(Chelsea Update would like to thank Susan Ringler Cerniglia for the information in this story.)
Washtenaw County Health Department encourages everyone six months and older to get vaccinated against flu (influenza) before the holiday season.
Sporadic cases of flu are being reported in Washtenaw County, and rates of illness typically increase during or after the December holidays. Good handwashing, covering your cough, and staying away from others when sick also prevent the spread of flu and other contagious diseases.
“We don’t know how severe the flu season will be,” says Juan Luiz Marquez, MD, MPH, medical director at Washtenaw County Health Department in a press release. “But we know getting your flu shot and practicing good handwashing helps protect you and our entire community.”
Vaccination can protect against severe cases of illness, hospitalization, and death due to flu, as well as reduce the spread of illness. Getting vaccinated also protects the people around you, including those who are more vulnerable to serious flu illness, like babies and young children, older people, and people with certain chronic health conditions.
Aside from vaccination, it is also important to stay home if you are sick, cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough, wash your hands often using soap and warm water, and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs.
See washtenaw.org/flu for ongoing information and surveillance on this year’s flu season.
