Tag Archive for: Vaccine

Fighting the Flu

/in ,

Holiday gatherings are beginning to ramp up — and so is the flu. According to the Maricopa County Seasonal Respiratory Illness Dashboard, the number of people infected with the flu has been rapidly increasing every week since the flu season officially began September 28. While numbers are trending down from last year and the five-year seasonal average, flu cases are expected to peak in mid to late December.

Whether you’re getting together with family and friends, attending a school event, shopping at the mall, or participating in any activity with people, you’re likely to encounter the flu virus.

Here are some tips for staying healthy:

  • Get a flu vaccine: The flu shot is the primary way to prevent the flu and can also reduce the severity of illness if you do get sick. Keep in mind it takes a couple of weeks for the vaccine to become fully effective so be extra cautious until your body has built up its defenses against the flu.
  • Wash your hands frequently: Wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (about the time it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song) or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water aren’t available. Make it a point to wash your hands every time you get home from an outing.
  • Cover coughs and sneezes: Use a tissue and throw it away immediately, or cough/sneeze into your elbow. 
  • Avoid touching your face: Germs can spread when you touch a contaminated surface and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. 
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces: Regularly clean high-traffic areas and objects like doorknobs, phones, and keyboards. Antibacterial wipes are an easy tool to keep handy for daily wipe-downs of high-traffic places.
  • Avoid close contact with sick people: Maintain distance from those who are ill. 
  • Consider wearing a mask: Masks can add an extra layer of protection for both yourself and others. 

Remember that while most people are only down with the flu for a few days, people with chronic medical conditions including asthma, diabetes, a weakened immune system and other illnesses can become very sick and even die from the flu. Taking steps to protect yourself from becoming ill helps stop the virus from spreading. If you do become infected, continue to follow the tips above to prevent others from getting sick. You may also want to visit your healthcare provider to discuss antiviral medication to lessen symptoms and reduce the time you are sick.

If you think you might have the flu or would like to get vaccinated, call 480-882-4545 to schedule an appointment or request one online.

Are Your Vaccines Up to Date?

/in

If you’re a parent you’ve likely discussed vaccinations on a regular basis with your child’s healthcare provider. Schools and other youth programs may have even required proof of vaccination prior to your child attending.

Who Should Get Vaccinated?

As we get older and focus on other priorities when we visit our healthcare providers, it’s easy for vaccinations to fall off the radar, but immunization benefits older people too. Vaccines can prevent infection-related cancers caused by viruses like hepatitis and HPV, and protect the health of the working population, the elderly, and others who may be more prone to, or experience severe complications from, infection. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a handy tool for children and a handy tool for adults to determine which vaccines you should consider based on your age and risk factors. This can be a great starting point and reminder to discuss vaccines with your healthcare provider.

Why Should You Get Vaccinated?

While getting vaccinated against infectious disease is sometimes a personal choice, there’s proof that immunization saves lives and protects people’s health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the death rate for children under the age of five worldwide declined by almost 25% between 2010 and 2017. Measles vaccines alone prevented 25.5 million deaths since 2000 and polio vaccines have brought cases down by over 99% in the last 35 years. We’re fortunate to have had access to these vaccines in the United States for decades but many underdeveloped countries experience limited vaccine availability and use due to lack of funding and proper education.    

Your Choice to Get Vaccinated Affects Others

With COVID, we all experienced and continue to live with the disruptive and costly effects of a worldwide pandemic. With the development and distribution of a vaccine to prevent the spread of COVID, our children have gone back to school, social events and travel have resumed and the number of people losing their lives to COVID has been greatly reduced. It didn’t happen overnight and we only began to see significant changes once a large percentage of the population was vaccinated. Establishing wide-spread immunity is critical to fighting infectious disease so those choosing to not get vaccinated can affect everyone’s chance of survival.

In recognition of August as National Immunization Awareness Month, NOAH urges you to make time to review the vaccination recommendations for yourself and your family and consult with your healthcare provider about any questions or concerns you may have. And if vaccination is right for you, take a step toward protecting yourself and others by getting vaccinated.

Click or call 480-882-4545 to schedule an appointment to discuss with your healthcare provider.