This holiday season
The holidays are quickly approaching, which means a lot of hustle and bustle, cooking and baking, decorating, holiday parties and family get-togethers. During this flurry of yuletide activity you’re bound to exchange a gift or two; make sure influenza isn’t one of them.
You certainly don’t want to be that person who shares his germs with the entire family, nor do you want to be the recipient of such an unwanted gift – protect yourselves and those around you – get vaccinated!
Think about it this way: one person infected with the flu can potentially infect up to 15 others, so it’s easy to see how the flu can spread quite quickly, especially in confined areas, like at grandma’s house during the holidays.
No one wants to spend up to a week with a high fever, chills, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, and possibly even vomiting and diarrhea, especially this time of year.
The absolute best way to prevent the flu and it’s potentially life-threatening complications is for everyone, including healthy people, age six months and older, to get vaccinated. Children less than six months of age are too young to get a flu vaccine, so the best way to protect them is to vaccinate those around them, including parents, family members, and those who care for them. For those at high-risk for developing serious flu complications, such as the elderly, young children, pregnant women, those with weakened immune systems, and people with certain health conditions, vaccination is especially important.
The vaccine is available at a variety of places, including your doctor’s office, many pharmacies, or MMDHD.
Mid-Michigan District Health Department participates with the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, as well as many types of insurance. We offer Flumist nasal spray, Fluzone High Dose, and preservative-free options, as well as the “regular” flu shot. Please call your nearest branch office for more information, to see if we participate with your insurance, or to schedule an appointment.