Information about the Flu– Including the new H1N1 Flu –

for People with Certain Medical Conditions

CS204781

U.S. Department of HealtH anD HUman ServiceS centers for Disease control and prevention

Preparing for Flu Season

2 For More Information, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu

People with certain health conditions may face special medical challenges during flu season. These health conditions include:

• Pregnancy

• Cancer

• Blooddisorders(includingsicklecelldisease)

• Chroniclungdisease[includingasthmaorchronicobstructivepulmonarydisease(COPD)]

• Diabetes

• Heartdisease

• Kidneydisorders

• Liverdisorders

• Neurologicaldisorders(includingnervoussystem,brainorspinalcord)

• Neuromusculardisorders(includingmusculardystrophyandmultiplesclerosis)

• Peoplewithweakenedimmunesystems(includingpeoplewithAIDSorthosewhoarereceivingchemotherapy)

It’simportanttorememberthatpeoplewhohaveoneormoreoftheconditionslistedabovecanhaveamoresevereillnessfromanyinfluenzainfection,includingillnesswiththenewH1N1virus.Unlessyourhealthcareprovidersaysnotto,keeptakingyourmedicationevenifyoubecomesickwiththeflu.

Ifyouhaveoneofthesehealthconditionsandyoudevelopflu-likesymptoms,contactyourhealthcareproviderorseekmedicalcare.

Flu-likesymptoms(includingthesymptomsofthenewH1N1flu)includefever,cough,sorethroat,runnyorstuffynose,bodyaches,headache,chillsandfatigue.Somepeoplealsomayhavevomitinganddiarrhea.Peoplemaybeinfectedwiththeflu,including2009H1N1,andhaverespiratorysymptomswithoutafever.

If you have one of the health conditions listed, during a flu outbreak you should:

• Seekmedicalattentionifyouhaveafeverandsymptomsoftheflu.

• Limitcontactwithcrowdsandavoidcrowdedplaces.Ifyoucan’tavoidcrowdedsettings,considerwearingafacemaskorrespiratortodecreaseyourchancesofgettinginfected.Becarefulnottotouchyourfaceandwashyourhandsoften.

• Itisestimatedthatstayingatleastsixfeetawayfromapersonwhosneezesorcoughsmaybeasafedistance.

• Talkwithyourdoctorabouthavingatwo-weeksupplyofmedication.

• Keepthename,phonenumber,andofficeaddressofyourdoctororhealthcareproviderwithyouatalltimes.Findoutthebestwaytocommunicatewithyourdoctor.

• Getawrittenrecordofthekindofchronicdisease(s)youhaveandthetreatmentyouarereceiving.Keepthisinformationwithyouatalltimes.

• Prepareatypedorprintedlistofallmedicationsusuallytakenandthetimesofdaytheyaretaken.Alsoincludenecessarymedicalsuppliesorequipmentsuchassyringes,strips,lancetsifyouhavediabetes,oroxygenifyouhaveCOPD.

• Determinehowyouwillaccessongoingmedicalcaresuchaschemotherapyorradiationtherapy.Askyourhealthcareprovideriftheyhaveaplantodealwithaseverefluoutbreak(includingnewH1N1flu).

• Ifyouusemedicationsforyourcondition,continuetakingitevenifyoubecomesickwiththeflu,unlessyourdoctororhealthcareprovidersaysotherwise.

• Bealerttochangesinyourbreathing,especiallyifyouhaveheartfailure,congestiveheartdiseaseorCOPD.Promptlyreportchangestoyourdoctororhealthcareprovider.

• Informfamilymembersorclosefriendsofyourmedicalcondition.

Anewandverydifferentinfluenzaviruscalled“2009H1N1”fluhasemergedandiscausingillnessinpeopleworldwide.ScientistsbelievethenewH1N1viruswillcauseillness,hospitalstaysanddeathsintheUnitedStatesoverthecomingmonths.

ThisfluseasonmaybemoreseverethanusualbecauseofthenewH1N1virus.Thismeansthatmorepeoplemaybecomesickandmorepeoplemaygetseriouslysick.Also,regularseasonalfluviruseswillcontinuetospreadandcauseillnesstoo.

Protect YourselfWhatcanIdotoprotectmyselffromgettingsick?

For More Information, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu 3

Take time to get vaccinated.•CDCrecommendsayearlyseasonalfluvaccineasthefirstandmostimportantstepinprotecting

againstseasonalflu.Whiletherearemanydifferentfluviruses,theseasonalfluvaccineprotectsagainstthethreefluvirusesresearchindicateswillbemostcommon.Thevaccinecanprotectyoufromgettingsickfromthesethreevirusesoritcanmakeyourillnessmilderifyougetafluvirusthatisrelatedtothoseinthevaccine.

• AseasonalvaccinewillnotprotectyouagainstthenewH1N1flu.ThisnewH1N1virusisverydifferentfromtheseasonalvirusesintheseasonalfluvaccine.

• AvaccineagainstthenewH1N1virusisbeingproducedandwillbeavailableinthecomingmonthsasanoptionforpeopleathighriskofseriouscomplicationsfrominfectionwiththenewH1N1virus.

Take everyday preventive actions.•Coveryournoseandmouthwithatissuewhenyoucoughorsneezetokeepfromspreadingflu

virusestoothers.Throwthetissueinthetrashafteryouuseit.

•Washyourhandsoftenwithsoapandwater.Ifsoapandwaterarenotavailable,useanalcohol-basedhandrub.*

• Avoidtouchingyoureyes,noseormouth.Germsspreadthisway.

• Avoidclosecontactwithsickpeople.

• Ifyouaresickwithflu-likeillness,CDCrecommendsthatyoustayhomeforatleast24hoursafteryourfeverisgone,excepttogetmedicalcareorforothernecessities.(Yourfevershouldbegonewithouttheuseofafever-reducingmedicine.)Afeverisdefinedas100degreesFahrenheitor37.8degreesCelsius.Followthisrecommendationevenifyouaretakingfluantiviraldrugs.

•Whilesick,limitcontactwithotherstokeepfrominfectingthem.

Take antiviral drugs if your doctor recommends them.• IfyougetseasonalornewH1N1flu,antiviraldrugscanbeusedfortreatment.Antiviraldrugsare

prescriptionmedicines(pills,liquidoraninhaledpowder)thatfightagainsttheflubykeepingfluvirusesfromreproducinginyourbody.

• Antiviraldrugscanmakeyourillnessmilderandmakeyoufeelbetterfaster.Theymayalsopreventseriousflucomplications.

• Thepriorityuseforantiviraldrugsthisseasonistotreatpeoplewhoareverysick(hospitalized)orpeoplewhoaresickwithflu-likesymptomsandwhoareatincreasedriskofseriousflucomplications,suchaspregnantwomen,youngchildren,people65andolderandpeoplewithchronichealthconditions.

• Formaximumeffectiveness,antiviraldrugsshouldbetakenassoonaspossibleaftersymptomsbegin.

Ifyoudonotpreparebeforeafluoutbreak,itmaybeharderforyoutofollowimportanthealthadvice.Bepreparedincaseyougetsickandneedtostayhomeforaweekorso.

Haveatwo-weeksupplyofitemsneededforanextendedstayathome.Itwouldbeusefultohavetheseitemsonhandandwouldhelpavoidtheneedtomaketripsoutinpublicwhileyouaresickandcontagious.Thismightinclude:

Two-Week Supply List• Over-the-countermedicines

• Alcohol-basedhandcleaners*(incasesoapandwaterarenotavailable)

• Tissues

• Prescriptionmedicationsthataretakenregularly

• Cannedsoups,hydrationfluids,etc.

• Facemasks(forusebythesickpersonifablewhenaroundotherpeople)

*If soap and water are not available and alcohol-based products are not allowed,

other hand sanitizers that do not contain alcohol may be useful.

Get ready for the new H1N1 Flu

For more information about preparing for the flu, visit www.cdc.

gov/h1n1flu or www.flu.gov, or contact your doctor or local

health department. You can also contact the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention at 1-800-CDC-INFO.

4