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Coming down with the flu isn't a pleasant experience. One moment, you're fit and well; the next, you're stuck in bed, putting the rest of your life on hold. It's all chicken soup and paracetamol. Unless you've suffered a severe disease, flu is the worst you will feel all year. In the most severe cases, it can even lead to hospitalisation.
According to NHS figures, in the final weeks of 2023, hospital flu cases spiked by six-fold, reaching an average of 942 patients with flu in hospital each day in the week leading up to Christmas. Flu isn't inevitable, however. With the correct preventative measures (including the flu jab), you can avoid falling ill.
Here's a look at the expert guidance for flu prevention, covering everything from flu vaccination to optimal hygiene. Keep yourself safe next flu season.
Expert Tips to Prevent Flu
Tip 1. Get the Flu Jab
The influenza flu vaccine, or flu jab, is the best protection against contracting flu. Like all vaccinations, it introduces a harmless piece of virus into your body. Your immune system can then identify the threat and generate antibodies. That means if you're infected with the live virus, your body's defences can respond rapidly.
But how effective is the flu jab? Well, because the flu virus changes from year to year, its effectiveness varies from modest to high in terms of protection against influenza. For example, in 2019-2020, the vaccine was 42.7% effective in all ages – meaning it prevented almost half of infections.
Usually, the flu jab is given annually – around the autumn and early winter when cases spike. The vaccine is available to everyone; however, the most vulnerable groups are prioritised. You should get a flu vaccine if you:
are 65 years of age or older
are pregnant
reside in a care home
are the primary caregiver for an elderly or disabled person, or receive a carer's allowance
live with someone who has a compromised immune system
Frontline health and social care workers should also be vaccinated due to the risk to patients and themselves.
Tip 2. Stay Up to Date with the Flu Vaccination
Influenza isn't a static virus. Virologists (people who study viruses) are in a constant race to combat the rapid mutation rate of this family of viruses. The result is that a new influenza vaccination is required annually.
Usually, experts will analyse data for the forthcoming flu season, selecting three influenza strains for inclusion in the vaccine. In doing so, they hope to prevent the majority of flu cases.
It's not just the strains present in the vaccine which differ. The kind of vaccine may also change. Children, for example, are given the flu vaccine via nasal spray. It contains a live attenuated strain, which produces a stronger immune response. Adults, on the other hand, receive a flu jab containing an inactivated form of the virus via intramuscular injection (into the arm).
Stay current on the best flu vaccination options with Health Klinix. We monitor the latest changes to provide you with up-to-date information.
Tip 3. Practice Good Hygiene
After flu vaccination, hygiene is the simplest way to reduce your flu risk. Everything from alcohol hand gel to soap and water inactivates the virus, preventing infection.
Follow these tips:
Frequent Handwashing: Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Remember to wash between your fingers and beneath your nails to remove any remnants of the virus. Handwashing is particularly important after being in public places or touching commonly used surfaces.
Use Hand Sanitisers: When soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol. You can carry a small bottle of hand sanitiser to use when exiting busy environments such as public transportation, offices, or shopping centres.
Avoid Touching Your Face: Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, and mouth to prevent germs from entering your body. It's surprisingly hard to do – however, it's the best way to reduce the risk of infection.
Cover Coughs and Sneezes: Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow when you cough or sneeze. While it won't prevent you from contracting the virus, it does limit its spread.
Dispose of Tissues Properly: Use tissues to cover your nose and mouth, then dispose of them immediately. Never reuse tissues, as they can harbour germs and contribute to the spread of the virus.
Alongside these hygiene practices, be thoughtful about your environment. Viruses can linger on surfaces for hours (even days) following contamination. Think about public toilets, bannisters, light switches, doorknobs, phones, and computer keyboards.
Tip 4. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Your immune system is the last line of defence against infection. Flu vaccination can prepare your body for influenza; however, your defences are only as strong as your healthy lifestyle. It ensures you fight off the infection and recover much faster than otherwise.
Boosting your immune system doesn't have to be complicated. You can strengthen your body's defences with healthy changes:
Don't Smoke. Cigarettes contain harmful chemicals which dampen your immune system if consumed regularly. They also clog up the lungs with mucus, preventing your body from expelling harmful pathogens.
Eat a Healthy Diet. Ensure your diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. Taken together, these foods provide the building blocks for a strong immune system, including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Vitamin C, for instance, reduces the duration of the common cold.
Exercise Regularly. Regular moderate exercise helps reduce inflammation and support your immune cells. It can even improve the effectiveness of vaccinations in people with compromised immune systems.
Get Enough Sleep. If sleep were a medication, everyone would take it. During sleep, your body's defences are repaired and strengthened. However, people who receive fewer than 6 hours of sleep per night are more likely to catch a cold.
Avoid Stress. Nothing is more toxic to your immune cells than chronic stress. That's why you always come down with a cold after an exam or moving home. Manage your stress with relaxing behaviours, such as meditation, exercise, journaling, or yoga.
In addition to these basic health tips, you can support your immune system with supplements. Vitamin C, Vitamin D, zinc, and garlic are some of the most effective. Garlic, in particular, reduced the incidence of the common cold by around 30% in a 12-week study.
Probiotic foods, like yoghurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut, can also bolster your stomach's gut bacteria, helping to add another line of defence against infection.
Tip 5. Avoid Close Contact with Sick Individuals
Sounds obvious, right? Yet, despite understanding how diseases work for the better part of two centuries, people still drag themselves into work when sick.
Minimising your contact with people who are ill reduces your risk of infection. Most influenza infections are passed by respiratory droplets in the air. The greater the distance from the infection, the lower your risk of coming into contact with any droplets.
Of course, avoiding sick individuals isn't always possible. What if a family member is sick? Since COVID-19, we're all familiar with the basics of infection control. Keep a 6-metre distance, get vaccinated, and ask your family members to isolate socially.
Anything they touch could be contaminated; therefore, have separate dishes, glasses, towels, and any other items. You should also disinfect any areas they've been in.
Final Thoughts
Flu season doesn't have to be a major concern. Taking the correct precautions can severely reduce your risk of infection. Your top priority should be to get a flu jab (for you and your family) – especially if you're considered vulnerable.
Following your annual vaccination, common sense solutions like regular hand washing, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and avoiding close contact with sick individuals will minimise your exposure to the virus.
Implementing these expert tips can help you stay healthy and flu-free, ensuring you can continue with your daily activities without the interruption of illness. Stay proactive and protect yourself this flu season.
Health Klinix is a renowned provider of influenza vaccination. We provide reliable, trusted vaccinations, protecting vulnerable individuals and the wider population with the annual influenza vaccine. Book your next flu jab today or join the waitlist – we'll get in touch once an appointment is available.
References:
Douglas RM, Hemilä H, Chalker E, Treacy B. Cochrane review: vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Evidence‐Based Child Health: A Cochrane Review Journal. 2008 Sep;3(3):672-720.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system
Lissiman E, Bhasale AL, Cohen M. Garlic for the common cold. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2014(11).
Prather AA, Janicki-Deverts D, Hall MH, Cohen S. Behaviorally assessed sleep and susceptibility to the common cold. Sleep. 2015 Sep 1;38(9):1353-9.
Simpson RJ, Kunz H, Agha N, Graff R. Exercise and the regulation of immune functions. Progress in molecular biology and translational science. 2015 Jan 1;135:355-80.
https://vaccineknowledge.ox.ac.uk/accessible/flu-vaccine-effectiveness-graph
Reviewed and approved by:
Dr Ravi Gowda, Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Travel Medicine
MBBS, MRCP(UK), DTM&H, MRCGP, DCH, DRCOG, DFFP
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