Avoiding the Flu?

[Jessica at Parenting.com]

How's everyone doing out there?

Avoiding the flu season so far? If so, what steps are you taking -- going hand-sanitizer crazy? Eating tons of immunity-boosting foods? Avoiding every human with the sniffles? (I know I'm single-handedly keeping the Vitamin C makers in business, these days...)

And for the folks who have already been vaccinated for H1N1, did you get the mist, or the shot? And what side effects, if any, did you have? Did you have to wait a long time to get it?

Let's keep each other updated!

[jelliebellie27]

Places like McDonald's play areas or chuck e cheese are off limits right now. If we eat out, we do it through the drive-thru. After a doctor visit, before leaving wal-mart or a grocery store, EVERYONE washes their hands thoroughly. Hospitals are off-limits. Use bleach water weekly on doorknobs, toilets, faucets, counters and toys. Wash hands as soon as we arrive home. Take off clothes and change into pj's and put dirty laundry straight into the washing machine. No germs piled up in the hamper. No shoes allowed in the house. Take them off at the door. That's just a few we do!

[kileymiller@hotmail.com]

basic hand washing

[bonniellg]

Like most people, I'm having a hard time finding the h1n1 shot, and there is just so much information floating around everywhere. I am having trouble keeping it all straight. Im also worried that hand washing isn't enough. Places like the grocery store are freaking me out, so many people touch everything! I did find a web chat thats this afternoon at 12:30 where you can ask questions about h1n1 and doctors from a childrens hospital will answer them live. I hope I can get some answers to my questions. If anyone else is interested the website is www.orlive.com, its pretty medically oriented, but not as distracting as other health websites.

[thirtysomething]

I was freaking out so bad that it turned into a PANIC! I even began having nightmares about my family dying because we were not vaccinated against h1n1! I have been trying to get the vaccines for my children (7 9mo-18yrs) as well as my husband and myself and the only one I was able to get vaccinated was my 9mo old and she only received the seasonal shot during a well baby check up! My kids schools have already been reporting a lot of kids out with illnesses and suspected flu! In fact my 1st grader was out of school the last 3 days of this week with a touch of somethng (fever, cough, acting very tired, having 1 bout of diahrea and vomiting only phelm once too), he is on the road to recovery now (THANK YOU JESUS!). We use hand sanitizer and hand washing BUT is that really enough? I have heard that the virus is in the air! At the grocery stores they have the sanitizer wipes to wipe down the shopping cart (I ususally take my travel size lysol) but people touch things in the store after they have coughed in their hands and then there is the cashier... I once felt like just leaving everything there and going to a different store after she blew her nose with what appeared to be a USED tissue and then proceeded to ring up my groceries! I found myself tring so desperately not to touch her hand as I handed her the money! So we go to measures to protect our family from germs but there is always something unexpected that happens and it messes up your whole germ avoiding plan! Chuck-E-Cheese is a no no these days as well as any other place of the like for now! We don't eat out much and when we do we get take out! I try not to take my little ones (9 month old and 3 year old) to the store and when I do I try to go super early in the morning so there is less people and less germs...hopefully! I am also very aware of my surrondings... if someone is coughing or sneezing I will skip that isle and head back to it before I leave the store. In the mean time I am still trying to get the seasonal and h1n1 vaccines for my family!

[JessicaWalter]

Vitamins, anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial lotion, anti bacterial soap, you catch my drift. I spray every handle with lysol spray. I have shown my kids how to wipe their nose with tissues and not their hands. They sneeze in their hands and put hand sanitizer stuff on. I'm just trying to teach them to be more courteous to others and to each other. My husband has no spleen, so he gets sick a lot easier, so we really have to be careful. I can't exactly avoid stores so when we go into the store, I clean the handle bar, and I have them put anti-bacterial sanitizer on. When we leave the store I have them put more on. I don't think there are real certain ways to avoid the flu. You just have to do your best and say your prayers for good health!

[lindsey2write]

all I can say is wash wash wash. and take your vitamins! http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-2...f-vaccinations

[lauren.furrer]

We had a nasty, nasty run of flus over the summer, so I'm hoping that we have already served our time. We got our regular flu shots (but not the H1N1) and we eat immune boosting foods, like berries, green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits etc. I've also been using a saline sinus rinse any time I feel like I might be catching a bug.

[ballen7]

We each have an 8oz glass of V-8 vegetable juice each morning. My son (7) loves it and I take advantage of that! We are loading up on extra vitamin C as well. I don't go crazy sanitizing the house- maybe I should?? We are washing our hands like crazy. I ask him each day how many times he washed his hands at school. LOL Our school district gave the H1N1 shots free of charge so my son has had it. I am having a hard time finding the seasonal flu vaccine though.

[Angelab1227]

I am a sooo careful about the swine flu! It was nice to read others' posts bc I know I am not alone in my cautious behaviors. I will not be getting the vaccine so I am extra careful. I have a 4 year old and 4 month old, I make my 4 year old son wash everytime before he eats, he knows not to touch his face when we are out so he uses his sleeve if he has an itch on his face. he knows to avoid ppl who are couging. I make anybody who enters my home wash their hands and not come over if they arent feeling well. My mother works in a daycare so I have her take a shower before coming over after work. I use lysol on doorhandles and frequently touched surfaces. I have sanitizer by our door and kitchen table. Also, I shower when coming home from a busy place in case of any germs I may have picked up. I rinse off bought items that may have been touched by alot of people. I always sanitize my shopping cart. I breastfeed my 4 month old. I avoid crowded places if possible and do not take my children to them. If we have a dr appt, then the children and I wait outside until we are called. I figure I would rather be too safe than sorry.