H1N1 (Swine) Flu: The Latest
- Getting an H1N1 vaccine at school? Lots of kids are. Many schools across the United States are beginning programs to give students H1N1 vaccines, which come in two forms — nasal spray and a shot. If your school will be giving vaccines, you probably got a permission form that one of your parents needed to fill out. (Some kids, including those who are allergic to eggs, should not get the vaccine. Your doctor can tell your parents if it's right for you.) It might seem weird to get a vaccine at school, but it makes sense. That way, instead of setting up hundreds of separate doctor appointments, the kids at your school can get protected all at once. If you need to boost your courage about shots, check out A Kid's Guide to Shots.
- With all the attention on H1N1, you might have forgotten about the seasonal flu. Most kids should get that vaccine, too. You may have heard reports that the supply of seasonal flu vaccine was delayed. Over the next few weeks, manufacturers hope to deliver more doses so everyone who needs a seasonal flu shot vaccine will get one.
- If you're tired of reading about the flu, how about listening to Dr. John Clarke? He's the doctor who specializes in "health hop" and won the flu.gov contest for the best flu prevention video.
- Lots of people are talking about "respiratory etiquette" (say: eh-tih-ket). What's that, you ask? Well, you probably know respiratory means breathing. Your respiratory system includes your lungs. And etiquette means manners. So we're talking about how to be polite and not spread germs when your respiratory system does something like sneeze or cough.
Experts recommend sneezing and coughing into a tissue or your elbow. That means fewer germs on your hands so you'll be cutting down on the germs you're spreading around.
