It's important to understand the risk that the flu poses and how to best prepare yourself and your family for the coming season. Flu can be a dangerous disease for the oldest among us, but there are important preventative measures we can take to ensure we stay safe as we celebrate the holidays together.

Getting Vaccinated

The flu vaccine is the first step toward protecting yourself. It is an effective tool for preventing death and disease. The CDC recommends everyone six months of age and older get a flu vaccine every season, with rare exceptions. You can find a location to get a flu shot at vaccines.gov.

Getting Tested and Treated

If you suspect that you or a loved one has the flu, it’s important to know your status. Medications like Tamiflu are effective at lessening the severity of symptoms such as coughing and sore throats and lowering the amount of time you experience symptoms by up to two days. Tamiflu is only effective if taken within the first 48 hours of symptom onset, meaning that it’s important to be able to quickly know if you have the flu. That’s where testing at the pharmacy comes in.

Pharmacists have played a critical role during the pandemic. Now they're stepping up to help tackle the flu.

Throughout the pandemic, AIVD has successfully developed a variety of testing tools, including rapid test kits and uncut sheets to help people determine if they are infected with the flu virus. Learn more about our Flu Testing Solutions.