Get vaccinated
The flu virus mutates every year and adapts to earlier vaccines. The more people who are vaccinated, the less the virus spreads, which protects those who can’t be vaccinated, such as infants and seniors. This is called herd immunity.
Health
Wellness
Immunity and prevention
Get some fresh air
Warm air recirculating in offices and homes keeps germs around for longer. A short break outside, or an open window, lowers the amount of germs in the room.
Hygiene habits
Clean the things everyone touches
Phones, microwaves, keyboards, door handles, light switches, remote controls and children's toys pass through many hands and collect bacteria and germs. Clean them regularly so the germs don't build up.
Stop biting your nails
Your hands touch a lot of contaminated surfaces during the day. Biting your nails carries those germs straight to your mouth, eyes and face. Wash your hands often with soap and water to help break the habit.
Keep clear of sneezes and coughs
The droplets from a sneeze or cough carry germs and travel farther than most people think. Stepping back, turning away or breathing out as someone sneezes or coughs means you breathe in fewer of them.
Diet and lifestyle
Rethink that extra drink
Too much alcohol suppresses the immune system and makes white blood cells worse at killing bacteria. It also dehydrates you and disrupts your sleep, which lowers your defences further.
Cut back on sugar
Like alcohol, a lot of sugar makes white blood cells less able to fight bacteria and viruses. Guidelines suggest women have no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day and men no more than 9. A typical can of soda has about 10.
Eat probiotic foods
Roughly 60% to 70% of your immune system is in your gut, and a healthy mix of gut bacteria stops pathogens and infections from taking hold. Fermented foods such as kombucha or kimchi feed good gut bacteria better than sugary yoghurts do.
Exercise in moderation
Moderate exercise strengthens your immune system over time. Very intense workouts leave your body tired, and for a short while afterwards you are more likely to get sick.
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