It's that time of Year...

Humming the old Nescafe commercial where this couple were cozying up to each other on front of a fire with cups of steaming instant coffee.."It's that time of year..lalalalala" etc. etc. and No I don't mean Christmas, although if it was up to my daughter, everyday will be Christmas and her birthday too. I mean the flu season. Just goes to show that time really passes so quickly, last time I had the flu shot, I was 5 mos pregnant and in a blink of an eye, I have a 6 month old daughter and it's time for the shots again. I am encouraging people to get their flu shots, especially this season the CDC is predicting to be worse than ever, with the swine flu virus adding to the mix. Some might not want it coz they swear it make them more prone to being sick, or they have experiences that after the shot they get sick.

FACT: There is more than 1 strain of flu, getting the flu shot doesn't mean you are not gonna be sick, but if you do get sick, this will be a milder version compared to getting the full blown flu.

FACT: children 6 months to 18 yrs old, caregivers of children, pregnant women, or would get pregnant this season..pls just get the freaking vaccine. Even if you think as a healthy adult you will survive the Flu, if you have little kids or babies, they are more susceptible and might not be able to fight off the infection. So for the sake of the little ones, even if you are afraid of the needle, It's just a little, teensy weensy needle! suck it up and get it! get it! get it!

Have seen too many children suffering getting transferrred to tertiary care because the parents don't want the vaccine. I can't stress it enough. Get it.

Here's link for all procrastinators and non-believers out there
http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/protect/keyfacts.htm
Don't wait till it's too late, coz there might be a shortage of vaccines this year, don't put it off to the point that it's like a refugee line. Walgreens offer the shots from am till around 4pm for $24.99

And remember folks, aside from getting the vaccine, keep in mind the usual ways of disease prevention, handwashing, using purell or alcohol gels, try to stay clear of crowds. And if the kids are sick with fevers and symptomatic, don't send them to school. Keep them home, so at least whatever they have won't get spread around.