Suggestions If You Are Not Able to Get a Flu Shot

You could consider the FluMist (Live Intranasal Vaccine). VNS currently has a limited supply for healthy individuals 5 – 49 years of age. This year FluMist will be available at all clinics. The cost per dose is $35.

Also, VNS would like to offer the following suggestions to help you stay healthy this fall and winter.

• Wash your hands frequently.
• To prevent the spread of ALL respiratory infections, including influenza, good respiratory hygiene is important. Coughing or sneezing and unclean hands spread serious respiratory illnesses like influenza. To help stop the spread of germs, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. Put your used tissue in the wastebasket.
• To clean your hands after coughing or sneezing, wash with soap and water, or clean with alcohol-based hand cleaner.
• Carry alcohol-based hand sanitizer with you and utilize it when regular hand washing is not an option.
• FluMist, the intranasal flu vaccination available for healthy individuals 5 – 49 only, is an option for those that have it available in their area.
• Get plenty of rest this season.
• Enrich your diet with nutritious foods.
• Stay home from work or your regular activities if you are ill.
• Four antiviral drugs (amantadine, rimantadine, zanamavir and oseltamivir) have been approved for treatment of the flu. If taken within 2 days of getting sick, these drugs can reduce the symptoms of the flu and shorten the time you are sick by 1 or 2 days. They also can make you less contagious to others. All of these drugs must be prescribed by a doctor and taken for 5 days. Antiviral drugs are effective only against influenza viruses. They will not help the symptoms associated with the common cold or many other flu-like illnesses caused by viruses that circulate in the winter. All of the antiviral drugs are different in terms of who can take them, how they are given, any dosing changes based on age or medical conditions, and side effects. Your doctor will help decide whether you should get antivirals and which one you should get.