Flu & Flu Shots

Influenza Guidance

Prevention is Key

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. If you are not near water, use an alcohol-based (60-95%) hand cleaner (such as Purell).
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Try not to touch your eyes or nose. Wash hands before and after touching your face.
It is OK to continue to go to go to work or school if you are not sick.
Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, but not with your hands! Cough into your sleeve, shoulder or elbow. Even a bare arm is better than your hands.
If you use a tissue, throw the tissue away immediately after you use it and wash your hands or use alcohol-based hand cleaner.
GET A FLU SHOT WHEN AVAILABLE.

Who should get the vaccine?

Risk Factor	Seasonal Influenza Vaccine
Pregnancy	X
Household Contacts / Caregivers for Children Under 6 Months of Age	X
Healthcare & Emergency Medical Personnel	X
Children Younger Than 6 Months
People Aged 6 Months to 24 Years Old	X
People Aged 25 to 64 With Chronic Health Conditions *	X
Adults 65 Years of Age & Older	X
Residents of Nursing Homes & Other Chronic-Care Facilities	X

* Chronic Health Conditions include chronic lung (including asthma), heart, kidney, liver or blood disorders, metabolic disorders (including diabetes), and impaired immune systems (including those caused by medications or HIV/AIDS).

Common flu symptoms (see Home Care notes):

Fever over 100°F (38°C)
Chills
Headache
Cough
Sore throat
Runny nose
Muscle and/or joint aches
Fatigue
Vomiting and/or diarrhea (possible but less common)

Influenza or "the flu" is characterized by the abrupt onset of fever, headache, sore throat, cough and muscle aches. Unlike other respiratory illnesses, the flu is associated with a striking sense of unwellness accompanied by a loss of appetite and weakness lasting several days.

Worrisome flu symptoms (seek medical care as soon as possible):

Fever over 102°F (39°C) that does not come down below 100°F (38°C) with fever reducing medicine
Severe headache
Stiff neck - unable to touch your chin to your chest
Severe cough not helped by cough medicine
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Rash
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Vomiting that prevents keeping down liquids
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
People with high risk medical or chronic health conditions should seek immediate medical care if they have ANY symptoms of the flu.

Home care if you get the flu:

Stay at home, avoiding work, school, and social gatherings until the fever has been below 100°F (38°C) for 24 hours (without needing fever-reducing medicine to keep the temperature down).
Get plenty of rest.
Avoid alcoholic beverages.
Drink at least 2 quarts each day of liquids such as non-diet 7-UP, Sprite, ginger ale, broth, tea with sugar (yes, soda pop is OK with a cold or flu).
For runny nose and stuffy nose, try an over the counter decongestant.
For cough, try an over the counter cough syrup.
To reduce fever, take ibuprofen or acetaminophen as directed on the bottle. Avoid aspirin.
For vomiting, don't eat or drink anything until you have not vomited for 4 hours, then sip on liquids (see above - avoid plain water as it can make vomiting worse) for 24 hours. If no further vomiting, begin eating mild foods like crackers, toast, mashed potatoes, rice, or apple sauce for 24 hours. Then resume your regular diet.
If you have to go out, wear a surgical mask or try to stay at least six feet from other people.
If your symptoms get worse, seek medical care. Consider phoning your medical provider ahead so that you won’t expose others to your illness. They can help by giving you a mask to wear or by having you wait in a separate area to avoid making others sick.

Items to have on hand for medical, health and emergency supplies in case you want to stay home due to illness or avoid exposure to illness in the public:

Prescription medications: Try to always keep at least 2 week supply on hand. Rotate what you have stored so that the reserve you have on hand is always fresh.
Soap & water, and alcohol-based (60-95%) hand sanitizers (Keep a small container with you or in your car.)
Thermometer
Anti-diarrheal and fever reducing medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen
Cough syrup and decongestant (If you are unsure what medication to take, consult your pharmacist or care provider.)
Water and fruit juices (the flu virus causes dehydration)
Crackers and peanut butter
Easily digested foods like clear broth, chicken noodle soup, apple sauce
Non-perishable foods like cereal, cereal bars, dried fruits etc.
Tissues, toilet paper and such

If you have further questions, please refer to http://www.flu.oregon.gov or http://pandemicflu.gov/index.html.

Contact your health care provider or North Central Public Health District at (541) 506-2600 for seasonal or H1N1 vaccine availability. You can also call 1-800-SAFENET for information.

Top Ten reasons why people don’t get the flu shot

10. I don’t need the flu shot. If I do get the flu, I’ll just take the new flu medication.

The new antiviral medications prescribed for flu do not eliminate flu symptoms. According to the medical literature, they have the ability to reduce the severity of the flu somewhat, and may shorten the duration by only about three days. They will not stop the flu dead in its tracks, like a cough suppressant relieves a cough. Moreover, patients who have taken these medications inappropriately have been known to suffer severe side effects.

9. I’m not in a high-risk group.

You may not be in a high-risk group, but your patients are, and members of your family may be. If you get the flu, you put people around you at high risk for serious illness. You can help ensure that thy stay healthy this winter.

8. If my patients get the flu shot, then I don’t need to.

Can you be sure that they did get a flu shot? What if they didn’t? Remember, even if they did, the vaccine is 70-90% effective. In frail elderly, effectiveness may be as low as 30%. Getting the flu shot will add an extra level of certainty that you will not get the flu, and will not pass it on to your patients and family.

7. The flu shot causes Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

The Gullain-Barré Symdrome (GBS) was associated with the swine flu in 1976 but has not been clearly linked to flu vaccines. The CDC states, however, that “if there is a risk of GBS from current influenza vaccines it is estimated at one or two cases per million persons vaccinated.” So the benefits of getting a flu shot greatly outweigh the risks involved.

6. I got a flu shot last year.

Strains of the flu virus change every year, and new vaccines are produced to counter them as soon as they are identified. In addition, the vaccine loses its potency after a year. So, the shot you had last year will not be effective against this year’s virus.

5. I will get sick from the flu shot.

There’s no live virus in the vaccines, so you can’t get the flu from the shot. You night get a low-grade fever and muscle aches that last about a day or two. Remember, the vaccines can take up to two weeks to become completely effective, so you could still get the flu during these two weeks. If you get the flu after this period, you may experience milder symptoms that if you had not had the immunization.

4. The flu can’t be all that bad. After all, it’s just a really bad cold.

The flu can be very serious. Approximately 40,000 people die from the flu and flu-related complications in the United States each year. Ninety-five percent of these deaths occur in individuals age 65 and older. The flu shot protects you, and it will help keep you from spreading it to individuals in the vulnerable age category

3. My doctor didn’t recommend it.

All major health organizations and the CDC recommend that all individuals working in the health care environment have an annual flu shot.

2. I’m healthy and never get the flu.

Absolutely anyone can get the flu. Why chance it?

1. I already had the flu!

Are you sure you didn’t have a bad cold? The flu will keep you in bed with a sudden onset of high fever, severe body aches, backaches and headaches for days or even weeks. It will keep you from working and carrying out daily activities.

Clinic Schedule

North Central Public Health District Clinic Information

Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (Closed for Lunch: Noon to 1:00 PM)

Location: 419 East 7th Street, The Dalles, OR

Phone: (541) 506-2600

Remember: Protect yourself and those you care for, get the vaccine, not the flu.

Questions? Call the Oregon State H1N1 Hotline at 1 (800) 978-3040 or visit www.flu.oregon.gov.