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For the college student or young professional, catching the influenza can put you out of commission for at least a week, hindering your social life and eating up those vacation days.
The influenza is caused by the RNA virus (of the Orthomyxoviridae family). Common symptoms include sore throat, chills, fever, weakness, body aches and fatigue. The virus is usually spread by an infected persons sneezes or coughs, followed by hand-to-mouth contact by those exposed to the sneeze mist or floating germs.
We sometimes forget the old lessons our parents taught us about staying healthy during flu season; we're often too busy living our own lives to remember what mom told us to do. The best option to avoid getting sick, most healthcare experts agree, is to get a flu vaccination. Walt Hewitt, a nurse at Rutgers University's Busch/Livingston Health Center, says, "The best way to be prepared is to get the vaccine one month to six weeks before flu season. It starts in January, so your best bet is to get [the shot] in November and avoid it completely." You can go to your local healthcare provider to get vaccinated with an average co-pay $10. The sooner you go, the better; the vaccines availability might decrease the longer you wait.
