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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommend flu vaccination for all Americans older than 6 months of age. The vaccine developed to prevent infection with the 2009 H1N1 virus is one component of the seasonal flu shot for 2010-2011. The flu shot also protects against two other influenza viruses that are expected to be the most common during the 2010-2011 flu season.
The vaccine will be available as an injection or a nasal spray.
These measures also help prevent flu and limit its spread:
- Stay home if you're sick. If you do have swine flu, you can give it to others starting about 24 hours before you develop symptoms and ending about seven days later.
- Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently. Use soap and water, or if they're unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Flu viruses can survive for two hours or longer on surfaces, such as doorknobs and countertops.
- Contain your coughs and sneezes. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. To avoid contaminating your hands, cough or sneeze into a tissue or into the inner crook of your elbow.
- Avoid contact. Stay away from crowds if possible.
- Reduce exposure within your household. If a member of your household has swine flu, designate one other household member to be responsible for the ill person's close personal care.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Swine influenza A (H1N1) infection in two children — Southern California, March-April 2009. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2009;58:400. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5815a5.htm. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- World Health Organization. World now at the start of 2009 influenza pandemic. Statement to the press by WHO Director-General Margaret Chan. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009/h1n1_pandemic_phase6_20090611/en/index.html. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- World Health Organization. H1N1 in post-pandemic period. Director-General's opening statement at virtual press conference. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2010/h1n1_vpc_20100810/en/index.html. Accessed Aug. 19, 2010.
- Watts G. A/H1N1 influenza virus: The basics. British Medical Journal. 2009;339:b3046. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/339/jul24_2/b3046. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Background information on influenza in pigs. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swineflu/. Accessed Aug. 19, 2010.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Key facts about influenza (flu) and flu vaccine. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- Weber TP, et al. Inactivation of influenza A viruses in the environment and modes of transmission: A critical review. Journal of Infection. 2008;51:361.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WJT-4TMRJXX-2&_user=130561&_coverDate=11%2F30%2F2008&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000010878&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=130561&md5=0b189b39929f3ee6cdc2ca1371fd1e0c. Accessed Aug. 19, 2010.
- Bean B, et al. Survival of influenza viruses on environmental surfaces. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 1982;146:47.
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