Unfortunately, cold and flu season stretches from fall through the spring, breeding during the months when we spend more time indoors, making it easier for germs to spread. In this post, we run through some basic reminders for tried-and-true methods for preventing these cold-weather viruses from derailing your days.
What are basic cold and flu prevention strategies?
In your daily routine, these strategies can limit the spread of germs and the likelihood you will get sick:
- Frequent hand washing
- Keeping your hands away from your face
- Eating a balanced diet
- Exercising regularly
- Not smoking
What is the No. 1 step for preventing influenza?
An important step for limiting the spread and effects of the flu, is getting the flu vaccine every year. It's best to get the vaccine as soon as it's available.
Who should get the flu vaccine?
Getting the flu vaccine every year helps prevent flu infection and its complications in most people. The latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is that everyone 6 months old and older get the vaccine, especially people at higher risk of problems from the flu, including:
- Young children
- Adults age 65 and older
- Adults and children who have long-term health problems or a weak immune system
- Women who will be pregnant during flu season
- People who live in a long-term care facility, such as a nursing home
- Adults and children 6 months and older who have long-term heart or lung problems, such as asthma
- Adults and children 6 months and older who needed medical care or were in a hospital during the past year because of diabetes, chronic kidney disease or a weak immune system (including HIV or AIDS)
- People who have any condition that can make it hard to breathe or swallow (such as a brain injury or muscle disorders)
- Healthcare workers and anyone who lives or works with someone at higher risk of complications from the flu
Where to get the flu vaccine
There are many ways you can receive your annual flu vaccine: by visiting a flu shot clinic near you, utilizing your local pharmacy or receiving it during a routine check-up with your primary care physician.
What are the benefits of the flu vaccine?
Even if a flu vaccine doesn't prevent you from getting the flu, it can reduce how severe the flu is and how likely you are to have complications. Getting the flu vaccine can result in fewer days missed from work and fewer visits to a doctor for respiratory infections. It can also reduce the number of people who get complications from the flu, such as pneumonia. The flu vaccine can even help protect the babies of women who got the vaccine while they were pregnant.
Who isn’t a good candidate for the flu vaccine?
There are certain criteria that make the flu vaccine less helpful. The shot is not recommended for those who:
- Have a severe allergy to any part of the vaccine
- Have had a serious reaction to a previous dose of flu vaccine
- Have had Guillain-Barré syndrome
- Are sick. If you are ill and have a fever, wait until you're better before you get a flu vaccine.
People with egg allergies can get a flu vaccine that is recommended for their age. If their egg allergy is mild, they can get the vaccine anywhere it's offered. But people with severe allergies to eggs should be vaccinated at a clinic with healthcare providers trained to manage severe allergic reactions.
For a full list of Parkview Health’s 2025 Fight the Flu vaccination clinics, click here.
Copyrighted material adapted with permission from Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor.
