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General
Information on 2011-2012 Flu Season
Click Here for the GCHD
Influenza Fact
Sheet
GCHD Handwashing Fact Sheet
Up to date information
about the 2011-2012 Influenza Season can
be found on the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention website
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/ and the Michigan Department of Community
Health (MDCH) website
MDCH - Influenza (The Flu)
What You Can Do to Stay Healthy
Resources for Providers & Health Care Professionals
Parents of School Age Children
School and Childcare Resources
Resources for Employers and Businesses
What You Can Do to Stay
Healthy
(back to top)
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Get vaccinated against the flu.
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Cover your nose and
mouth with a tissue when you cough
or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the
trash after you use it and wash your
hands with soap and water.
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View the Sneeze and Cough Safe Video
for techniques and tips.
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Wash your hands often
with soap and water, especially
after you cough or sneeze.
See the
GCHD Handwashing Fact Sheet.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also
effective.
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Avoid touching your
eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread
this way.
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Avoid close
contact with sick people.
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If you get sick with
influenza, CDC recommends that you
stay home from work or school and
limit contact with others to keep
from infecting them.
You should be free of fever without
the use of fever reducing medicine
for 24 hours before returning to
work or school.
Resources for
Providers & Health Care Professionals
(back to top)
Antiviral Medicines
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Influenza antiviral prescription
drugs can be used to treat influenza
or to prevent
influenza.
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Two FDA-approved influenza antiviral
medications are recommended for use
in the United States during the
2011-2012 influenza season: oseltamivir (Tamiflu®)
and zanamivir(Relenza®).
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Oseltamivir and zanamivir are
chemically related antiviral
medications known as neuraminidase
inhibitors that have activity
against both influenza A and B
viruses.
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Click
here for a quick reference chart
of the recommended dosage and
Duration of Treatment or
Chemoprophylaxis for Influenza
Antiviral Medications, 2011-2012
Influenza Season
-
Click
here for the entire summary of 2011-2012
Influenza Antiviral Medications.
Testing
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There are no restrictions on
specimen submission to MDCH
laboratory for influenza testing
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MDCH is encouraging submission of
respiratory specimens from a
representative sample of
outpatients,
hospitalizations and adult deaths to
the MDCH Bureau of Laboratories (BOL)
for influenza and
respiratory virus testing
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MDCH Updated Guidance for Healthcare
Providers for 2011-2012 can be found
here:
2011-2012 Influenza Guidance for
Healthcare Professionals
Vaccine Information
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Annual vaccination is the most
effective strategy for
preventing influenza
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2011-2012
influenza vaccine
recommendations include all
people 6 months of age and older
for routine seasonal influenza
vaccination.
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Vaccination efforts should
continue to focus on groups at
high risk for flu-related
complications as well as the
reduction of the spread of
influenza to those who are at
high risk
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It should also be a priority
that health care personnel
receive an annual influenza
vaccination.
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The 2011-2012 influenza
trivalent vaccine contains
antigens to protect against
infection with the
influenza A (H1N1) virus, the
influenza A (H3N2) virus, and an
influenza B virus
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More vaccination materials and
resources for the 2011-2012
Influenza Season can be found
here.
Parents of School
Age Children
(back to top)There
are many things we can do to keep our
schools, our communities, and our homes
flu-free.
1. Get your child and
yourself vaccinated against
seasonal flu.
2. Keep your
child home if he/she is sick.
3. Teach your family
how to reduce their risk of getting and
spreading the flu viruses by:
• Washing their hands often, with
soap and hot water for at least 20
seconds is best (that is about as
long as it takes to sing the “Happy
Birthday” song twice).
• Using hand sanitizer properly.
Gels, rubs, and hand wipes all work
well, as long as they contain at
least 60% alcohol. Throw the wipe in
the trash after it is used.
• Having them cough or sneeze into
their upper sleeve—not their hands!
They should cover coughs and sneezes
by coughing into the inside of their
elbows.
• Not touching their eyes, nose or
mouth. Germs enter the body this
way.
Information for
Schools and Childcare Facilities
(back to top)
Resources for Employers and
Businesses
(back to top)
If you’re an employer,
plan now to meet your
company's objectives even with a reduced staff
due to the flu. You do
not want an employee who is ill to
spread flu in the workplace.The most recent CDC Resources for
Businesses and Employers can be found at
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/business/index.htm
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