Winter is here and so is the dreaded flu season. For many it’s a period where we should rug up and take the right precautions to ensure we’re not inadvertently passing it on to our family, friends and work colleagues.
Good hygiene is a simple yet effective method to enable flu prevention. Good hygiene can consist of washing your hands regularly, cleaning surface areas often (e.g. workstation, mouse and keyboard), not sharing cups, cutlery and food in general. Where possible also avoid sharing towels and ensure facial tissues are thrown away immediately after use.
Other measures to protect yourself from getting the flu include taking the annual flu vaccination. MedAdvisor provides a Flu Jab appointment service, which is a great tool to help you connect with your nearest pharmacy and tackle the flu head on. Antiviral meds may also slow down lasting effects of flu, although it is recommended that these meds be taken 48 hours from the onset of the flu.
Who can get the flu?
- Infants and toddlers
- People over the age of 65
- Pregnant women
- People who are obese
- People who smoke
- People who have not been vaccinated against the flu
Who should take the flu jab?
A flu vaccination can be taken by anyone over the age of 6 months.
When does the flu strike?
Peak season for the flu is between June and September, it’s a good idea to get you’re flu jab prior to June every year.
How to treat the flu?
The Department of Health recommends plenty of rest, paracetamol and decongestant medicines in order to counter the onset of flu.
Flu vaccinations are free to all of the following people:
- anyone aged over 65 years and over
- Aboriginal and Torrest Strait Islander people aged between 6 months and 5 years, and from 15 years and over
- Pregnant women
- Anyone over 6 months of age where the flu can lead to complications with relation to other sever diseases such as asthma, lung disease, heart disease, low immunity or diabetes