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With flu season approaching, the Southern Nevada
Health District is on a mission to arm people with the
information – and inoculation – they need to fight
the flu.
Health district officials advise that the path to
resistance begins with “seasonal flu duty,” which
means taking key steps to prevent illness before it
strikes, including:
-
Getting
vaccinated – Flu shots are strongly recommended
for people at increased risk. This includes children
6 months to 5 years old, pregnant women, people over
50, people with chronic medical conditions and their
household contacts or caregivers, and healthcare
workers.
-
Washing your
hands often with warm soap and water for at least 30
seconds, especially after coughing or sneezing.
-
Using an
alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are
not available.
-
Avoiding
touching your eyes, nose and mouth as they are entry
points for germs.
-
Coughing and
sneezing into a sleeve or tissue.
-
Eating right,
drinking plenty of fluids and getting enough sleep.
“One
in five people will get the flu this year, which causes
more than 30,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations in
the
United States
annually. By taking these simple steps, people are
less likely to get sick,” said Dr. Lawrence Sands, the
health district’s chief health officer.
“Influenza is a serious respiratory illness that can
result in potentially life-threatening complications for
certain people.”
The
health district advises people who are sick to plan a
“sick out” from school and work.
“If
people do get sick, they should not go to work or
school. It is important to know that when
you are ill with the flu, the best medicine is to stay
home and to rest. This is essential to recuperate
from the illness and keep it from spreading to other
people,” said Sands.
If a person is
experiencing flu symptoms such as body aches, fever,
cough, sore throat and runny nose, the health district
advises people to:
-
Stay home to
prevent spreading illness.
-
Get plenty of
rest and drink a lot of fluids.
-
See your
doctor if you are concerned about your illness,
especially if you are at high risk for complications
from the flu.
-
Know that
antibiotics are not effective against the flu.
The
health district encourages families and businesses to
develop public health emergency preparedness plans that
can be implemented for situations such as an influenza
pandemic. It
is recommended that a family emergency preparedness kit
includes enough supplies to sustain everyone, including
pets, for up to three weeks.
The kit should contain non-perishable food, one
gallon of water per person per day, medications,
toiletries and cash.
To help
spread its “fight the flu” message, the health
district has launched a new advertising and public
outreach campaign. The ad campaign, which is funded by
federal grant money, features a doctor, portrayed by a
sock puppet, educating a diverse group of sock puppets
about flu prevention in a “town-hall” style meeting.
The health district hopes that this unique approach will
grab the attention of parents and children alike and
encourage them to take a few simple steps to prevent
spreading the flu. In addition, the Southern Nevada
Health District is reaching out to community
organizations, schools, large employers and others to
help
Clark
County
residents “fight the flu.”
The
Southern Nevada Health District expects flu shots to be
available in mid to late October. For more information
about influenza, flu prevention, or flu shots visit www.FluRevolution.com
or www.SouthernNevadaHealthDistrict.org.
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