H1N1 Influenza Information

Pandemic (H1N1) Influenza
Vaccination Clinics

H1N1 and seasonal flu shots are now both available at vaccination clinics being held by the Middlesex-London Health Unit. For the most up-to-date vaccination clinic schedule, please visit the Middlesex-London Health Unit. You can also follow the Health Unit on Twitter .

Controlling Infection

Hand washing
- soap and water
- alcohol based hand rub
Cover your cough
Avoid touching your face
Stay home if you are ill
6 feet distance from ill people
Environmental cleaning

H1N1 Symptoms

Almost always:	Common:	Sometimes:
Cough and fever	Fatigue	Nausea
	Muscle aches	Vomiting
	Sore throat	Diarrhea
	Headache
	Decreased appetite
	Runny nose

Symptoms Of Influenza

Sudden onset of fever, chills or shakes (Sometimes not present, particularly in those less than 5 years of age or 65 years of age and over)
Cough
Sore throat
Headache
Sore muscles and joints
Tiredness
Diarrhea and vomiting may occur, particularly in children

Instructions To Help You Feel Better

Rest
Drink lots of fluids
Treat fever with acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®)
Do not give acetylsalicylic acid (ASA or Aspirin®) to children or teenagers under the age of 18 or pregnant women
Pregnant women should treat their fever with acetaminophen
Gargle with a glass of warm water or suck on hard candy or lozenges
Use saline drops or spray for a stuffy nose
Avoid alcohol, tobacco and caffeine
Stay home until your fever has been gone for 24 hours and you are feeling better. You can return if you are still coughing. Health care workers should ensure they are better for at least 24 hours and their cough is only mild. Medical notes are not needed in order to return to work, school or child care centres.

Contact Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 if you have any questions.

People At Higher Risk For Complications

You are at higher risk for complications if you are:

less than 5 years of age
65 years of age and over
pregnant or had a baby in the past 4 weeks
very overweight

Or, if you have medical conditions including:

lung problems, including asthma
heart problems
diabetes
cancer
problems with your immune system caused by disease or medications, including HIV
kidney disease
problems with your blood, such as anemia
neurologic problems
less than 18 years of age and taking daily aspirin

If you are at higher risk for complications, consult your health care provider as soon as symptoms develop. If you have no health care provider, go to a walk-in clinic.
Your health care provider may recommend an antiviral drug to help you feel better sooner and prevent complications.
Inform your health care provider that you have symptoms of influenza before or as soon as you arrive so that proper precautions can be taken to prevent spread to others.

Worsening Illness

Symptoms of worsening illness include:

Difficult or fast breathing or feeling short of breath
Chest pain
Purple or blue discolouration of the lips
Vomiting and unable to keep liquids down
Signs of dehydration such as dizziness when standing, dry mouth and/or decreased peeing
Confusion, disorientation, seizures, difficulty waking
Stiff neck or sensitive to light
Fever that does not go away or comes back after four (4) to five (5) days

In children also watch for:

Any fever in a baby less than 3 months of age
Very cranky or irritable

What to do:

Go to the nearest emergency department
If symptoms are severe, call 911
Inform the emergency department and/or ambulance attendants that you have symptoms of influenza so that proper precautions can be taken to prevent spread to others