No one wants to be sick during the holidays!
Your First Lines of Defense
Keep yourself and your loved ones healthy this holiday season by taking simple steps to protect yourself against the flu. December highlights both National Influenza Vaccination Week and National Handwashing Awareness Week, which are great reminders that two of the best ways to fight off illness are in your hands. Be sure to consistently wash your hands with soap and water and get your annual flu vaccine, if you have not done so already.
The flu can be a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone six months and older receive an influenza vaccine each year, as it can reduce your risk of flu and its potentially serious complications. It can also reduce the severity of your illness if you do get sick.
Viruses that cause colds and flu most often are transmitted on the hands and can survive on hard surfaces for 24 – 48 hours. Fortunately, something as simple as soap and water can be your weapon against the flu and colds. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined antibacterial hand washes are not any more effective than plain soap. The benefits are in the frequency and technique of hand washing.
According to the experts at the CDC, you should:
- First, wet your hands with cool or warm water.
- Apply a generous amount of soap and rub your hands together to make a lather.
- Lather every part of your hands including the backs, palms, fingers and areas underneath your fingernails.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. A simple way to time yourself is to sing the entire Happy Birthday song to yourself twice. If you’re in a public bathroom, it’s probably a good idea to do this inside your head.
- Rinse your hands thoroughly under clean, running water, and dry them completely.
- Use a paper towel to avoid touching the germ-laden door handle as you exit.
The flu vaccine and proper hand washing are simple preventative actions that can do a lot to help slow the spread of the influenza virus. If you still need to get your annual flu shot, it is not too late – schedule an appointment with your primary care physician today!
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