â€˜Donâ€™t Bug Meâ€™ Flu Prevention Campaign

<img src="/ads/kotv/misc/dontbugme-compo.jpg" align="right" /><br/><br/>The flu bug has made a stop in Oklahoma. State health officials say cases of influenza are being reported across the state. The

Wednesday, December 20th 2006, 2:35 pm

By: News On 6

The flu bug has made a stop in Oklahoma. State health officials say cases of influenza are being reported across the state. The virus has hit schools in northeastern Oklahoma especially hard. The week of February 12th, more than 400 kids were home with the flu in the Skiatook school district. By Friday the 16th 350 kids were still home sick.

"It's completely widespread, flu is everywhere in the state right now," said state epidemiologist Brett Cauthen.

Earlier this month, several schools in Craig and Ottawa counties reported as many as half of their students out sick with the flu. Nationally, four children have been hospitalized with influenza and three North Carolina schools were closed over widespread symptoms of the illness.

In an effort to keep you and your kids safe from the flu the Hillcrest Healthcare System and the Tulsa Health Department have kicked off their 3rd Annual "Don't Bug Me" campaign.

The â€œDonâ€™t Bug Meâ€ program is designed to spread awareness about simple steps you can take to avoid getting the flu. Experts say as many as 36,000 people in the United States die from influenza every year.

The Tulsa Health Department and Hillcrest Healthcare System started the flu-prevention campaign three years ago. Now, 33 states and even several countries have duplicated the program. "Don't Bug Me" targets three primary audiences, schools, large employers and the general public. The program uses educational materials, posters and their website to teach good health habits. Everett Hildebrand is the Director of Pharmacy at Hillcrest Medical; he says prevention begins with proper hand washing.

"People don't realize that it's soap and water and that's all it takes. Plus the length of time that you wash your hands, 20 to 30 seconds, a real easy way to remember that is sing "Happy Birthday" twice," Hildebrand said.

Hildebrand says a typical flu season begins in December and ends in March, but a long season can last until May. Typically, between 5 and 20 percent of Oklahomans will get the flu. Most people will recover in one to two weeks, but some may develop pneumonia, or other potentially life-threatening complications, officials said.

Flu symptoms start suddenly and include a fever of more than 100 degrees plus chills, headache, sore throat, cough, extreme fatigue and body aches.

Here are the 6 steps to avoid getting the flu: