CDC: Get a Flu Shot This Year

It's National Influenza Vaccination Week and this year is shaping up to be one of the worst flu seasons in a while. Did you get your flu shot?

More than one-third of United States residents have already been vaccinated against the influenza virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday. With National Influenza Vaccination Week, which started last Sunday and ends Saturday, health officials aim to increase that percentage, especially since this year's season may be a bad one. Influenza—more commonly known as simply "the flu"—is a contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses infecting the nose, throat and lungs. It spreads via infected people coughing, sneezing or talking, though people can also get infected by touching something with the flu virus on it before touching their mouth, eyes or nose. The 2012-2013 season is shaping up to be one of the worst …

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Life in the Mom Lane

How to Handle Back to School Bugs

With school underway, kids are going to start getting sick. Find out how to prevent that from happening.

As most moms know, back to school means a lot of different things. Busier schedules, homework, fall sports, a whole new set of after school activities, and, of course, back to school bugs.  Frankly it almost seems inevitable that, no matter how old a child is, they always seem to catch some kind of illness within the first few weeks of school. Now, before anyone gets crazy here I am not saying that school makes kids sick! I am, however, saying that it seems like the change in seasons, the change in schedules and even the change in scenery all seem to contribute to an almost inescapable case of something. Take, for example, my friend Colleen. Her daughter started the first grade less than a week ago and was already sidelined with a case of …

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Reminder: Flu Clinic in Burlington This Week

The Board of Health is holding a variety of clinics for different age groups.

The Burlington Board of Health will hold a free flu clinic at the Murray-Kelley Room, 61 Center Street, for those age 19 and older on the following date:  Residents are asked to bring their insurance card. Those ages 65 and older are asked to bring Medicare information. You will be able to receive vaccine regardless of insurance status.   To participate in the clinic, residents must come to the Board of Health office, 61 Center St., Room 203, on the Tuesday, October 11, from 7 to 8:30 a.m. or from 2 to 4 p.m. to get a ticket for an assigned time to attend the clinic. Nobody will be admitted to the clinic without a ticket.  Only 500 adult doses of flu vaccine have been purchased by the Board of Health to be dispensed to any adult with …

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