Don't take chances: get a flu shot

  • Published
  • By Shari Lopatin
  • TriWest Healthcare Alliance
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  If nine out of 10 people who played the lottery actually won, who wouldn't want to give it a try?

When it comes to flu shots, it's the same odds. Nine out of 10 healthy people who get a seasonal flu shot don't get the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With flu season right around the corner, trying that "lottery" could keep you from getting sick. Seasonal flu vaccinations are available as a shot or nasal spray.

The flu shot this year, according to the CDC, will protect against three most common forms of the flu, including the headline-hogging H1N1 virus from last year.

CDC recommendations for flu shots

Everyone, 6 months or older, should receive the flu shot the moment it's available, as recommended by the CDC. Additionally, receiving a flu shot is especially important for certain high-risk groups to decrease their risk for severe flu illness. These groups are:

- Young children
- Pregnant women
- People with chronic health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease
- People 65 years and older
- Health care workers
- Caretakers who live with people at high risk (such as those listed above)

Prevention methods to stifle the flow of flu

One of the best methods to prevent the spread of the flu is adequate hand-washing. Individuals should wash their hands often with soap and water, properly scrubbing their hands together. A quick, fast rinse will not do the trick. Additionally covering one's nose and mouth with a tissue when sneezing or coughing, then throwing the tissue away will help keep others from getting sick.

A few other tips from the CDC are:

- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
- Avoid close contact with sick people
- If sick, remain home for at least 24 hours after the fever has stopped except to receive medical care
- If sick, limit contact with others as much as possible