Flu Prevention Wash your hands often! Don't Share the Flu. If you are sick stay home from work, school, and errands, and avoid contact with others. Cover mouth and nose with a tissue when sneezing or coughing. If tissues are unavailable, sneeze or cough into your sleeve or elbow. Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Practice good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Keep your home clean. Regularly wiping down commonly touched surfaces like table tops, telephones, light switches, remote controls, and doorknobs with disinfectant can help Background reduce the spread of germs. A yearly flu shot is recommended as the first step in preventing flu. Seasonal flu vaccination is very important for people at high risk for flu complications including young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions, and people 65 and older. When a pandemic flu vaccine becomes available, follow the recommendations for getting it. You will need both vaccines. During a flu outbreak, or if you are ill, practice social distancing by: ■ Avoiding shaking hands with others ■ Avoiding crowds ■ Increasing distance between people Pandemic flu is a global outbreak of human disease. It is caused by a new influenza virus that is unlike any previous flu and is not recognized by the body's immune system. The lack of immunity means that a pandemic flu can pass readily from person-to-person, creating widespread illness. Only 28% of Americans have an Emergency Kit in their home. Seasonal Flu affects people every year. Most people who get the flu can be cared for at home. The simple steps described in this booklet can make caring for someone with seasonal or pandemic flu easier. A pandemic may come and go in waves, each of which can last for six to eight weeks. A severe influenza pandemic could lead to high levels of illness, death, social disruption, and economic loss. In a pandemic, healthcare facilities could be overwhelmed creating a shortage of staff, beds, and supplies. Follow the steps in this booklet to prepare yourself and those around you for a flu pandemic. The goal of the pandemic flu immunization program is to vaccinate all persons in the U.S. who choose to be vaccinated. It is expected that most people will recover from the flu without needing medical care. ^ ^ CDC recommends that people with flu-like illness remain at home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever or signs of a fever without the use of fever reducing medications Hand Hygiene Everyone should wash their hands regularly to prevent the spread of disease. You never know when you may come in contact with flu germs. Caregivers should wash their hands before and after giving care to the ill person. Steps for Correct Hand Washing: (l) Wet hands with clean running water and apply soap ^2) Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all surfaces, especially between fingers and under nails Qi) Continue rubbing hands for 20 seconds ^^ Rinse hands well under running water (5) Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer then use the paper towel to turn off the faucet /