Defend Your Family Against the Flu

It's as Simple as Washing Hands!

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Springtime in Los Angeles is a great time to feel alive in the outdoors. Unfortunately, this year spring is also the time when influenza is still in our communities.

Influenza (or "seasonal flu") can be a serious disease of the respiratory system. In worst cases, the disease can be fatal--on average 36,000 people die from influenza annually.

"Staying healthy this flu season can be as simple as washing your hands, covering your cough and sneezes, not touching your hands to your face, nose, or mouth, and getting a seasonal flu shot," said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Public Health Director and County Health Officer.

Washing your hands can eliminate germs that cause infectious diseases.

To help bring Dr. Fielding's advice to life, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has launched "Clean Hands," a public education campaign designed to encourage LA residents and visitors to wash their hands as a means to avoid seasonal flu and for pandemic flu preparedness.

It is crucial that Los Angeles County residents take Public Health's advice about washing your hands. Also, you may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it (like a countertop near where someone recently sneezed) and then touching your mouth or nose.

Hand washing will not only help avoid the spread of the seasonal flu and other germs, but will also be important to protect yourself if there is an outbreak of pandemic flu. Pandemic flu is a worldwide outbreak of a new flu virus for which there is little or no immunity. If a worldwide flu pandemic like the one in 1918 were to strike today, it could kill between 51 and 81 million people.