Berkeley Township Councilman Carmen Amato, Jr., who is also a volunteer member of the Ocean County Board of Health, is reminding Berkeley residents of the importance of getting a flu shot. “Right now,” said Councilman Amato, hospitals are seeing widespread flu activity in Ocean County. Ten percent of people, who come into our hospital Emergency Departments, are coming in with influenza-like symptoms. He continued, “Influenza is contagious and caused by the influenza virus, which can be spread by coughing, sneezing or nasal secretions. Symptoms usually last only a few days in most people and include: fever, cough, sore throat, headaches, chills, muscle aches and fatigue. There are other illnesses with the same symptoms and are often mistaken for flu.” He added, “Older adults and people that have certain health conditions, such as lung, heart or kidney disease or those with a weakened immune system, can get much sicker if they have the flu. There are thousands of deaths each year due to seasonal flu and even more require hospitalization. The best thing you can do to avoid the flu is to get your annual flu shot and take the proper steps to help you avoid and prevent the spread of flu.” Leslie Terjesen, Ocean County Health Department Public Information Officer, said that the Ocean County Health Department will be holding a flu clinic on Thursday, February 10th from 5 – 7 pm at the Health Department main office at 175 Sunset Avenue, Toms River. She added, “We still have more winter weather ahead which keeps people indoors and exposed to more flu-like germs. There are steps that you can take to prepare and prevent the spread of flu.” These include:
- Wash your hands with soap and water. When soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based sanitizers.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Properly dispose of the tissue.
- If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your sleeve, not your hands. Stay home if you are sick. Call your health care provider if you have flu-like symptoms.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick. If you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick, also.
- Clean surfaces with a disinfectant that contains virus-killing properties.
If you have any questions about the flu shot, or need directions, please call 732-341-9700, ext. 7502. You can also visit the Ocean County Health Department online at ochd.org.