Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Erica Jaros | U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Ryan West, medical readiness noncommissioned officer for...... read more read more
COLUMBIA, S.C. – While others are thinking about tailgating, pumpkin patches and holiday gatherings, U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Ryan West, medical readiness non-commissioned officer for Joint Forces Headquarters, South Carolina Army National Guard is trying to keep Soldiers from battling the flu virus.
“It's good for our Soldiers to stay healthy,” said West. “And it's important that they don't spread the virus to their family and the community.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each flu season the virus causes millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands or sometimes tens of thousands of deaths.
Getting a flu vaccine is the best way possible to protect against getting the virus. The CDC recommends that everyone six months and older get the flu vaccine. Since it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to affect the body, the earlier in the season people get vaccinated the better their chances of being protected.
Soldiers in the South Carolina Army National Guard are making sure that they are protected this year by getting vaccinated during their monthly drill. West administered more than 100 flu shots Nov. 4 as other units across the state were doing the same for their Soldiers.
The flu virus can be spread through direct contact or by touching something with the virus on it and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth. To prevent spreading the virus, West recommends coughing or sneezing into a tissue, wiping down doorknobs and other commonly handled items and spraying disinfectant in common areas.
“The main thing is to wash your hands,” said West. “You can also use hand sanitizer when away from home.”
Although the flu vaccine is not perfect and some people who get vaccinated may still get the flu, it’s possible that the vaccination may make symptoms milder.
| Date Taken: | 11.04.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 11.06.2017 10:44 |
| Story ID: | 254127 |
| Location: | COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, SCARNG Prepares for Flu Season, by SFC Erica Jaros, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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