Hand washing, shots are best defense against illness
To help thwart off illness this season, the best thing anyone can do is wash his or her hands.
Leigh Estvold, a registered nurse in charge of infectious and communicable disease with Lake County Public Health, said that frequent hand washing “is amazing.”
“That’s for any illness; that’s for respiratory, for the diahrea illnesses, which is what we’re (currently) seeing,” she added.
Calling the illness a norovirus, Estvold explained that it differs from influenza.
“Flu is what people use to think was vomiting, diahrea… True flu is like a really bad cold,” she said, adding that the vomiting and diahrea is more of a norovirus while flu has more respiratory affects.
Flu, Estvold adding, typically comes with a fever.
She said the state of Montana recently put out a press release regarding norovirus, as it’s the most common illness going around.
While hand washing in the number one way to help stop the spread of the norovirus, Estvold said that once someone has a bout of the stomach illness, they should disinfect everything they can from countertops, bathrooms, doorknobs, and wash any laundry.
So far, only one patient has been hospitalized for the flu, Estvold confirmed.
Typically, doctors and laboratories report illnesses to the Department of Public Health and Human Services.
“It’s not too late for a flu shot,” she advised.
A new flu shot is made and distributed each season, based on what is occurring “on the other side of the globe.”
The vaccines are a little different each year, which scientists and doctors take educated guesses against the illness.
Estvold said that one report going around is that the flu shot this year is ineffective.
She said that the report is saying the vaccine won’t be as effective in the United States because of a strain that is currently making people ill in Australia, because the strain is not in the flu shot.
“Most of the flu shots have three or four strains” in the vaccinations, while scientists and doctors pick the strains they think will be the worst.
“Even though it’s not particularly effective against one strain, there are three other strains it’s effective against,” Estvold said, adding that although the flu shot may not protect a patient entirely, it should at least keep the illness from becoming severe.
Vaccines should be considered for infants, the elderly and anyone with a compromised immune system, Estvold said.
Sometimes parents decide against vaccinating their children because they don’t want to hurt their babies or cause Austim.
She explained that there is no correlation between vaccines and Autism.
“I can understand, people don’t want to give their babies shots. It’s uncomfortable,” she sympathized.
Vaccines have also helped control diseases such as polio, she adding, “It’s best to do the shots (all at once) when infants are most vulnerable.”
Another vaccine that is crucial are the pneumonia shots for those 65 years and older.
There are two shots, one year apart.
In addition to the pneumonia vaccine for the elderly, Estvold said that there will be a new shingles shot coming in 2018.
Previously, the shingles vaccine was made of a live virus, but the new shot is not live, and scientists have added antibodies to it.
“It will be more effective against neurological pain” associated with the disease, she said.
That shot will also be distributed in a series of two injections.
The health department offers most vaccinations for all ages from 1-4 p.m. on Tuesdays, or appointments can be made in advance for other days of the week.
The Lake County Public Health Department is located at 802 Main Street in Polson, and can be reached by calling (406) 883-7288.
More information can be found by visiting http://dphhs.mt.gov/health, or searching Lake County Public Health on Facebook.
Ways to protect yourself from easily spread illnesses
• Cough into your elbow, not your hands
• Avoid handshaking
• Use hand sanitizer if you are unable to use soap and water
• Stay home if you’re sick
• Don’t share utensils or drinks