With flu season upon us, now’s the time to make sure you and your family members (six months of age and older) have received your yearly flu vaccine if you haven’t done so already.
Each year, approximately 200,000 people are hospitalized due to the flu and anywhere from 3,000 to 50,000 will die from flu related complications.
How does one get the flu? Typically, the flu is spread through tiny droplets when people cough, sneeze or talk. In fact, a person with the flu can infect others the day before their actual flu symptoms appear and up to 5-7 days after becoming sick. Symptoms of the flu include fever/chills, runny nose, sore throat and an aching body.
The Center for Disease Control recommends the following to help protect you this flu season:
It is also important to know that antiviral drugs can be used to treat flu illness and prevent serious flu complications. Treatment with antivirals works best when begun within 48 hours of getting sick, but can still be beneficial when given later in the course of illness.
Here at Haskell Memorial Hospital and our clinics, we offer the flu vaccine at a low cost and can usually bill it to insurance if you are insured.
Dr Wayne Cadenhead attended medical school at Texas Tech and residency at UT Medical School in San Antonio finishing in 1978 and returning to Haskell County to practice family medicine.
He is a third generation physician in Haskell County following in his father and grandfathers footsteps that in total have provided 100 years of healthcare service to Haskell County.
Dr. Cadenhead operates a family practice clinic and provides care for patients of all ages in his practice. He and wife Yuvi have 4 children and 5 grandchildren.
