If you haven’t had a flu shot yet, the next best thing to protect yourself from getting sick is frequent handwashing with soap and water, or the use of an alcohol-based gel hand sanitizer.

That’s the latest word from the Atlanta, Ga.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which Monday anounced that this year’s flu season is off to an early start.

While Stanislaus County has not had any reported cases of flu, outbreaks are already going strong in parts of the country, months before the season typically peaks.

“This is very serious,” said Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the CDC.

She warned that flu season could be worse than usual this year, and added that the vaccine being commonly distributed does not exactly match the strain doctors are seeing so far.

So far this year, flu outbreaks have been the strongest in Texas and Colorado in October and early November. Most of the country has had only sporadic flu infections so far this season.

Gerberding said the vaccine should still protect most people, because the strains are very similar. The changing flu strain is called a “drift.”

“In the past this has happened. It’s a very common thing,” she said. “Whatever the drift is, the vaccine will still provide some cross-protection, so we’re optimistic that will be the case this year, but of course we’ll be watching it very carefully.”

Nevertheless, Gerberding urged people to get an early flu shot to avoid a potentially staggering flu season nationwide.

The shot is recommended for adults over 50, children between 6 months and 2 years, people with chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, asthma and kidney disease, and people who work in health care. The vaccine is readily available this year, Gerberding said.

“Annual flu shots are important for seniors because they are more likely than others to become seriously ill if they get the flu,” said John Walker, M.D., public health officer for the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency (HSA).

“For their protection, seniors should get a flu shot every year.”

An inoculation is needed every year because the flu virus changes its profile each year, according to David Jones, public information officer for the HSA.

This year’s vaccine contains antigens to provide protection against what experts believe to be the three strains of the disease expected to cause illness this winter.

Most flu seasons actually begin in January or February, so now is an excellent time to get immunized, said Jones. Last year, over 7,000 county residents received flu shots through the county’s HSA program.

“We cannot emphasize enough the importance of handwashing, not just for the flu, but for any of the viruses,” added Jones.

He said the CDC has also approved the use of alcohol-based gel hand sanitizers as an excellent way to prevent spreading germs.

This is also the time of year that cases of meningitis in children start to increase, he said, because kids share drinks, or cough and sneeze on each other.

And maintaining a healthy diet can also go a long way in protecting people from becoming ill, he said, especially with the addition of a vitamin supplement.

Getting a flu shot

Stanislaus County residents are urged to contact their local physician to arrange for a flu shot, or visit the Stanislaus County Public Health Department at 820 Scenic Drive in Modesto through Nov. 26.

Shots will be available from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday at a cost of $10.

For more information, contact the HSA’s public health services division at 558-8872.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Managing Editor Jackie Kaczmarek can be reached at 634-9141 or news@turlockjournal.com.

Reprinted by permission of the Turlock Journal.