It's not too late to get a flu shot!
January 30, 2018
It’s not too late to get a flu shot!
As you’ve probably heard, this year’s flu season is particularly harsh and has been wreaking havoc on people’s health around the country. Even though the efficacy of this year’s flu shot is less than ideal (~30% by some estimates), it’s still your best bet to prevent getting the flu. Because it takes about two weeks for the flu shot to be effective, make sure you get your flu shot ASAP. If you are a student in Fairbanks, go to the Student Health and Counseling Clinic during walk-in lab hours (see www.uaf.edu/chc/) for a free shot. Students outside Fairbanks and all employees and eligible family members can get their shots at local pharmacies, which offer them for free under the university's health insurance plan.
Besides the flu shot, there are other ways you can prevent yourself from getting ill:
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.
If you get sick with a flu-like illness, you should stay home for at least 24 hours
after your fever is gone. (Your fever should be gone for 24 hours without the use
of a fever-reducing medicine.) Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough
or sneeze, and throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. Stay well!