Holiday Tips

Seasonal Advice from UMMC Experts

Written By: Niharika Khanna, M.D.
Associate Professor Family and Community Medicine
University of Maryland School of Medicine

Avoiding Influenza this Holiday Season

Holidays are a time for fun and family. They are also a time when you will be going to places to party, worship, and interact with a lot of people. You may travel and come in contact with a lot of other people.

Risk Factors

If you are in any of the following high risk groups, please plan to get the seasonal influenza vaccine:

You are 65 years of age or older.
You have a chronic medical condition that increases your risk for influenza, such as diabetes, lung or heart disease, or other chronic disease.
You are on long-term steroids.
You are a cancer survivor on medication or getting radiation therapy.
You have received an organ transplant.
You are on immunosuppressive drugs.
You are a health care worker.

Overall, if you fit into any of the above high risk criteria and are older than 65 or younger than six, check with your doctor to see if you may also need the pneumococcal vaccine.

Symptoms and Treatment

If you have any of the following symptoms, you may have an influenza-like illness:

Fever greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.8 degrees Celsius
High fever accompanied by a cough or sore throat.

If you are sick with any of the above symptoms, you should:

Check your temperature, and if it is greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.8 degrees Celsius without taking fever reducing medications such as Tylenol, plan to stay home.
You should stay at home for 24 hours after your temperature is below 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.8 degrees Celsius.
Avoid contact with people, cancel visits to friends' homes, parties, shopping malls, or places of worship.
Cover your nose and mouth after you cough or sneeze.
Wash your hands with soap and water after you cough or sneeze.
Alcohol-based hand cleaners are effective in decreasing the spread of infection.
Throw used tissues into the trash.
If you touch any part of your face, then wash your hands with soap and water.
If you are a health care worker or work with children, check your workplace policies regarding staying home when sick.

Prevention

You are most likely to contract sniffles, coughs, and colds during the holidays when you are meeting lots of people. Here are some suggestions to minimize your chances of catching one of these infections:

Eat a balanced diet, stay hydrated and warm.
Try to wash your hands with soap and water when you do any of the following: use the bathroom, shake hands or hug people who may be sick with a cold, use public transportation such as a bus or train.
Follow public health advice on television regarding avoiding crowds.
If you must care for or have contact with a sick person, wear a facemask.

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This page was last updated on: December 8, 2011.