It is now officially fall, and that means colder weather and the flu. I spoke with a the head of infectious diseases at Greenwich hospital Dr. James Sabetta for some tips on staying healthy this flu season.
“Symptoms can be very devastating for patients. A typical flu patient is so ill that he or she doesn’t want to get out of bed, is aching all over, has a very high fever, is coughing a lot. The patient is quite ill,” said Dr. Sabetta.
Dr. Sabetta says the flu should not be taken lightly, and if you have symptoms seek medical attention.
“There are about 35,000 deaths per year from influenza, and probably a quarter of a million cases. It’s a significant infection,” said Dr. Sabetta.
To avoid the flu, people should wash their hands, avoid direct contact with sick friends and family members, and most importantly, Dr. Sabetta recommends getting vaccinated.
“The recommendation is to receive the flu vaccine as soon as it’s available which is usually early fall, so it’s available now. Definitely by October it’s recommended to get the vaccine,” said Dr. Sabetta.
Dr. Sabetta says anyone over six months old who isn’t allergic to the medicine can be vaccinated.
“We recommend it for all health care workers so that patients and other health care workers don’t become ill. It helps if many people get it, there’s some sort of herd immunity in the population,” said Dr. Sabetta.
The Greenwich Department of Health will offer five clinics for residents to get the flu vaccination. For a full list of dates and prices, click here.
