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What are the Flu Symptoms?
Symptoms of flu include:
fever (usually high)
headache
extreme tiredness
dry cough
sore throat
runny or stuffy nose
muscle aches
Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, also can occur
but are more common in children than adults
How Does it Spread?
Flu viruses spread in respiratory droplets
caused by coughing and sneezing. They usually spread from person to person,
though sometimes people become infected by touching something with flu
viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before
symptoms develop and up to 5 days after becoming sick. That means that you
can pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as
while you are sick.
Related Topics to Help Prevent the
Flu
Cover Your Cough
Wash Your Hands
How to Treat the Flu
Rest
Drink plenty of liquids
Avoid using alcohol and tobacco
Take medication to relieve the symptoms of
flu (but never give aspirin to children or teenagers who have flu-like
symptoms and particularly fever without first speaking to your doctor.)
In some cases, your doctors may choose to
use certain antiviral drugs to treat the flu. (Influenza is caused by a
virus, so antibiotics [like penicillin] don't work to cure it.)
Who Should Get Vaccinated?
- all
persons, including school-aged children, who want to reduce the risk of
becoming ill with influenza or of transmitting influenza to others;
- all
children aged 659 months (i.e., 6 months4 years);
- all
persons aged >50 years;
-
children and adolescents (aged 6 months18 years) receiving long-term
aspirin therapy who therefore might be at risk for experiencing Reye
syndrome after influenza virus infection;
- women
who will be pregnant during the influenza season;
- adults
and children who have chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular
(except hypertension), renal, hepatic, hematological or metabolic
disorders (including diabetes mellitus);
- adults
and children who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression
caused by medications or by human immunodeficiency virus;
- adults
and children who have any condition (e.g., cognitive dysfunction, spinal
cord injuries, seizure disorders, or other neuromuscular disorders) that
can compromise respiratory function or the handling of respiratory
secretions or that can increase the risk for aspiration;
-
residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities;
-
health-care personnel;
-
healthy household contacts (including children) and caregivers of children
aged <5 years and adults aged >50 years, with particular emphasis on
vaccinating contacts of children aged <6 months; and
-
healthy household contacts (including children) and caregivers of persons
with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe
complications from influenza.
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Who Can Get the Nasal-Spray Flu Vaccine
All
(non-pregnant) healthy people 2-49 years of age;
Household members or out-of-home caregivers of healthy children 0-59
months old;
Employees of nursing homes or long-term care facilities; and
Physicians, nurses, and most other health care workers.
Who Should NOT Get Vaccinated
People with a history of Guillain-Barre
Syndrome; and
People who are allergic to chicken eggs or any other component of the
vaccine.
Can I Still Get a Flu Vaccination After the Scheduled Clinics are Over?
October or November is
the best time to get vaccinated, but you can still get vaccinated in
December and later. Flu season can begin as early as October and last as
late as May. Clinton County has a good supply of the flu vaccine still
available. Please call 565-4848 for available flu clinics or private
appointments.
What About Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) or Pandemic Information?
The Clinton County Health Department
monitors current developments through CDC.
For more information regarding the Avian or Pandemic flu please visit the
web page on the topic here.
More Information
CCHD How to
Stay Healthy
CCHD Is It a Flu or a Cold?
CCHD Flu Info for Schools
CCHD TLC Brochure
CDC's (VIS)
"Inactivated" Flu Vaccine
CDC's (VIS)
"Live Intranasal" Flu Vaccine (nose spray)
Flyers, Posters and Brochures to Post
Click here
for "Someone at Home has the Flu" brochure
Click here
for "Stay at Home" poster
Click here
for "Ask about a Mask" brochure
Contact Us
To receive more information, call or
visit us at:
Clinton County Health Department
Health Services Unit
133 Margaret Street
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Tel: (518) 565-4848
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