Flying in flu season

[Dylan Couper]

Do you guys who fly a lot during flu season take any precautions to keep from sucking a 747 with of germs and virii while travelling?

Just wondering as I'm just getting over a flu and flying next week.

[Charles Papert]

My girlfriend always brings "Airborne" with us when we travel; it's a homeopathic immune booster, comes in tablets in a tube. We get it at Trader Joe's.

[John Lee]

I always get the flu immunization whenever possible. I've gotten it about 8 times the last ten years. The two times I didn't get the shot, I ended up getting the flu. One of those times, I also ended up in the hospital...not fun.

[Andrew Petrie]

Get a flu shot, thats the only thing you can really do. Here in Ontario, the flu shot is free.

[Dylan Couper]

I've always been a little hesitant about the flu shot, but maybe I'll give it a try this year.

[Lathe Austin]

<<<-- Originally posted by Dylan Couper : I've always been a little hesitant about the flu shot, but maybe I'll give it a try this year. -->>>

Don't get a flu shot you know it's a conspiracy right.

[Dylan Couper]

That's what the cigarette smoking man told me.

[Pete Bauer]

As you've probably seen in the news, influenza vaccine will be in very short supply this year. Some officials are requesting that healthy young adults either delay or skip their influenza immunization this year to ensure that enough vaccine is available to high risk people such as the elderly, young children, people with chronic diseases, and health care workers. The rationale is that young adults may get sick, but are very unlikely to die from the strains of influenza that the vaccine protects against, whereas the high risk populations by definition have more risk of complications and death. That's not to say you may not request a shot even if you are a young healthy adult; if you want one, ask.

That said, most illnesses you'll contract on the road are not influenza but other "flu bugs" such as cold viruses and "stomach bugs." The influenza vaccine does not protect against the legions of these run-of-the mill bugs -- only the strains of influenza that are predicted to occur in the upcoming season.

Your BEST PROTECTION from the wide range of communicable diseases you'll encounter on the road is good hand washing. Most cold and "flu" bugs are transmitted primarily by direct contact (handshaking and other things that ill people have touched...maybe even cameras and camera equipment!) rather than the air -- although some certainly are airborne, such as influenza! Keeping your hands/fingers away from your face and using warm water and soap to handwash regularly, or waterless hand disinfectants that you can buy, will reduce the chances of a virus taking up residence in your tissues.

BTW, most modern airliners now have lateral airflow (from the top, past the windows, down and out the floor) and HEPA filtering of the portion of the air that is recirculated to limit the risk of airborne transmission of diseases. Old aircraft had front-to-back airflow and decades ago there were actual case reports of people catching diseases like tuberculosis from other passengers they weren't even sitting next to. Not impossible these days, but a lot less likely.

BTW, I just got my influenza vaccination about 10 minutes ago.

Safe Travels!

[Dylan Couper]

I got my flu shot this morning as well, actually the first one that the clinic had given out this season, as they just got them in yesterday. I had a discussion with the doctor about resisting the flu and he gave me the same pointers we all know. Take Vitamin C on a daily basis, lots of fluids as well. He also recommended taking zinc lozenges while in an area of high risk. He also suggested a daily baby strength asprin as a good all around health measure (look it up on the web). I asked about ecchinacia (sp) and he gave me a discouraging "meh" about it.

The one thing I didn't know is that it takes 10-14 days for the flu shot to kick in to full strength, so I guess I can't start laughing yet.

Oh, the flu shot is free here if you fall into certain categories, otherwise it is only $20. They told me I could go to a free clinic next week, but I'd rather get it now and be immune by then, since being sick tends to cost me big bucks in missed work, not to mention a hundred bucks in: NyQuill, Fishermans Friends, Slurpees, video rentals, Kleenex, and chicken soup....