Be smart about the flu

Talk about it

Seasonal flu vaccinations are being offered. The first batches of H1N1 vaccine are arriving. The flu season has begun.

The H1N1 flu surfaced earlier this year in Mexico. It spread rapidly there and had serious consequences. That same flu has reached the states with a lower but still serious intensity and has been confirmed in North Dakota. As a result many people have, rightly, ratcheted up their concern about getting that strain of flu.

There’s plenty of solid information available about H1N1 and the vaccine for it, and there’s even more misinformation.

People need to gather reliable information about H1N1 from respected sources. They need to be cautious in their actions, get the appropriate vaccinations and follow smart behavior: Lots of hand washing, coughing into their sleeve or tissue (to be disposed of immediately), using hand sanitizers and disinfecting wipes, and staying home if sick.

As of Oct. 6, the North Dakota Department of Health reported 59 cases of Type A, H1N1 influenza, along with 211 cases of Type A, unspecified influenza. Of those 59 cases of H1N1, nine of the victims were under the age of 10, 19 were between 10 and 19 years of age, and 22 were between the ages of 20 and 29 years. The number of victims after the age of 30 drops off significantly. Eleven of those confirmed cases of H1N1 were hospitalized. There have been no deaths.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, H1N1 influenza can cause a wide range of flulike symptoms, including fever (at least 100 degrees), cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. In addition, many people also have reported nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea.

People are getting prepared. The Tribune has run stories in recent weeks about schools changing their absentee policy to reflect flu-related issues, churches adapting their services to reduce opportunities for the flu to spread and businesses educating their employees about flu avoidance, symptoms and, if necessary, what to do if the flu hits them or their families.

The Fort Yates schools, a highly mobile population of young students, closed last week because of flu. Closing the school runs counter to conventional wisdom on H1N1; however, every community must do what it thinks is best for its citizens, based, again, on solid information from respected sources.

H1N1 hasn’t hit like a hammer. And if people follow advice from public health professionals, it won’t.

You owe it to yourself, family, friends, co-workers and others in the community to be smart about the flu.

Tags: opinion, editorials, flu, health, vaccine