Infographic: 5 ways to prevent the flu

Do you know how to prevent the flu? Check out these 5 easy tips.



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1. Get vaccinated

Getting vaccinated is the most important way you can protect yourself from the flu. When you get vaccinated, you’re much less likely to get sick.

2. Wash your hands often

Hand-washing is a great way to get rid of germs. Washing your hands with soap and water before and after eating, after coughing or sneezing and after using the bathroom can make a big difference when preventing flu. 

3. Stay away from people who are sick

Keeping your distance from others who have the flu can reduce your chance of getting sick. Flu viruses can spread through air and via surfaces, so stay away from people who are sick.

4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with your hands

Touching surfaces that are contaminated with germs and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth can allow for the flu virus to enter your body.

5. Practice good hygiene

Clean surfaces and objects in your home, at work, at school and elsewhere to reduce the chances of spreading the flu.

Guest blog: World Health Day 2015: Food safety

Today’s guest blog, from the Pan American Health Organization, is in recognition of World Health Day.  This year’s event focuses on food safety, with a theme of “From Farm to Plate, Make Food Safe.”  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 48 million people in the United States get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die because of foodborne diseases each year.

Food safety is important to all countries because diseases and infections that come from the food we eat are a major cause of suffering and death throughout the world. Foodborne diseases can be defined as those conditions that are commonly transmitted through the food we eat and include a broad group of illnesses caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemicals.

The 2015 World Health Day on food safety, April 7, aims to encourage governments to improve food safety through public awareness campaigns and highlights their ongoing actions. In addition, consumers will be encouraged to make sure the food on their plate is safe, such as knowing questions to ask, labels to look for and hygiene tips.

Foodborne diseases can keep people from working, be a burden on our health care system and decrease countries’ abilities to grow and prosper because of loss in confidence in tourism, food production and the marketing system. As an example, approximately one in eight Canadians experiences a case of foodborne illness each year in their own country. This means that each year there are about 4 million episodes of foodborne illness in Canada.

Visit our website to learn more about food safety!

For more information, email Enrique Perez Gutierrez, DVM, MSc, MPVM, PhD,
PAHO's senior advisor for foodborne diseases and zoonosis.