Flu’s on my mind today for a bunch of reasons. On the bus this morning I saw a bunch of people coughing (and then, of course, grabbing the hand rails). Yikes. May I begin by imploring: Cough into the crook of your elbow, people!
In seriousness, wouldn’t it be great if we could call people out on their bad hygiene? If it were socially acceptable for me to tug on the sleeve of the sniffling girl on the Damen bus and say “Please, use this tissue to wipe your nose. You might be giving the next person on the bus your sniffles.” Any thoughts on this, dear readers? How do you gently influence the people around you (kids, too) to be more germ-conscious?
And how about those vaccines? The Chicago Tribune reports today that the H1N1 vaccine is trickling into the area, but is not yet widely available here. I think that means hold tight for most of us, but there’s more on the way. However, the seasonal flu vaccine IS ready now. Sharon Stanley, American Red Cross Chief Nurse, encourages us to become better informed and offers insights about seasonal and H1N1 flu in this video. Sharon explains how to avoid getting the flu and dispels some myths about vaccination (it can’t give you the flu!) You can find more on the Red Cross Blog.
EHS Safety News America 
Thanks Susan for reinforcing those everyday habits and for reading my Blog! 🙂
Jack
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We can’t possibly influence enough people outside of our families to reduce the spread of germs. We have to be on the defense and teach our families to wash their hands often and more importantly, keep your hands away from your face! Your eyes, your nose, your mouth, your ears – they are all points of entry for germs into your system. Tell your family over and over again “KEEP YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM YOUR FACE!”
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