It seems that you don’t have to look far to find a friend or family member who is sick with the flu. The flu is a serious contagious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death in some cases. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges you to take the following actions to protect yourself and others from influenza (the flu):
1) Take time to get a flu vaccine. CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses. While there are many different flu viruses, a flu vaccine protects against the three viruses that research suggests will be most common. Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine as soon as the current season’s vaccines are available.
Vaccination of high risk persons is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness. People at high risk of serious flu complications include young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease and people 65 years and older.