Health Topics
Flu Season 2009 – What You Need To Know
Bonnie Shniderson loves the fall for the foliage, but there's one thing the 37-year-old mother of two doesn't like about this time of year -- it's flu season.
“I’m not generally a worry wart, but I feel there’s a lot of hype around the flu this year,” says Shniderson. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there. Parents talk and they don’t always know what they’re talking about. I look to my pediatrician for the facts.”
Separating fact from fiction is crucial to protecting yourself and your family from influenza. So read on and find out what you need to know to stay healthy this flu season.
Stay Informed
Information is changing rapidly, so it’s important to continually check for the latest updates from a reliable source. You can find accurate, updated information on both seasonal flu and H1N1 here.
Don’t Skip Your Seasonal Flu Vaccine
The H1N1 vaccine will not protect you from seasonal influenza and the seasonal flu vaccine will not protect you from H1N1, so it’s important to get both vaccines when they become available to you. But be aware, due to this year’s high demand, many doctors offices and hospitals are running low on seasonal flu vaccine.
Clean Your Hands – Don’t Touch Your Face
The best way to protect yourself from any form of influenza is to wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face, mouth or nose as much as possible.
“Influenza is spread through infected respiratory droplets,” says Dr. Michael Wong, researcher and infectious disease expert at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “When we cough or sneeze or do anything that can cause droplets, the flu can spread. And the flu virus can survive on surfaces for hours. So, if we're within 3-6 feet of someone with the flu or touch a surface on which his or her droplets have landed and then touch our face, we can become infected.”
Dr. Wong recommends using waterless hand sanitizer and sneezing or coughing into a tissue or into the crook of your elbow – not your hands. If you do sneeze or cough into your hands, wash them immediately.
Know the Symptoms
Symptoms of both seasonal flu and H1N1 include:
PLUS
Other symptoms may include:
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Muscle aches
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
If You’re Sick – Stay Home
Most importantly, if you’re feeling ill, stay home. Don’t go to work or school or anyplace where you may infect others. Bonnie Shniderson says she’s worried people will ignore that warning.
“I am concerned because I think a lot of kids won’t stay home and so I think it will spread as quickly as medical professionals say it will. Parents are under pressure not to miss work and some kids don’t want to miss school,” she laments.
So Shniderson is being proactive. She made sure her sons’ classrooms provide waterless hand sanitizer and taught them to sneeze or cough into their elbow - “Superman Style” as she calls it. The boys have already received their seasonal flu vaccine and when the H1N1 vaccine is available, she’ll make sure they get that too.
“I will vaccinate my children,” stresses Shniderson. “And like all parenting, I’ll deal with whatever comes.”
