Richland County’s flu season has begun with five residents testing positive for Influenza last week. The results were PCR confirmed for Influenza A at the Sidney Health Center Laboratory. One was hospitalized. The cases include four adults and one child. None of them were vaccinated.
The symptoms of influenza are sudden onset of fever, chills, fatigue, body aches, headache, chest discomfort and a cough. A person may experience all or most of these symptoms. You may catch influenza or the “flu” when you breathe in the virus from someone else’s cough or when you touch a surface with the virus on it (such as a phone or faucet) and then touch your nose, mouth or eyes. The risk of infection from influenza is higher in crowded public areas and living quarters. Persons begin to show symptoms within a week of being exposed to the virus.
Richland County Health Department encourages residents to get a flu shot from the health department, a local healthcare provider or pharmacy.
Vaccination remains the best prevention for influenza and influenza related complications. Influenza vaccine is recommended for everyone from ages 6 months and older. Persons who have any chronic health condition (diabetes, heart disease, cancers, immune suppressed, pregnant, have compromised lung/respiratory diseases, etc,) are at higher risk of complications from influenza illness and are strongly urged to get yearly influenza vaccinations.
All flu vaccines for the 2022-2023 season are quadrivalent vaccines, designed to protect against four different flu viruses, including two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses. Different vaccines are licensed for use in different age groups, and some vaccines are not recommended for some groups of people.
In addition to vaccination please take precautions to limit the spread of disease, including:
• Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
• Stay home from work, school, daycare, and large gatherings when you’re sick.
• Get plenty of rest; and
• Eat nutritious foods and drink plenty of fluids.
Vaccinations are given Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday from10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Richland County Health Department located in Community Services Building. Please call 406-433-2207 to make an appointment or for more information.
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