Published: September 02, 2009 05:52 pm      

Let’s get ready for flu season

Health officials throughout the country are preparing for what might be a difficult flu season. Their advice is simple: Don’t panic, but be prepared.

First off, get a flu shot as soon as the shots become available. The shot won’t protect you from the H1N1 strain everyone is so worried about, but it will protect you from the seasonal flu, and for many of us, that might be all the protection we need.

The H1N1 vaccine is now in production and should be available soon. At the top of the list for those vaccinations once they become available will be health-care and emergency medical services personnel because they are among the most vulnerable to infection and they’ll need to remain healthy to help in the treatment of others.

The shot clinics for H1N1 will target children and young adults up to the age of 24. They will also target pregnant women because they are at higher risk of complications and can potentially provide protection to infants up to the age of 6 months who cannot be vaccinated.

And they’ll target people ages 25 through 64 who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from the flu. Studies indicate that those 65 and over are at the lowest risk for H1N1, so folks in that age group will be at the bottom of the priority list for that vaccine.

If you fall into any of the target groups, local health officials advise you to keep an eye out for information about shot clinics.

In the meantime, the experts suggest having a two-week supply of water and food. You might need such a supply during a pandemic if you cannot get to a store or if stores run out of supplies.

They suggest that you also periodically check your regular prescriptions to ensure you have a continuous supply. You should also have any nonprescription drugs and other health supplies on hand, including pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines, fluids with electrolytes and vitamins.

Put together an emergency contact list and keep a copy in your wallet, in your car’s glove compartment and maybe even on the door of your refrigerator.

The cold and flu season is no fun, but if we can all use some common sense, we’ll get through it with the least amount of pain possible.