You are especially susceptible for flu complications if you have diabetes or heart, lung, or kidney disease, or if you take medication that suppresses your immune system.
Skipping a flu shot is risky for kids, too. Of the 179 children who died from the flu last season, 80% had not received a flu shot.
Don't worry which flu shot your doctor or drugstore is offering, unless you have a severe allergy to eggs (most vaccines are incubated in eggs). In that case, you can get an egg-free recombinant influenza vaccine called Flublok.
Otherwise, just make sure you get a vaccine from a registered site, and that the product is standard FDA-approved (ask your pharmacist or doctor's office).
In addition:
Don't get the shot when you're sick. Your immune system needs to be in good shape to mount a response to the vaccine.
Remember that it takes two weeks for the flu shot to become effective.
Get the shot earlier rather than later in the flu season (which lasts until May), to give yourself the best chance at protection.
Take basic precautions to avoid getting and spreading the flu, such as washing your hands often (with soap and warm water or hand sanitizer if soap is unavailable), and covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
What's the best way to wash your hands?Killing germs requires more than a five-second routine of soaping up and rinsing off your hands.
Washing your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds (about the time it takes to sing two choruses of "Happy Birthday to You") reduces bacterial counts by about 90%.
Make sure to clean all the surfaces of your hands, including the fronts and backs, fingertips, fingernails, thumbs, and spaces between fingers. Then rinse your hands thoroughly.
But don't make the mistake of not drying your hands properly. Wet hands are more likely to spread germs than dry ones.
In case of illnessSometimes the best attempt at avoiding the flu — even if you get the vaccination — can fall short. The flu is spread from person to person, often when someone with the flu talks, coughs, or sneezes. Droplets with the virus can travel up to six feet. You can also get the flu by touching something that has the virus on it, like a doorknob, and then touching your nose or mouth.
Make sure to watch for flu symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, body aches, sore throat, congestion, and fever.
If you get sick, call your doctor within two days to ask if an antiviral drug will help. The CDC currently recommends several: oseltamivir (Tamiflu), peramivir (Rapivab), and zanamivir (Relenza).
Otherwise, baby yourself: rest, drink plenty of fluids, and stay home. The bug will pass in a week or two.
If it doesn't — or if you notice symptoms such as shortness of breath, a cough with colored sputum, difficulty breathing, or a high fever (103° F) — call your doctor again. Flu can trigger pneumonia and other health complications. Don't try to be a trouper and tough it out.
