 things to do to avoid the flu
- The best way to prevent influenza is to get the flu vaccine every year.
- Stay away from people who are sick.
- If you are sick, stay home for at least 24 hours after the resolution of your fever and improvement in your other symptoms.
- Wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer regularly to avoid the spread of germs.
- Avoid touching your eyes and mouth.
- Clean surfaces such as countertops and doorknobs.
- Get plenty of sleep, eat well and drink lots of fluids.
“Vaccination remains our best strategy to reduce the likelihood of infection and, for those who do become infected, decrease the severity of illness and likelihood of hospitalization,” Dr. Friel says.
Sometimes people who are otherwise healthy don’t think they need the flu vaccine, Dr. Friel says. However, anyone can get the flu, and once they have it, they can infect others in their households and communities. Even otherwise healthy individuals can end up with serious complications from influenza.
“Patients with impaired immune systems and those with underlying medical problems like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, kidney disease and chronic lung disease also are at high risk for bad outcomes,” he says.
Other important points to know about the flu
Getting the flu vaccine can:
- Keep you from getting sick with the flu
- Reduce the severity of flu if you are infected
- Protect those around you, including babies, young children, the elderly and those with chronic diseases
When should I be vaccinated?
The best time is by the end of October. However, we continue to encourage vaccination throughout the entire winter season. It’s wise to get the vaccination even before you start hearing about cases of the flu in your community, because it takes a couple of weeks after your vaccination to build up immunity to the flu.
How does the flu vaccine work?
Seasonal flu vaccines cause your body to develop antibodies that protect you against the expected flu viruses each year. Your immunity fades over time, so it needs to be refreshed before every flu season. Also, strains of the flu change, and vaccines are updated to combat new strains that are expected. This year’s vaccines are trivalent, meaning they are made to protect against three expected flu viruses: an A(H1N1) virus, an A(H3N2) virus and a B/Victoria virus. The viruses in flu vaccines are inactive and cannot give you the flu.
What are the possible side effects from a flu vaccine?
Complications from the vaccine are very uncommon. If you have a complication, it will start soon after your vaccine and will usually be mild and not last long. Common complications for the flu shot could include mild headache, fever, muscle aches, nausea, fatigue, and redness, soreness and swelling at the injection site. For the nasal spray vaccine, patients might have runny nose, wheezing, cough, headache, vomiting, muscle aches and low-grade fever.
Where can I get a flu shot?
You can call your primary care clinician to schedule your flu vaccination or visit any ExpressCARE location without an appointment. Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) also operates yearly drive-thru and walk-in flu shot clinics.
