Flu Season - What You Need to Know

Influenza immunization is the best way to protect yourself and the people around you against influenza. It’s recommended that all Albertans age 6 months and older get the influenza vaccine every year.

Influenza can spread in the following ways:

• An infected person sneezes, coughs, or even talks.

• You breathe in the virus.

• You touch something that has the virus on it (such as hands or a doorknob), then touch your eyes, mouth, or nose.

Symptoms start suddenly and may include:

• a fever and chills.

• a sore throat or cough.

• a headache.

• muscle aches.

• not feeling hungry or not wanting to eat (poor appetite).

• feeling tired.

Other symptoms may include feeling sick to your stomach (nausea), vomiting (throwing up), or having loose stool (diarrhea). These are more common in young children.

In some cases, influenza can lead to a lung infection (pneumonia) or make other health problems worse. Even healthy, young people can get very sick or die from influenza.

When to call

Call 911 if:

• You are having trouble breathing, or you feel very short of breath.

• You have a severe headache or stiff neck and are confused or having trouble staying awake.

Call your doctor if:

• You have an extremely high fever and lasts longer than 3 days.

• Your child is 6 months of age or younger and has a fever of 38°C (100°F) or higher.

• Your cough lasts more than 7-10 days after having no more symptoms.

• You are coughing up yellow, green, rust-coloured, or bloody mucus.

• You are finding it harder and harder to breathe.

• Wheezing develops.

• New pain develops or pain narrows to one area, such as an ear, the throat, the chest, or the sinuses.

• Symptoms don't go away, even with home treatment and becomes more severe or frequent.