Today I learned how to give a flu shot, I vaccinated someone and got vaccinated in return (with the seasonal flu vaccine). I learned a lot about the Novel H1N1 Virus. Right now the US government is prioritizing vaccination to certain groups who are at high risk. It appears that most of the public health community is on alert, ready to start vaccinating as soon as we get enough of the seasonal flu vaccine and the novel H1N1 vaccine.
Here at Stanford, all 1st and 2nd year medical students are being enlisted to vaccinate the entire Stanford community, all 30,000 or so that want the vaccine. I will let you know how it goes once we get started.
I also learned of the 3 key signs of influenza-like-illness (ILI): people must have a fever, and they must have either a cough OR a sore throat. If you're worried about catching the flu this year, stay away from people that cough (within 6 feet of them and you'll probably get the virus), and wash your hands regularly. Most importantly, don't touch your face! The best resource if you're concerned is the Center for Disease Control's website. They have weekly updates and more than enough information.
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