The U.S. government is rushing to deliver H1N1 swine flu vaccine to states on or around Oct. 15. Vaccination likely will take two shots given three weeks apart. No protection is expected until two to four weeks after the second shot – around Thanksgiving for those who start vaccination in mid-October.

You are on the front line of this fall’s flu fight then. It’s going to be up to you to try not to catch the flu. And if you do catch the flu, it’s going to be up to you to try not to infect anyone else. It is essential for people to make plans, because U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will not have a vaccine available for a few months.

The first part of the plan is to avoid infection:

* Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. Use soap and warm water when available; use hand sanitizer between hand washings.
* Avoid close contact with sick people. Close contact means getting within 6 feet of a sick person. If you must care for someone who is ill, minimize close contact.
* It’s not known whether face masks protect against infection. If you use one, don’t slack off on hand washing or avoiding close contact with sick people. Use the face mask properly and throw it away after use.
* Get your seasonal flu vaccine as soon as possible. It’s safe, and it protects against the three seasonal flu bugs expected to circulate this fall and winter — even though it won’t protect against H1N1 swine flu.

The second part of the plan is to keep from spreading the swine flu virus:

* Stay home if you are sick.
* Observe flu etiquette. Don’t cough or sneeze into your hands. Cough/sneeze into a tissue — or, failing that, your elbow.
* If you can do so comfortably, wear a face mask if you come into contact with others.
* If you are an employer, do not penalize workers for staying home if sick or for caring for sick children.
* Make plans — now — for what you’d do if you or your children get sick this fall.

If enough people do these things often enough, it will slow the speed at which flu spreads through a community. This actually slows down the pandemic — and buys precious time for vaccination to do its work.

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