It’s not too late for flu shot [The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.]

Jan. 31--LEWISBURG -- We can be thankful for more than the mild winter this year in the Valley. The influenza season also has been lighter than usual.

"The present flu season has been relatively quiet so far," said Dr. John Kryston, medical director of Infection Control, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Evangelical Community Hospital.

So far, Evangelical's laboratory has not reported a positive case of influenza A or B, he said.

The same holds true for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the , neither of which has seen a significant number of cases.

Flu season typically begins in mid- to late fall, goes through the winter and tapers off in spring, Kryston said. It can infect anyone regardless of age but tends to have higher morbidity and mortality in the very young and the elderly, he said, generally owing to weaker or compromised immune systems.

But even with fewer than usual flu cases, don't put away the hand sanitizer yet.

"This does not mean we won't see cases in the future," Kryston said, and there still are precautions to take -- chief among them a flu shot.

"If you have not received a flu shot, it is not too late to get one," Kryston said, and they're available at many locations in the Valley.

For instance, Evangelical's Community Health Education Center at the Staples Plaza along Route 15 has clinics on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Weis Markets offers shots on a walk-up basis at most pharmacy locations. And Target still has its "Flu HQ" program, where people 18 and older can get a shot at the pharmacy without an appointment.

Costs may apply for the shots, depending on the health insurance provider. Check with your pharmacist or family doctor for details on the closest spot to get a shot.

Next, keep practicing good hand hygiene, Kryston said. Wash your hands often and for at least 20 seconds at a time.

If you use hand sanitizer, the CDC recommends you apply it to the middle of the palm of one hand, rub your hands together and spread it over all hand surfaces until it's dry.

And don't forget to cover that cough and sneeze. If there are no tissues handy to catch your germs, cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm, which doesn't come into contact with other people often.

"Since we have a large elderly population, many of which reside in nursing homes, when the flu is in this region, it appears the elderly are hit harder than others," Kryston said, "but the entire population is at risk."

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