Missouri Governor Mike Parson received his flu shot and thought you should too. Governor Parson is one of the few U.S. Governors to receive his flu shot publicly. His wife also received her flu vaccination.
According to reports, Governor Parson is one of eight governors in the U.S. to receive his influenza vaccination publicly [1]. Parson said, “We are focused on strengthening our workforce to make our state more competitive. To do so, keeping Missourians healthy is a must.” He also made the case that the vaccine helps keep the spread of the flu to a minimum, which benefits everyone.
Steps To Stop Spreading Flu
According to the CDC [2], other steps to restrict the spread of the flu are to:
- Avoid close contact.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
- Stay home when you are sick.
If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. This will help prevent spreading your illness to others.
- Cover your mouth and nose.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Flu and other acute respiratory illnesses, like a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), whooping cough, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), are spread by coughing, sneezing, or unclean hands.
- Clean your hands.
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.A Couple of Links To Help With Washing Hands
- Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives
Tips on hand washing and using alcohol-based hand sanitizers - It’s a SNAP Toolkit: Handwashing
Hand washing resources from the It’s A SNAP program, aimed at preventing school absenteeism by promoting clean hands. From the School Network for Absenteeism Prevention, a collaborative project of the CDC, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Cleaning Institute.
- Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. - Practice other good health habits.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.
The flu is a respiratory disease that affects millions of people every year and can kill. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 80,000 Americans died of influenza and its complications during the 2017-18 season [3].
Notes:
- ^“Parson, DHSS Encourages Missourians to Get Their Annual Flu Shots.” The Missouri Times. October 26, 2018. Accessed November 27, 2018. https://themissouritimes.com/54821/parson-dhss-encourages-missourians-to-get-their-annual-flu-shots/. (go back ↩)
- ^“Preventing The Flu: Good Health Habits Can Help Stop Germs | CDC”. 2018. Cdc.Gov. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/habits/index.htm. (go back ↩)
- ^“CDC Estimates 80,000 Americans Died Of The Flu Last Winter | CBC News”. 2018. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/flu-deaths-us-80000-last-winter-1.4839917. (go back ↩)
