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Flu
Vaccine
The Essex Health
Department works with the Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley to
assure that Essex residents have access to flu vaccine. See 2006
Flu Clinics Schedule (PDF).
Preventing
the Flu and other Respiratory Illnesses
What you can
do to protect yourself and others
There are several steps you can take to help you avoid getting the
flu and other respiratory illnesses. These simple steps will help
prevent the spread of influenza, as well as other serious respiratory
diseases:
Be alert
for symptoms of the flu.
- Symptoms
can include fever, chills, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough,
sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and muscle aches
- These symptoms
tend to come on very suddenly.
- Symptoms
usually last at least three days, sometimes longer.
- Flu symptoms
do not typically include vomiting, diarrhea, or muscle cramps.
Flu is a respiratory disease, not a gastrointestinal disease.
There is no such thing as "stomach flu."
- " Stay
at home from school or work if you have a respiratory infection.
Avoid exposing yourself to others who are sick with a flu-like
illness.
- Cover
Your Cough...Stop
the spread of germs that make you and others sick!
- Cover your
nose and mouth with a tissue whenever you cough or sneeze; then
throw the tissue away.
- If you don't
have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your sleeve.
- Clean your
hands often - with soap and water, or with an alcohol-based, waterless
hand sanitizer.
- If you have
an infant, don't expose him or her unnecessarily to large crowds
when influenza is in your community. And avoid close contact (holding,
kissing) of the baby with family members who may have influenza
(fever, muscle aches, runny nose, cough) or other respiratory
tract infections.
- Do not share
anything that goes into the mouth, such as drinking cups and straws.
- Frequently
clean commonly touched surfaces (doorknobs, refrigerator handle,
phone, water faucets) if someone in the house has a cold or flu.
- Do not smoke
around children.
Parents and
Educators
Educators, staff, and parents can help slow the spread of colds
and flu by using the materials and links below. Always remind students
to:
- cough or
sneeze into a tissue and throw it away;
- cover up
with a sleeve if you don't have a tissue, and
- clean hands
often
Helpful links
and downloadable information for parents and educators:
Schools, Childcare
Providers, and Parents www.cdc.gov/flu/school/index.htm
Stop the spread of Germs www.cdc.gov/germstopper
Other Key
Facts About the Flu
What is the
Flu?
Influenza ("flu") is a serious disease. It is caused by
a virus that spreads from infected persons to the nose or throat
of others. Anyone can get influenza. Most people are ill with influenza
for only a few days, but some get much sicker and may need to be
hospitalized. Influenza causes thousands of deaths each year, mostly
among the elderly. Getting your flu shot can help save your life.
Symptoms
of the Flu include:
Influenza, also
known as the flu, is a contagious disease that is caused by the
influenza virus. It attacks the respiratory tract in humans (nose,
throat, and lungs). The flu is different from a cold. Influenza
usually comes on suddenly and may include these symptoms:
- Severe (usually
high) fever
- Headache
- Tiredness
(can be extreme)
- Dry cough
- Sore throat
- Nasal congestion
- Body aches
If you get
the Flu, you should remember the following:
If you develop
the flu, it is advisable to get plenty of rest, drink a lot of
liquids, and avoid using alcohol and tobacco. Also, you can take
medications to relieve the symptoms of flu (but never give aspirin
to children or teenagers who have flu-like symptoms-and particularly
fever-without first speaking to your doctor.)
If, however,
your flu symptoms are unusually severe (for example, if you are
having trouble breathing), you should consult your health care
provider right away.
If you are
at risk from complications of the flu, you should consult your
health care provider when your flu symptoms begin. This includes
people 65 years or older, people with chronic medical conditions,
pregnant women, or children. Your doctor may choose to use
certain antiviral drugs to treat the flu.
For more Flu
and Other Respiratory Illnesses Related Information, you can visit
the following sites:
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