Get your flu shot! Let's All Stay Healthy This Winter!

With the flu season quickly approaching we strongly urge you to get your flu shot to help us stop the spread of this virus.

You can spread the flu 2 days before you start to feel sick and until 5 days after you feel better.  The flu spreads easily through coughing, sneezing and unwashed hands.

The flu is a virus that causes you to have fever, chills, cough, runny eyes, stuffy nose, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, extreme weakness and fatigue.  You can be sick from 2 to 7 days or if you are elderly or have a chronic disease it may last much longer.  The cough and fatigue may last for several weeks. While you are sick with the flu you are more prone to other illnesses.  As the flu is a virus antibiotics will not cure it.

Getting the flu shot may reduce your risk of getting the flu by 70-90%.  As it takes up to 2 weeks after you get your shot for your body to develop protection against the flu sooner is better.  One shot does not give you lifetime immunity as with other shots.  You need to get the flu shot every year.  If you do get the flu after you have the shot it is usually much milder.  The flu shot does not contain live virus so you can not get the flu from the shot.

Ask your doctor about getting your flu shot today or go to one of the many free public flu shot clinics held throughout the community.

Remember to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently.  Ask everyone who comes into your house to wash their hands and remind them not to visit you when they are not feeling well.

Aberdeen Health and Community Services continually strives to improve our culture of safety for our clients, staff and volunteers.  One part of client safety plan is infection control through immunization!