Avoiding H1N1

HIN recommends following safe and healthy hygiene practices and careful planning/preparation. The CDC recommends taking these steps:

Take common-sense steps to limit the spread of germs. Make good hygiene a habit.

• Wash hands frequently with soap and water.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Put used tissues in a wastebasket.
• Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve if you don’t have a tissue.
• Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing. Use soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
• Stay at home if you are sick.

It is always a good idea to practice good health habits.

• Eat a balanced diet. Be sure to eat a variety of foods, including plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grain products. Also include low-fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry, fish, and beans. Drink lots of water and go easy on salt, sugar, alcohol, and saturated fat.
• Exercise on a regular basis and get plenty of rest.

Because the current H1N1 swine flu is a new type of flu you will not have any protection from a seasonal flu shot or from having had the flu before.  And because we have not experienced this particular flu strain, there is no way to predict how severe or virulent the flu will be.

Q:Will the seasonal flu shot protect me against pandemic influenza?

A: No, it won’t protect you against pandemic influenza. But flu shots can help you to stay healthy.

• Get a flu shot to help protect yourself from seasonal flu.
• Get a pneumonia shot to prevent secondary infection if you are over the age of 65 or have a chronic illness such as diabetes or asthma. For specific guidelines, talk to your health care provider or call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hotline at 1-800-232-4636.
• Make sure that your family’s immunizations are up-to-date.