Over the past few months the H1N1 has been on the minds of people all over the world.

Here in British Columbia there has been daily news coverage about outbreaks of the H1N1 swine flu.  I’ve read about how the Government, BC Medical and researchers recommended only getting the H1N1 vaccine and not the regular flu shot.  Then they changed their mind and said everyone should get both shots, but at different times…one in November and the other in January.  Then they said that it would be better to get both vaccines at the same time as soon as they are available in November.  They also said that if you had a regular flu shot last year you would be at higher risk of contracting the H1N1 virus.  Some straight answers about this virus and vaccine would be nice.

There have been several outbreaks in the Aboriginal Communities on Vancouver Island. One Aboriginal community in Manitoba received H1N1 flu preparedness kits from the government that included dozens of body bags… I couldn’t believe it when I saw that on the news…. can you imagine!  What kind of message are they trying to send? Read the CTV News Article H1N1 Body Bags

I realize that this virus can become very serious if you have a pre-existing health condition, but for the average person, you may have the H1N1 virus and not even know it.  The best things you can do to protect yourself are:

• stay home if you have flu/cold symptoms
• wash your hands frequently (use hand sanitizer when soap and water is not available)
• avoid close contact with people that are sick
• cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough (cough or sneeze into your arm instead of your hand, that way you won’t spread your germs when you touch things)
• avoid touching your face, eyes, nose or mouth
• avoid crowded places whenever possible

Remember that the most important thing you can do for yourself is to take care of your health… get plenty of rest, eat healthy, drink lots of water, get regular exercise and take vitamin supplements if you feel run down.

If you feel you need to protect yourself with the H1n1 vaccine, contact your health care practitioner for more information.