Monongalia County Health Department
  • HOME
  • SERVICES
  • NEWS
    • Press Releases
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • MCHD Blog >
      • blog highlights
    • Video Library
    • Health Statistics
    • Training Opportunities
    • Education and Training
    • Posters
  • Dentistry
    • SMILE Express >
      • Portable SMILE Express Location Contact Form
      • SMILE Express Location Contact Form
      • Smile Express Referral Partner
    • Dental Services
    • Make an Appointment
    • Patients >
      • Child First Visit
      • Adult First Visit
      • Payment Options
    • Our Team
    • Contact
    • MCHD Dentistry Blog
  • Environmental
    • Contact Environmental
    • Food
    • Food Safety Training
    • Septic & Wells
    • Housing & Institutions
    • Recreation
    • Pools
    • Tattoo & Body Piercing
    • Rabies Control
    • Clean Indoor Air
    • Radon
    • Disaster Sanitation
    • Tanning
    • Fee Schedule
    • Online Permit Renewal
    • About Environmental Health
  • Nursing
    • Reproductive Health >
      • Family Planning
      • Adolescent Health
    • STD and HIV >
      • Syphilis
    • Immunizations >
      • Travel Clinic
      • School Immunizations
    • Communicable Disease >
      • TB Program
      • Influenza
      • Pertussis
    • Diabetes
    • Providers
  • Preparedness
    • COVID-19
    • Testing & Vaccines
    • COVID-19 Links
    • COVID-19 FAQs
    • COVID-19 Guidance
    • Mon Co. COVID-19 Stats
    • COVID-19 Press Releases
    • Recent Events
  • WIC
    • WIC Services
    • WIC Eligibilty Guidelines
    • WIC News
    • Doddridge County WIC
    • Harrison County WIC
    • Marion County WIC
    • Monongalia County WIC
    • Preston County WIC
    • Taylor County WIC
    • Breastfeeding
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Our Location
    • Board of Health >
      • BOH Meeting Agenda
    • Meeting Rooms
    • Job Opportunities
    • Notice of Privacy Practices
  • Mon Co. QRT
    • QRT Press Releases

Make this season merry a bright with flu shots and hand washing

12/5/2018

 
Picture
Make this season merry and bright with flu shots and hand washing
By Mary Wade Triplett
Is it a coincidence? Or does it just make sense? This week, Dec. 2-8, is both National Influenza Vaccination Week and National Handwashing Awareness Week.

After all, these are the two best ways to avoid getting the flu.

Even though the holiday season has begun, it’s still not too late to get your flu vaccine yet. If it’s still on your to-do list, you can make an appointment to get one by calling Monongalia County Health Department's Clinical Services at 304-598-5119. It takes about two weeks for full protection to set in, so if you have plans to gather with family later this month, now is the time to act.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that during the 2016-17 flu season, the vaccine prevented an estimated 5.3 million flu illnesses, 2.6 million medical visits and 85,000 flu hospitalizations.

Of course, most people who get the flu will recover in a week or so with fluids and rest. Others, however, will develop serious complications, and some will land in the hospital. During the most recent 2017-18 flu season, the CDC estimates that flu caused 49 million flu illnesses; 960,000 flu hospitalizations and 79,000 deaths.

The flu vaccine is recommended for just about anyone from the age of 6 months and up. Flu can be particularly hard on children, the elderly and those who have conditions such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease and lung disease. Pregnant women are advised to get a flu vaccine not only for themselves, but also to help protect their babies during their first six months.

Even if the flu vaccine isn’t a great match for this season’s virus—the vaccine inoculates against three or four of the strains predicted to be most active—it still provides protection. And if you do get the flu, it can lessen the symptoms and the length of time you are sick.

That leads to the second way to avoid flu—hand washing. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: 20 seconds of thoroughly scrubbing your hands with warm water and soap go a long way toward preventing illness. Wash your hands several times a day, including before and after preparing food or caring for a sick person, after going to the bathroom or changing a diaper and after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.

The importance of hand-washing became important to me when I first worked in an office that required punching in a code to gain entry. Once after I watched a co-worker sniffling with a bad cold ahead of me, I made sure to wash my hands often.

And speaking of coughing and sneezing, avoid doing it into your hand. That’s what your elbow is for. Or  use a tissue.

Hand washing is important not only in the fight against cold and flu viruses, but also Hepatitis A. A Hepatitis A outbreak in southern West Virginia is just starting to wane; efforts have been made to keep avoid a similar situation in North Central West Virginia.

Many people have long to-do lists during the holidays, but adding a flu vaccine and frequent hand-washing will go a long way toward making the season merry and bright.
Mary Wade Triplett is the public information officer for Monongalia County Health Department.

Comments are closed.
    MCHD logo

    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Picture
Lee B. Smith, MD, JD
Health Officer
Monongalia County
Health Department

453 Van Voorhis Road
Morgantown, WV 26505
Hours M-F 8:30-4:30
(304) 598-5100


Home Page
MCHD Services
Public Health Nursing
Environmental Health
WIC Program
MCHD Dentistry
Threat Preparedness
Food Safety Training

Provider Information
Health Statistics

Contact Us
Location/Directions
Training Opportunities
Job Opportunities
Privacy Practices
Website Notices

Contact Us
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter