How about a shot and a beer?

If you are leery of getting a flu shot, and you are otherwise in good health, the CDC has some suggestions on their FAQs page:

Are there other ways to prevent the spread of illness?

Take everyday actions to stay healthy.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.*
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
• Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

It is surprising how many people don’t do the most basic things (says the one who went to a work conference anyway, even though she was an sneezing, coughing, germ-laden sicko). Having said that, though, anyone with underlying health issues obviously needs to do more than just follow this list. (More than just using a Natty Boh – based hand rub, certainly ….)

Swine flu: Shot or no shot?

When I taught middle school, I used to get a flu shot every year. (Ever since my doctor told me I was “working in a germ factory.”) But before that time and since then I haven’t gotten the vaccine because I am not in a high risk group. I’m in good health, and have minimal contact with small children or old folks — or large groups in general. But I find the current coverage on this story very confusing — there seems to be a theme of the moment that says:

“Be very afraid!!!  Some people are not getting the swine flu vaccine!!!!”

(And by the way, I thought it was called “H1N1”, not “swine flu”?)

Personally, I have a healthy respect and skepticism of western medicine in general. I mean, I know what it has meant to eradicate smallpox through vaccine; it transformed the world. But I also lived through “Swine Flu Debacle of the 1970’s,” and am just furious with the onslaught of ads I am subjected to every night for the myriad magic pills that will cure every ill known to man. Oh, yeah, except cancer.  I guess we can’t focus on erectile dysfunction and cancer, now can we?

So at this point, as someone who is in good health, I am not going to get a “swine flu” vaccine. Of course, I’ve just this week seen my first blue “flu mask” in public, on the commuter train. But I don’t know if he was keeping the flu in or keeping it out….

So tell me: what are you doing?