It’s that time of year, flu season. It’s time to make sure you are taking your vitamins washing your hands and most importantly that you get a flu vaccine. Last year we wrote about the H1N1 virus on our blog, this year we are going to address the flu vaccine. To help businesses, employers, and their employees learn about these strategies for preventing flu, CDC provides a toolkit, flyers, posters, and other materials to post and distribute in the workplace, you can find this information at CDC.

According to CDC it’s recommended that you to take the following actions to protect yourself and others from influenza (the flu):

Take the time to get a flu vaccine

1. CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses.
2. While there are many different flu viruses, the flu vaccine protects against the three viruses that research suggests will be most common.
3. The 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against an influenza A H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus and the 2009 H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season.
4. Everyone 6 months of age and older should get vaccinated against the flu as soon as the 2010-2011 season vaccine is available.
5. 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.
6. Vaccination of high risk persons is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness.
7. Vaccination also is important for health care workers, and other people who live with or care for high risk people to keep from spreading flu to high risk people.
8. Children younger than 6 months are at high risk of serious flu illness, but are too young to be vaccinated. People who care for them should be vaccinated instead.

Take time every day to stop the spread of fly germs

1. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
2. Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.*
3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
4. Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
5. If you are sick with flu–like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
6. While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.

If you do get the flu here are some of the symptoms to be aware of. People who have the flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:

1. fever* or feeling feverish/chills
2. cough
3. sore throat
4. runny or stuffy nose
5. muscle or body aches
6. headaches
7. fatigue (very tired)
8. Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

*It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.

As an employer you should make sure that your employees are aware of the flu vaccine and the importance of protecting themselves and others during the flu season.