Cold season is here and yet again you can look forward to the next cold which will basically make you miserable for several days or worse yet might land you in the hospital. What can you do to help prevent becoming of victim of viruses?

First off, get that yearly flu vaccine. Not only will the vaccine prevent or at least lessen the severity of influenza, vaccines jog your immune system  making it stronger. The risks of serious complications from the flu vaccine is quite a bit lower than the risk of dying from a car accident. And there is no indication whatsoever that the vaccine causes autism.

Second, clean your hands frequently. If you are at gym for example you can easily use an alcohol based liquid soap to cleanse your hands after using the equipment. These soaps are very effective at preventing viral transmission, but must be used in order to work.

Thirdly, during peak flu season try to stay away from crowded public places. If you must do so (for example on that awful, cramped bus), try to avoid standing or sitting next to someone coughing, sneezing or who looks sick. Again, cleanse your hands frequently.

If you have young kids, count on getting sick, especially if they attend day care, which is a form of a giant Petri dish.  All sorts of nasty germs are essentially  universally shared and even with the most cleanly of facilities, the average toddler’s behavior will easily overcome any attempts at keeping him or her at bay. Keep your child’s vaccines up to date. Do other parents a favor and let your child remain at home if he or she has a cold.

Vitamin C tablets might have a very slight effect in preventing colds, but in reality simply wiping your hands off several times a day, does a much better job.