The flu is as much a part of our lives this time of year as cold temperatures and icy sidewalks. People hardly notice other people around them when they cough or dab at their drippy noses with a tissue. But noticing when people around you are ill could spare you from getting sick, too, if you take a few precautions.

About 36,000 people in the United States die each year from complications from the seasonal flu. More than 200,000 are hospitalized each year with flu complications. The people who are at the greatest risk for flu complications are children younger than 5 and particularly younger than 2, people older than 64, pregnant women, American Indians and Alaskan Natives and people with chronic medical conditions, such as asthma or diabetes.

Complications range from sinus and ear infections to pneumonia and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure. That's why health experts advise everyone age 6 months and older to get the flu vaccine annually.

The vaccine changes most years according to the flu viruses that are circulating. The vaccine introduces the body to a weakened form of the virus and the body's immune system responds by developing antibodies for protection. The vaccine takes two weeks to become effective and is the best protection from the flu virus.

Flu shots typically arrive on the scene in the fall and immunity from the vaccine lasts about a year. The flu virus hits anywhere from about October through May. In North Idaho, it usually hits the hardest from late January to mid-March.

The flu virus spreads through the air when people talk or cough and sneeze without covering their mouth. It spreads when people cough or sneeze into their hands and then touch a hard surface, such as a doorknob or cell phone, without washing first. The flu virus can live on a hard surface for hours.

It spreads particularly well in group settings, such as classrooms and workplaces. Absentee rates in schools are a good indication of when flu season is in full swing. Some smaller schools in the five northern counties have closed in the past because so many children were absent with the flu.

In addition to the flu vaccine, defenses include washing hands well and often and staying about an arm's length away from anyone with flu symptoms - fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue and, in some people, vomiting and diarrhea.

Washing hands often reduces the risk of carrying the flu virus to your face when you rub your eyes or scratch your nose. Viruses don't travel more than 3 feet on their own, so keeping your distance from anyone with flu symptoms provides you with a little more protection.

You can protect other people from catching the virus by staying home when you're sick. Allow yourself to rest and recover while you keep your flu germs away from others. People are contagious with the flu a day before symptoms develop and for about a week after they develop.

Most people recover on their own from the flu. But if you're at high risk for complications you should check with your doctor when flu symptoms develop. A doctor may choose to prescribe an antiviral drug that fights the flu virus and can help prevent complications.

Seasonal flu circulates every year in some form. Don't let it catch you by surprise. For more information on the flu, visit www.phd1.idaho.gov.

Cynthia Taggart is the public information officer for the Panhandle Health District. She can be reached at ctaggart@phd1.idaho.gov.