News & Alerts
News & Alerts
The Wetzel-Tyler Health Department is announcing a Seasonal Influenza Clinic at the Wetzel-Tyler Health Department, Paden City, WV. The clinic will be held Tuesday, October 20, 2009, from 9 am to 11:45am and 1pm to 3:45pm, and Friday, October 23, 2009, from 9 am to 11:45am and 1pm to 3:45pm. Call for an appointment. Flu vaccine for ages 4 years and older for this clinic. Please bring your Medicare/HMO card with you. If you do not have Medicare, the cost of the flu shot will be $20.00, however no one will be denied due to the inability to pay. This is not Swine Flu vaccine! Swine flu will be given at a later date when it is received.
Treatment is Similar to What You Should Do for Seasonal Flu
Most people are expected to recover without needing medical care.
If you have flu-like illness and are at high risk for complications of flu check with your health care provider or seek medical care.
Things you can do to care for yourself at home include:
�� Get plenty of rest.
�� Drink clear fluids (such as water, broth, sports drinks, electrolyte beverages for infants) to keep from being dehydrated. Over the counter medications you would normally use for colds and flu can help treat the symptoms, for example, acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®, Nuprin®) for fever; cough medicines or decongestants. Check the label to see if over the counter medicines already contain acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Don’t double dose!
�� Children less than 18 with flu should never be given aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) containing products, for aspirin can put them at risk for a complication called Reye’s Syndrome.
Antiviral drugs will not be needed for everyone who has H1N1 flu virus infection.
�� Antivirals [oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) and zanamivir (Relenza®)] are most important to use in those who require hospitalization for influenza or those at high risk of complications.
�� While they do not cure flu, they can help reduce disease severity, duration, or complications.
�� These medications must be prescribed by a health care professional.
�� For treatment, the drugs work best if given within 2 days of becoming ill, but may be given later if illness is severe or a person is at high risk for complications.
�� Sometimes, antivirals are also used to prevent disease in high risk, close contacts of cases.
Be watchful for emergency warning signs that might indicate you need to seek medical attention.
In children, those include:
• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
In adults, emergency warning signs include:
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
