Stay healthy this flu season

I participated in an Influencer Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for MedImmune Specialty Care. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating

Cold and flu season is coming, and we've been giving our kids extra reminders about washing their hands and other flu prevention tactics.  Some things we do:

• Cough into elbows or sleeves, not into hands.
• Wash hands often.
• Remember the 2-minute rule when washing your hands (sing "Happy Birthday" twice).
• Avoid touching restroom door handles after you've washed your hands.
• Disinfect commonly used surfaces.
• Stay well hydrated and rested to make sure your immune system is in tip-top shape.

I've also made appointments at our family clinic to get our flu shots.  Many people don't think it's worth getting vaccinated against the flu, but I've had the flu way too many times to share their opinion.  Until you've suffered from the flu, you don't really know what you're up against -- and it always seems like the season I don't get vaccinated is the season I catch the flu.

When you have kids, getting vaccinated is even more important because their immune systems aren't as developed as adults'.  As an adult, you may not succumb to the flu, but you might infect your kids, so consider getting vaccinated, if not for your sake, then for your kids' sakes.  I remember one particularly bad year, when everyone in the family except Jammy was so sick, we couldn't even get out of bed.  Jammy must have been 3 or 4 at the time, and somehow he managed to pour bowls of cereal for all of us and get everything upstairs without spilling (no milk, though; there's only so much you can ask a toddler to do).  

Here's a great infographic, prepared by Dr. Elizabeth Pantley, author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution, that sums up the best ways to protect yourself and your family against the flu:

Elizabeth also has an easy-to-read ebooklet, "A Parent's Guide to Flu Season" for even more great tips.  The ebooklet not only has tips on how to keep your family from catching the flu (hint: the CDC says that getting the flu vaccine is the single best way to protect against the flu), it also has information about how the virus spreads, the difference between the cold and the flu, list of flu symptoms, vaccine options, and more.  Flu prevention starts with knowledge, so make sure you check out the booklet as soon as you can.

Disclosure: I participated in an Influencer Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for MedImmune Specialty Care. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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