Protect yourself from seasonal flu

  • Published
  • By Capt. Mariah Ziegler
  • 48th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Public Health
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Although there is no longer a pandemic of the novel H1N1, or "swine" flu, people are still getting sick, and it is still important to get an annual flu shot.

Vaccines are one of the most effective public health interventions for saving lives and protecting health. Last year, H1N1 vaccines were not part of the seasonal flu vaccine, requiring individuals to have two flu inoculations. For the 2011 flu season, swine flu has been incorporated into the seasonal flu shot. Usually, the seasonal flu vaccine contains approximately three flu strains. This year H1N1 was one of the strains chosen.

For most people, H1N1 flu causes mild illness that lasts seven to 10 days. However, some groups of people are at higher risk of serious illness. These include the elderly, pregnant women, people with chronic disease, diabetics, young children, asthmatics and other individuals with compromised immune systems.

The symptoms of flu include any combination of unusual tiredness, headache, runny nose, sore throat, shortness of breath or cough, loss of appetite, muscle ache, diarrhea or vomiting with a temperature greater than 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you think you or someone in your family has the flu and are in one of the aforementioned high-risk groups, you should seek immediate medical advice. If you are an otherwise healthy individual, stay at home, rest and use over-the-counter medications to relieve the symptoms. Remember to maintain good hand hygiene, social distancing and cough etiquette to prevent spreading the flu to others.

Active-duty personnel are required to get the seasonal flu vaccine. All other individuals are strongly encouraged to get the vaccine to prevent the spread of illness across the installation. Though the world is considered to be in the post-pandemic period for swine flu, the illness is not gone and people across the world and the U.K. are still suffering severe complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia.