Prevention
Get an annual flu vaccination. The best time to be vaccinated is October or November. This allows your body time to develop antibodies to the flu virus before peak flu season, which in the Northern Hemisphere is usually December through March. However, getting a flu shot later in the flu season may still protect you. It takes up to two weeks to build immunity following a flu shot.
Keep in mind that the flu vaccine doesn't offer complete protection, especially for older adults, but it can reduce the risk and severity of illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), when the match between flu vaccine and circulating strains of flu virus is close, a flu shot is between 70 and 90 percent effective in warding off illness in healthy people under age 65. It is less effective in older adults. Health experts recommend vaccinations for people over 50 because the flu shot may reduce the risk of flu-related complications, hospitalizations and deaths.
Healthy people ages 2 to 49 alternatively may receive the flu vaccine via a nasal spray called FluMist. It protects against the same strains of influenza that the flu shot does. Like the flu shot, FluMist is given every year. Because FluMist contains live, but weakened, flu viruses, it shouldn't be given to pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems and those with chronic illnesses. A study published in 2006 found that FluMist was only between 30 and 57 percent effective in preventing the flu in adults. However, another study in 2006 found that giving nasal spray vaccine to school-age children helped to reduce the spread of flu in the community. And in 2007, researchers compared the effectiveness of FluMist with the flu shot in children ages 6 months to 5 years. The children treated with FluMist experienced about half as many cases of flu as did those treated with the shot. However, FluMist increases the risk of wheezing in this age group — especially in those who already have asthma or recurrent wheezing and in all children under age 2. In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) therefore approved FluMist for children older than 2 years who don't have asthma or recurrent wheezing. Consult with your doctor about which form of vaccination may be best for you or your child.
You can get the flu vaccine from your doctor, at public health centers and many pharmacies. In some areas, flu vaccines are also available at senior or community centers and at supermarkets.
Wash your hands. Thorough and frequent hand washing is the best way to prevent many common infections. Scrub your hands vigorously for at least 15 seconds, rinse well and turn off the faucet with a paper towel. Or use an alcohol-based hand gel containing at least 60 percent alcohol.
Eat right, sleep tight. A poor diet and poor sleep both lower your immunity and make you more vulnerable to infections. A balanced diet that emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and small amounts of lean protein works best for most people. On the other hand, the amount of sleep needed for a healthy immune system varies from person to person. In general, adults seem to do best on seven to eight hours of sleep a night. Older children and teens need more rest — between nine and 10 hours every night.
Exercise regularly. Regular cardiovascular exercise — walking, biking, aerobics — boosts your immune system. Exercise won't prevent infection, but if you do come down with the flu, you may have less severe symptoms and recover more quickly than do people who aren't as fit.
Avoid crowds during flu season. Flu spreads easily wherever people congregate — in child care centers, schools, office buildings, auditoriums and public transportation. By avoiding crowds whenever possible during peak flu season, you reduce your chances of infection.
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