95% of Floyd County Medical Center Employees Vaccinated for Influenza

Floyd County Medical Center takes the health of our employees and our patients very seriously.  Influenza can be a very serious disease, especially if someone who gets the disease is elderly or immune compromised because of underlying serious disease or cancer.  For that reason, Influenza vaccine is required for all FCMC employees unless they have a valid medical or religious exemption to getting the vaccine. 

Influenza can be passed on to others even before the person knows that he is sick.  Most healthy adults can infect others from one day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick.  Children and people with weakened immune systems can spread the disease for longer periods of time.

How to prevent infection with flu and other communicable diseases

• Clean your hands often
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.  Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches their eyes, nose or mouth.  Germs can live for a long time (some viruses can survive 72 hours or more) on surfaces like doorknobs, desks, tables and telephones.
• When you are sick, stay home, get plenty of rest and check with a healthcare provider as needed.  Remember keeping your distance from others may protect them from getting sick.
• Practice good health habits:
• Get plenty of rest
• Be physically active
• Manage your stress
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Eat nutritious foods
• Handwashing/Hand sanitizers
• Respiratory Hygiene/Cough Etiquetee
  • Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough
  • Cough or sneeze into a tissue and then throw it away
  • Cough or sneeze into your sleeve if you don’t have a tissue
  • Perform frequent hand hygiene.
  • Get your vaccinations
    • It is not too late to get a flu shot.  Influenza vaccine should be received every year. 
    • Pneumonia vaccine is also recommended for all persons over the age of 65.

 Joan Lore, RN

Infection Preventionist, Floyd County Medical Center