Take your best shot at being Flu Free this winter!

When the flu sets in, it can send you to bed for weeks. You will probably have a fever, chills, a pounding headache and achy muscles. For some people however, the flu can mean a more serious illness or hospitalization.

With the flu season rapidly approaching, this is a good time to talk to your doctor about getting a flu shot. This is especially important if you are in a high-risk category:

• Adults and children with chronic medical conditions, including heart, lung or kidney disease, diabetes, asthma or anemia
• Adults and children with weakened immune systems caused by HIV or medications
• Adults and children with a condition that makes it hard to breathe or swallow, such as a brain injury or disease, a spinal cord injury, a seizure disorder, or other nerve or muscle disorder
• Women who will be pregnant during the flu season
• Children and adolescents six months to 18 years of age who are on long-term aspirin therapy
• People 65 years of age or older (even if in good health)
• Those living in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities
• Children six to 23 months of age

The following people should also receive their flu shot in October.

• Household members and health care providers who could transmit the flu to high-risk people;
• Adults 50 years of age and older
• Children 24 to 59 months of age
• Close contacts and out-of-home caregivers of newborns and children to 59 months of age
• Anyone wishing to reduce their chance of catching the flu

Being in a high risk category means you can get complications if you have the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people ‘at risk’ for complications get a flu shot every year, preferably in October.

Those who are not considered high risk can get their flu shot beginning in October as well, but even December is not too late.

When talking to your doctor, ask if you need a pneumonia shot too. Both vaccines can be given at the same time. The CDC recommends the pneumonia shot for:

• Adults 65 years of age and older
• People with chronic medical conditions

Remember – you can’t get the flu from the flu shot.

 

To help prevent getting or spreading the flu, follow these simple tips:

• Get plenty of sleep, be physically active and don’t forget to eat your fruits and vegetables. Good habits will help you stay healthy.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. If you are sick, keep your distance from others.
• Stay home when sick. You will help protect others from catching your illness.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
• Wash your hands often to protect yourself and others from germs. Scrub your hands with soapy water for 20 seconds – the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are spread when people come in contact with contaminated objects and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth.

If you get the flu, remember that it is a viral infection. That means that antibiotics won’t work!

 

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

For more information, visit the CDC’s Web site at www.cdc.gov or MyHealth@Anthem SM on Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Web site at anthem.com.