Get Your Shots! Wash Your Hands!

By Alan Caruba

Earlier this week I got a flu shot in anticipation of the usual problems associated with this disease that seems to mutate from winter to winter, taking on new forms that require a new vacine. It's a good investment.

And next week I will get a booster shot for pneumonia. One needs to do this every six to ten years and it is especially important for the elderly. Pneumonia in my youth was called "the old man's friend" because it was frequently the illness that led to death among the elderly. I doubt this has changed much.

We are now learning that a new form of "staph" disease, resistant to most available medications is responsible for killing more people annually than AIDS. Anyone remember the panic that surrounded the early outbreak of AIDS? Well, that is likely to be the scenario regarding the new health threat.

I know this will seem too simple a response, but probably the single most useful thing anyone can do to stay healthy is to wash your hands. Physicians will confirm this if you ask. If you work around others, live in a crowded urban environment, attend school, et cetera, and even if you don't, wash your hands regularly and especially before you prepare food or after a trip to the bathroom. Do it after you've spent the day shaking hands with other people. Wash!