Current Influenza Activity in San Diego County
Every week, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency's Epidemiology and Immunization Services Branch, in partnership with the medical community, publishes Influenza Watch, which summarizes current influenza activity in the County, Read the latest issue here.

Protect Yourself, Family and Friends From Influenza! Get Vaccinated!
Have you received flu vaccine for this flu season? What about your family and friends? Coworkers? If not, why not? Consider the following facts about flu and flu vaccine:

Everyone 6 months of age and older should get flu vaccine every year. Some people think that they don't need vaccine this year because they got it last year, and the strains in the vaccine have not changed. The problem is that the immunity you get from the vaccine wanes over time, which means you're unprotected when the next flu season starts, no matter what strains are in the vaccine.

Flu can be very severe, and its complications can be fatal. Every year, thousands of people in the US die from influenza-related complications, like pneumonia. Seniors, infants and those with chronic health conditions are especially vulnerable to complications from the flu.

Many thousands more get so sick they have to be hospitalized. And many people miss work or school because they were sick with the flu, or because they are taking care of someone with the flu.

This season, it's even easier than usual to get flu vaccine. Supplies are plentiful, and vaccine is being offered at many locations around San Diego County,, such as retail pharmacies.

So don't wait! Get your flu vaccine protection now!

For a list of Public Health Center flu immunization clinics, please visit this page.

For more information about the flu and flu vaccine, visit 

California Department of Public Health Flu Pages

Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Flu Pages

It's Still Not Too Late To Get Flu Vaccine!
People may think the flu season is mostly over after the holidays, but the flu is still circulating and making people sick. That's why it's still not too late to get flu vaccine! Vaccine is plentiful and available all around the county, so if you haven't had flu vaccine yet, it's not too late to protect yourself, your friends and your family.

You can take the Flu Ends With U Vaccination Pledge
The Flu Vaccination Campaign slogan, The Flu Ends With U, means that individuals take responsibility to get vaccine protection so that everyone is protected, even those who cannot themselves get flu vaccine because of age or certain health conditions. Please pledge to get flu vaccine, and to encourage and help and encourage other people to get protected. Click here to take the pledge.

Additional Ways To Protect Your Health
Speaking of protection against the flu, there are some other things you can do in addition to getting flu vaccine to help stay healthy (list courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]):

• 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. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub. Check the label to make sure the rub contains at least 60% alcohol.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and 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 as much as possible to keep from infecting them.