The single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine each season. The 2012-2013 flu vaccine will protect against 2009 H1N1, and two other influenza viruses (an H3N2 virus and an influenza B virus).
Good Health Habits
Avoid close contact. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
Cover your mouth and nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
- Cover Your Cough Stop the Spread of Germs that makes you and others sick.
Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
- Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives Tips on hand washing and using alcohol-based hand sanitizers
- Wash Your Hands Often Brochures and posters from “An Ounce of Prevention” campaign
- Clean Hands Campaign Facts and survey results, educational materials from American Society for Microbiology’s “Clean Hands” campaign
- Consumer Advice: Clean: Handwashing Links to lots of educational materials, including those for parents, schoolchildren, and health care workers. From www.foodsafety.gov
- It’s a SNAP Toolkit: Handwashing Handwashing materials. Part of It’s A SNAP program aimed at preventing school absenteeism. From the School Network for Absenteeism Prevention, a collaborative project of the CDC, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Soap and Detergent Association
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Less often, a person might also get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, eyes or nose.
Stop the Spread of Germs
Healthy habits can protect everyone from getting germs or spreading germs at home, work, or school.
Clean and disinfect surfaces or objects. Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu can help slow the spread of influenza.
- Resources for Schools, Childcare Providers and Parents Information on preventing the flu, common questions and answers, and poster materials for schools