Prevention

How can I protect myself and others from infection?
There are several effective steps that can stop the spread of influenza:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home and self-isolate until recovered. CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick.
• Maintain a clean environment by cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
• Avoid sharing personal items such as tooth brushes, towels, or razors.
• Shower routinely and immediately after participating in exercise

Additional information on good hygiene is also available at Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) and You on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

What household cleaning should be done to prevent the spread of H1N1 and other influenza virus?
To prevent the spread of H1N1 and other influenza virus it is important to keep surfaces (especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, kitchen counters and tables, door knobs, hand rails, and toys for children) clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label.

I had a flu shot this year. Can I still get H1N1 flu?
The regular seasonal flu shot does not provide protection against the H1N1 influenza virus. If you have not already done so, you are encouraged to take the seasonal flu shot for the 2009-2010 flu season. It will not protect you against H1N1, but it will help protect you against seasonal flu, which will likely be circulating at the same time as H1N1.

Can I take a vaccine to protect me from H1N1?
The CDC and private manufacturers are working on a vaccine, however it is not expected to be ready until mid to late October at the earliest. If you fall into any of the at-risk groups, you are encouraged to take the vaccine when it becomes available. Even though there is currently no vaccine, there are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of viruses such as influenza.