Health Unit Confirms First 2012 Influenza Case!
Flu season typically runs from November to April in Canada,and cases of Influenza B had been reported in other areas of Ontario.However.our luck ran out.
Lab results received last Friday, January 13th,by the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit showed the first confirmed case of Influenza B in its area. The Health Unit region includes Haliburton County, Northumberland County and the City of Kawartha Lakes. The influenza case reported involved an older adult, who is now recovering.
'Flu season is officially here, so we encourage local residents to take precautions and protect themselves and their loved ones from becoming sick,' shared Diane Dingman, Director of Communicable Disease Control with the HKPR District Health Unit,adding' One of the best defences against the spread of influenza is getting a flu shot.'
Free Flu Shots Still Available
While the Health Unit’s public flu shot clinics are over for another year, local residents may still be able to get a flu shot by calling the Health Unit or contacting their health care provider. Flu shots are the best protection against influenza, and are free to everyone over the age of six months who lives, works, or attends school in Ontario.
Germ Reduction Strategies Help Prevent Flu
‘Reducing the spread of germs also helps to lower the risk of getting influenza and other respiratory infections,’ Dingman cautions. People are encouraged to:
- Wash hands or use hand sanitizer frequently, especially after coming in contact with surfaces that others may have touched.
- Cover up coughs. If possible, avoid coughing into the hands and instead cough into the upper sleeve. If coughing into the hands, wash hands immediately.
- Stay home from work or school if ill.
- Eat well, and be physically active on a regular basis to keep the body’s immune system strong.
All of these efforts can help slow the spread of influenza in our community,' Dingman says.
During the 2010/2011 flu season, the Health Unit reported 96 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza for all of Haliburton County, Northumberland County and the City of Kawartha Lakes.
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