How to Avoid the Avian Flu (or Any Flu)

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The Avian flu is coming, so prepare your body now to fight it or any other viral infection and the real killer - pneumonia.

Steps

1. Get your flu shot each year at a low-cost clinic or free at your city or county department of health (you don't need to pay the cost of a doctor's visit). The vaccine does not give you the flu, the achy muscles and runny nose are signs your body is making antibodies to the killed virus. The killed virus in the vaccine changes each year, depending on what strains where present last year and the projected mutations. It takes nine months to make a new vaccine and the protection lasts about a year. Even if you get a different type of flu you will still have some protective antibodies from your shot so that you won't get as bad a case of this different strain.
   
2. About 4 hours after you get your vaccine your arm will feel hot and tender to the touch. Take some tylenol and hold a very warm washcloth to the site for 15-20 minutes. Remember to increase your fluid intake to make up for the water lost because of fever.
   
3. Avoid sick people! Try to stay four feet away. Don't shake hands and keep your own hands spotless. Hand sanitizers are great for this on a busy work day.
   
4. If you get sick with something else, try to stay home the first day, your immunity will be down and you will more likely catch something else.
   
5. Write your congressman to tell him to IN-SOURCE vaccine manufacturing plants to the USA. Urge them to use DNA replication to make new vaccines-it takes only a month rather than the nine months it currently takes.
   

Tips

• If you are allergic to eggs be sure to ask your physcians office if you should get the vaccine--just call-avoid the cost of a visit.
  
• It is probably more important to get and keep your pneumonia vaccine updated that you need to renew every 5-8 years. When you get a bad case of the flu you are very likely to contract a bacterial pneumonia. This is what the vaccine will protect you against. Now, a viral pneumonia, that's a different animal altogether. If finances are aproblem in your family look at each member to decide who would be most likely to bring the flu to your home: all children should be vaccinated and immuno-compromised people.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Survive Bird Flu
  
• How to Get Vaccinated Against the Flu
  
• How to Avoid Catching a Cold or Getting the Flu
  
• How to Help Out During a Flu Pandemic
  
• How to Stop the Spread of Pandemic Flu Virus
  

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