Families Are Fighting The Flu And You Can, Too

Alissa Kanowitz, founder of Families Fighting Flu, was here to share her personal story of losing her 4½-year-old daughter Amanda to the flu in 2004.

Also, Dr. Joseph Rahimian, Infectious Diseases Physician at St. Vincent’s Hospital Manhattan, also stopped by to talk to us about the flu, who's susceptible and how to prevent catching the virus. Along with talking about how to prevent catching the flu, Dr. Rahimian gave our own Dr. Steve a flu shot on-air.

FLU INFO, AMANDA'S STORY, PICTURE AND VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP...

What is the flu?
Influenza, or "the flu," is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract (nose, throat and lungs). The flu virus tends to spread from November to April, with most cases occurring between December and March. The flu is often confused with the common cold, but flu symptoms tend to develop quickly (usually one to four days after a person is exposed to the flu virus) and are usually more severe than the typical sneezing and congestion associated with a cold.) Flu symptoms are fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat ,runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are also common symptoms in children.

Common Flu Misconception
"You can get the flu from the flu vaccine" -- FALSE
This is impossible. The flu vaccine does not actually carry a live virus; it contains inactivated or weakened organisms. Vaccine manufacturers grow the flu virus in eggs, then cleanse and chemically treat the virus to deactivate it.

Prevention Tips
1. Wash your hands.
Frequent hand washing keeps lots of germs out of our bodies, including the influenza virus. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer.
2. Stay home if you don't feel well.
Should you become infected, keep the germs from spreading by staying home - and don't forget to take care of yourself!
3. Do the elbow cough.
Cough into elbows, not hands where it's more likely to spread bacteria and viruses through touch.
4. Get vaccinated.
According to the CDC, vaccination against the flu each year is the single best way to help prevent influenza. Since the virus and the vaccine changes every year, it is important to get a vaccination annually.

And you can receive a VACCINATION today at the Let's Fight Flu Together! Clinic at the Oak Park School in Brentwood in Long Island. The clinic will be open today from 4pm to 8pm. For more on the campaign, log onto pta.flubusters.net. To schedule a flu shot at St. Vincent's, log onto www.svcmc.org

The Story Behind "Families Fighting Flu"
According to Kanowitz, she started Families Fighting Flu after her 4½-year-old daughter died from the flu. "On the morning of Saturday, February 28, 2004, 4½-year-old Amanda Kanowitz developed a cough and a mild fever. She stayed home and spent the day playing her favorite games with her family. The next morning, she began vomiting, but appeared to have nothing more than a typical virus.

"By Sunday evening, Amanda appeared weak and her lips started to look gray. Amanda's mother called the family doctor, who told her that she had received over 60 calls that weekend about the same virus, and that Amanda would be okay as long as she stayed hydrated. The doctor recommended that Amanda only drink several sips of water at a time, and that her parents should make sure she continued to urinate.

"At 3:30 a.m., Amanda woke her parents because she was concerned that she had drank an entire cup of water, instead of just taking sips. She then told them she had a stomachache and urinated in the bathroom. Just four hours later, at 7:30 a.m., Amanda's parents found her lifeless in her bed."

For more information, visit www.familiesfightingflu.org and www.amandakfoundation.org.

Alissa Kanowitz of Families Fighting Flu and Dr. Joseph Rahimian of St. Vincent’s Hospital Manhattan