Guidance for the Flu Season

GENERAL GUIDANCE DURING THE FLU SEASON (BOTH SEASONAL AND H1N1)

How do you know if you are experiencing flu? Symptoms include fever with cough or sore throat, some people may have diarrhea as well.

• HANDWASHING!! Wash hands with clean warm running water and antibacterial liquid soap. Rub hands for 20 seconds or 2 verses of happy birthday. Dry hands using paper towels and discard. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol based hand sanitizer.

• Cover your cough. Use Kleenex and discard in a waste receptacle or “catch your cough” in the upper part of you arm.

• Persons with chronic medical illness should avoid crowds. They should also contact their health care provider by phone if symptoms develop.

• Clean high touch work spaces at home, work or other environments in which you spend time with chlorox wipes daily.

• If ill with flu-like symptoms, call your care provider before going in to their office.

• If you have flu don’t leave home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without fever reducing medicines.

• If caring for a person with flu you may want to wear a paper mask.

• During flu season you may want to have light or clear soups on hand, juices, non-caffeinated sodas and over the counter medications like Tylenol and Pepto- Bismol. Your provider may order these or other medications.

VACCINATION
• It is important for to get your seasonal flu shot early this year.
Vaccine for H1N1 is initially in short supply. At present it is thought it will be available in early October. Target groups (based on experience with this strain of flu in Spring, are as follows: pregnant women, household contacts and caregivers of children under 6 months, health care workers and emergency services personnel with direct contact with patients and bodily fluids, children and young adults age 6 months to 24 years, people aged 25 to 64 with underlying medical conditions.

• The rest of the population will be eligible when sufficient vaccine becomes available. Currently this is anticipated for early December.

• The H1N1 vaccine may require 2 shots, 3 weeks apart, although current trials indicate good immunity with one.

• PLEASE NOTE THAT INFORMATION ALMOST CHANGES DAILY, SO STAY TUNED! As new information is available it will be posted on the Parish Nurse blog