With plenty of sniffles, sneezes, and coughs abound, Starke County Health Nurse Frank Lynch wants to remind everyone that the flu vaccine is still available for adults and kids. The peak of the flu season in February and March is still on its way, but so far, cases of the flu have been down since the last flu season. The H1N1 virus isn’t any worse than last season as well, but we’re not out of the woods yet.
Lynch explains that getting the flu vaccine isn’t the only step to avoiding getting sick this season– as always, keeping those hands clean is vital.
“Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands,” said Lynch. “Cover your coughs and sneezes; it’s better to cough in your sleeve as opposed to in your hand, that way you’re not spreading the germs as bad.”
Lynch also explained that the number of flu cases could be lower this year because the vaccine distributed this year is very similar to last year’s, so many people still have a resistance to this year’s common strains of the flu virus.
Lynch stresses the fact that washing your hands is the best thing anyone can do as far as disease prevention.
“That’s the big one with any disease process as far as spreading them around. It’s just good hand hygiene. Everybody touches their nose or touches their eye or coughs in their hand and then they pass it along to whatever they touch next.”
Flu vaccines are still available for children and adults, and with the height of the flu season still on its way, it’s a wise investment for good health. The vaccine is $20 for adults and $2 for children and is available at the Health Department.
