The news about the H1N1 flu has been non-stop. And the prediction that up to 50% of Americans will get the flu is frightening. So what should you do to protect yourself?
Dr. Bernard Kaminetsky, the medical director of MDVIP, a national network of affiliated primary care doctors focused on preventive care, recommends, “Talk to your primary care physician now about the flu, both seasonal and H1N1 flu. Your primary care doctor is the one who can best prepare you for the upcoming season with vaccinations as well as information specific to you.”
Dr. Kaminetsky says, “This is what everyone should know about the flu.”:
1. Get a seasonal flu shot. The serum is available now; call your primary care doctor to inquire about getting it.
2. Also, discuss with your primary care doctor about when the H1N1 flu vaccine will become available and if you are a candidate.
3. Get both vaccines: the seasonal flu and H1N1 when it becomes available.
4. Children, people with underlying illness, healthcare workers and pregnant women should all get flu shots. Elderly and compromised patients may need a pneumonia shot as well.
5. If you think you have the flu, do not go to the emergency room. Call your primary care doctor, especially if you are running a high fever of 102 degrees or higher.
6. If you do have the flu, there are flu medications that a primary care doctor can prescribe.
7. Practice good hygiene. Wash hands frequently.