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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – If you or someone you care about is among the nearly one in three Americans who help an elderly family member make health care decisions, here are a few facts and tips that can help you have far more than the germ of an idea about the flu and what to do about it:
- A flu shot is the most effective way to protect yourself and your family from catching the flu.
- It takes up to two weeks for your immunity to build up after getting a flu shot.
- It’s important to get the flu shot every year because the immunity provided by the vaccine declines over time.
- To help combat germs, wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds and avoid touching your mouth and eyes. Touching such everyday items as door handles and other surfaces can be difficult to avoid.
- Getting plenty of sleep, being physically active, managing stress, drinking adequate fluids, and eating nutritious food are all healthy habits that can help to keep your immune system in top condition during flu season.
- Children younger than age 5 are at high risk for flu-related complications. For school-age children, remind them of the importance of hand washing and using tissues when they sneeze. The influenza vaccine is not approved for children younger than 6 months of age.
- Pregnant women are more susceptible to getting sick, including catching the flu, because their immune systems are weaker than usual. During pregnancy, the flu can escalate quickly and be complicated by infections such as fetal distress or pneumonia.
- A new survey from CVS/ pharmacy found that 61 percent ofU.S.adults don’t know that theFluzoneHigh-Dose vaccine contains four times the antigens as the regular flu vaccine. This can be especially important for people over 65 who have a greater risk of developing severe flu-related illness. For more information on the differences in flu shots, visitwww.cdc.gov/flu.
- Getting the flu shot can be very affordable. Flu vaccines are now fully covered as a preventive service under the Affordable Care Act and available at no cost through most insurance plans, including Medicare Part B. In addition, CVS/pharmacy offers $1 million in flu shot vouchers to uninsured people through a donation to Direct Relief, a nonprofit organization that brings medicines and supplies to health care providers worldwide. Direct Relief will distribute these vouchers, good for a flu shot at any CVS/pharmacy or CVS/minute clinic, to health clinics across theU.S.
- You can get a flu shot any day with no appointment needed, even evenings and weekends, at more than 7,700 CVS locations across the country. For members of theExtraCareRewards program, getting the shot also means a 20 percent off CVS Shopping Pass.
To learn more, go to www.cvs.com/flu or call (800) 746-7287.
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