GREENSBORO, N.C. — It's that time of year….Fall is here bringing with it cooler weather. But it's also time to get a flu shot!
So, today we're talking with Dr. Cynthia Snider, Cone Health Infection Prevention medical director, about flu shots and how to help protect you and your family from the upcoming flu season.
Why is it so important we get vaccinated for the flu?
"I wanna say that there's a lot of misconception of the flu being just another cold. Actually, it carries a lot of problems with a lot of hospitalizations. There are still a lot of deaths and we think of that as being preventable because the vaccine works to prevent hospitalization and severe disease."
When should you get the flu shot?
"Our best recommendation is to get it before the end of October. It takes about two weeks for your immune system to build up enough antibodies for that level of protection. Especially if people are flying around for Thanksgiving because we know that being in planes or traveling tends to be the most common times when people are contracting other respiratory illnesses."
What kind of over the counter medication should we have at home in case we get exposed to or get the flu?
"I would just uh, take Tylenol and Ibuprofen and stay hydrated. if you have some nasal congestion or cough, you know, you can think of like, Robitussin or Guaifenesin kind of combination."
Dr. Snider answers these questions and more in the above videos.