Roll up your sleeves to avoid the flu

SUNDAY, Oct. 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) – With the flu season imminent, do not wait too long for a flu shot, a health expert advises.

"The best way to avoid the flu is to get vaccinated," said Cindy Weston, an assistant professor at Texas A & M College of Nursing.

"With regard to the health of your family and that of your family, it is best to adopt the cautious approach and try your luck," she added in a press release.

The flu season usually lasts from the fall to the spring, said Weston. The epidemic may peak at different times in these seasons, but people need to be vaccinated before the holidays to avoid widespread infection, she noted.

According to one expert, being vaccinated against influenza is a minor disadvantage compared to the risks of influenza. Every year, the flu causes millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you do not want to protect yourself from the flu, think of others. Children younger than 6 months are too young to receive the flu vaccine, either in the form of fog or by injection, and other people may be severely allergic to influenza vaccine or to any of its ingredients.

"These people depend on all the others who get vaccinated to stay at low risk of getting the flu," said Weston.

If you do not like needles, do not worry. After being unavailable for the past two seasons, the FluMist nasal spray vaccine is again an option for most people aged 2 to 49 years.

This is the perfect time to get vaccinated against the flu.

"It takes two weeks after immunization to develop appropriate antibodies in the body," said Weston. "Coverage is the strongest in about six months, and it will help your safety and that of your community."

You can do several things to reduce the spread of the flu.

"It's very important to practice good hygiene," said Weston. "Washing your hands properly, covering your cough, avoiding contact with your face and eyes and cleaning the surfaces with a disinfectant are all ways to help stop the spread of the flu."

More information

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are more focused on preventing influenza.