The Town of Plaistow is working closely with our Regional Public Health Preparedness Collaborative, the Timberlane Regional School District and the NH Department of Health & Human Services to coordinate efforts and to provide timely information and education to the public about H1N1.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is asking that we prepare for the upcoming flu season (fall and winter) by working together to monitor and prevent the spread of the flu. More than one kind of flu virus will be spreading this season, including seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu.
Both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu spread through the coughing and sneezing of someone that is sick with the flu.
Here are some recommendations to prevent the flu:
Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
Do not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils.
Cover your coughs and sneezes with tissues or your elbow, arm or sleeve instead of your hand when a tissue is unavailable.
Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever (100 degreesFahrenheit, 37.8 degrees Celsius or greater), cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired.
Stay at home if you are sick for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever or do not have signs of fever, without using fever-reducing drugs.
Get the vaccine for seasonal flu. Check with your healthcare provider about getting the seasonal flu vaccine or contact the Health Department to find a flu clinic in your area.
Get the H1N1 flu vaccine when it becomes available if you are in the following targeted populations: pregnant women, healthcare workers and emergency services personnel, children and young adults 6 months through age 24, household contacts of children less than 6 months of age, and people with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes) that are complicated by influenza. For more information about priority groups for vaccination, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm.
