The seasonal flu vaccine is available for all ages at the time of your regularly scheduled appointment with your primary physician.  This vaccine is not preservative free. 

The H1N1 vaccine is available (for ages 6 months and older) at the time of your regularly scheduled appointment with your primary physician.   

How do I know if I have swine flu?

The symptoms of swine flu are very similar to symptoms of seasonal influenza. Currently, a patient with flu symptoms that is occurring in a season in which the incidence of seasonal influenza is low, is presumed to have swine flu.  These symptoms include fever, chills, headache, body ache, fatigue, scratchy throat and dry cough. Vomiting and diarrhea could also be present.

What should I do if I am experiencing flu symptoms?

Most healthy patients (except as listed below) will have mild to moderate illness and do not need to be seen at the doctor's office.  Recommended treatment is rest, fluids, over-the-counter medications like Tylenol or Advil as well as frequent hand washing, disposable tissues and a mask to cover your cough. You should stay at home until your acute symptoms such as fever and headaches/body aches have been resolved for a minimum of 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.

However, if you belong to one of the following categories, you should contact your medical provider or be seen promptly.

If you have severe illness with symptoms such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, bluish discoloration of the lips or tongue, frequent vomiting and diarrhea -- with the inability to keep liquids down and signs of dehydration (lightheadedness, reduction of urination-or in infants lack of tears when crying), seizures. Also if the patient is difficult to arouse or becomes confused, please seek medical care immediately.

 Also, if your symptoms last more than 4-5 days or if you get better and then start to get worse again.

In addition the following categories of people should be seen early in the course of the illness:

-- children below the age of 2 years

-- persons age 65 or older

-- pregnant women

-- persons of any age with certain chronic conditions or immunosuppressive disorders

-- persons below the age of 19 on long-term aspirin therapy

How long does someone with the H1N1 flu stay contagious?  If you have the H1N1 flu, contagiousness is 1 day prior to illness, potentially 5-7 days after the onset of illness, and maybe longer. Only health care workers need to stay away for 7 days--others can return 24 hours after the acute symptoms have subsided without fever reducing meds, with additional contact precautions (hand de-sanitizing, disposable tissues, cover the cough etc.)

The following resources may be helpful (please click):  Pediatric or Adults.  Further information can be also be obtained at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.  If you are taking care of a sick person in your home, please click here.

If you are not a patient of Centre For Health Care, please contact your primary care physician or call 2-1-1 for information regarding where the flu vaccine is available in your community.