The influenza virus is not a friend to anybody, but it can be a particularly deadly enemy to those with cystic fibrosis. When it comes to the flu, offense is definitely your best defense. If you get the flu, you’ll be facing a battle that’s difficult to win. You’re much better off taking a proactive stance to avoid the flu, rather than trying to fix the problems it’s bound to cause if you get it.
Your First Line of Defense
The single most important thing you can do to protect yourself from the flu is to get vaccinated. Every year -- unless your doctor tells you otherwise -- you, your family, and your caregivers need to have a flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available at your CF care center or in your community. Usually, that’s sometime in October. Once you get the vaccine, it takes about two weeks to build immunity so you really want to be the first in line to get yours at the beginning of flu season.
Other Ways to Protect Yourself
When you think about other ways to protect yourself from the flu, think about how it is transmitted. Influenza is spread by respiratory droplets that are coughed or sneezed out by people who are infected. If you come in contact with those droplets you could get the flu, so you need to protect yourself from those coughs and sneezes – but that’s not all. What do people do when they cough or sneeze? If their mothers taught them any manners, they cover their nose and mouth, right? Yup, you guessed it. Now they have influenza virus all over their hands. You also need to protect yourself from those hands, and everything they may have touched.
So what should you do to avoid all those respiratory droplets? You should:
- Always follow the three-foot rule around people who are coughing or sneezing
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand gel – especially after touching something that might be contaminated with respiratory droplets
- Avoid touching your face -- germs that might be on your hands could infect you through your eyes, nose or mouth
You can also protect yourself by reminding people around you to:
- Wash their hands often – especially after coughing, sneezing, or blowing their nose
- Sneeze and cough into a tissue rather than their bare hands –then throw the tissue away and wash or sanitize their hands
- Stay home if they are sick
- Get a flu vaccine every year
Sources:
C. Tran and J. Pitts. (2007). “Improving Influenza Vaccine Compliance Through Patient Education for Patients With Cystic Fibrosis”. Journal of Pediatric Health Care. 21, 57-61. 13 July 2009
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. 2007. Influenza. 13 July 2009
