What are the precautions to take to avoid flu?

          The most logical way to avoid flu is for you to avoid persons with the disease. Adults with flu are typically contagious for 5-7 days from fever onset. In children, they are contagious for 7-10 days and even longer (up to 4 weeks) in patients with low natural defense mechanism.

          However, since this is not entirely possible, a flu vaccine is available which can help give you immunity against flu. The vaccine has 70-90% efficacy and varies from year to year because the Influenza virus strains change every year. Flu shots are given each year so that you can get protection against newer strains of the virus.

          Inquire from your physician about the availability of the flu vaccine. The vaccine is indicated for most individuals especially those included in the high-risk groups. You can have yourself vaccinated any time during the flu season. It takes one to two weeks for you to develop antibodies that provide protection against flu. The only time you should not get the vaccine is if you are allergic to eggs, which are a component of the vaccine, or thimerosal, which is the vaccine preservative.