Flu Safety & Prevention: Critical Information from Rite Aid

We are committed to providing the answers and information that will help you stay healthy this flu season. Please read the following important information that offers ways to protect against the flu. For more information, please visit the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention website. As always, your Rite Aid pharmacist is available to answer any questions you may have.

CDC recommended action against the flu | Get vaccinated | Protect yourself | Antiviral drugs | Flu symptoms | Diagnosing the flu | When to seek emergency care for children | When to seek emergency care for adults | Talk to a pharmacist about treatment options | Get your flu shot at Rite Aid | Related Links | Flu Safety Shopping List

CDC recommends taking action against the flu
Each year in the U.S., an average of more than 200,000 people are hospitalized and 36,000 people die from flu complications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges you to take the following actions to protect yourself and others from getting the flu:

Get vaccinated

• CDC recommends a yearly flu shot.
• The flu vaccine protects against three seasonal viruses that research suggests will be most common, including the H1N1 virus.
• Vaccination is especially important for people at high risk of serious flu complications, including young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease, and people 50 years and older.
• The flu vaccine is also important for health care workers, and other people who live with or care for high-risk people.
• Your local Rite Aid pharmacist is available to answer your flu questions, and recommend over-the-counter products that may offer symptomatic relief.

Take actions to protect yourself

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also effective.*
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone, except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
• While sick, limit contact with others to avoid infecting them.

Take antiviral drugs if recommended

• Most people ill with the flu will recover without complications. However, for those at increased risk of complications, antiviral drugs may be recommended.
• Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or inhaled powder) that fight the flu by keeping viruses from reproducing in your body.
• The flu may be caused by different viruses, which can affect whether an antiviral drug will work for you. Your healthcare provider will determine whether to prescribe an antiviral.
• For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started within the first two days of symptoms.
• Antiviral drugs are not sold over-the-counter and are different from antibiotics.
• Over-the-counter products may offer relief of your symptoms. Talk to your local Rite Aid pharmacist for recommendations.

Recognize flu-like symptoms

• Fever (usually high)
• Headache
• Extreme tiredness
• Dry cough
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle aches
• Sore throat
• Sometimes vomiting
• Sometimes diarrhea

Diagnosing the flu

It is difficult to distinguish the flu from other infections on the basis of symptoms alone. A doctor's exam may be needed to tell whether you have developed the flu or a complication of the flu. There are tests that can determine if you have the flu as long you are tested within the first 2 or 3 days of illness.

If you develop flu-like symptoms and are concerned about your illness, especially if you are at high risk for complications of the flu, you should consult a healthcare provider. Those at high risk for complications include people 50 years or older, those with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women, and young children.

When to seek emergency care for children

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

When to seek emergency care for adults

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

Talk to your Rite Aid pharmacist about flu treatment options.**

• Symptoms include fever (usually high), headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuff nose, muscle aches, and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting.

(Content Source: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention website (cdc.gov))

If you have questions about the treatments or medications associated with the flu, please talk to your Rite Aid pharmacist, or click here to submit a question online through our Secure Message Center.

Get your flu shot at Rite Aid***

Last year's flu season peaked early and hit hard. This year, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending everyone over the age of 6 months be vaccinated against the flu. Demand is expected to be high.

Click here to find a store near you.

Related Links

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

PandemicFlu.gov

World Health Organization

Rite Aid Flu Safety Shopping List

Prevention

• Hand Sanitizer
• Antibacterial Hand Soap
• Antibacterial Wipes
• Antibacterial Spray

Over-the-Counter Treatment

• Fever Reducer
• Decongestant
• Thermometer
• Tissues
• Anti-Diarrheal Medication
• Anti-Nausea Medication

Product Recommendations