Hi Darlings,
Kristi Yamaguchi has partnered with the American Lung Association for the
Faces of Influenza project to bring more awareness to the regular flu and the need to make sure you and your loved ones get the flu shot.
Please take a moment to read about some great advice on why we should all get the flu shot and why Kristi is working with the American Lung Association to help spread the word.
Since Kristi is also last year's winner of Dancing With the Stars we would be remissed not to ask about her style secrets! I am sure like me you love the costumes on DWTS! Please come back by the end of the week to find out what Kristi has to say about fashion.
Hope you are all fabulous.
1.) What made you get involved with the Faces of Influenza project?
I‘ve been a strong proponent of getting a flu shot since my skating days. It helped me to stay healthy during competition, which ran right through the flu season.
I’ve been involved with the American Lung Association’s Faces of Influenza campaign for four years now. The program encourages Americans to see themselves and their loved ones among the many “faces” of influenza – people who fall into one or more groups recommended for annual vaccination by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
My doctor has always stressed the importance of annual flu vaccination to maintain my health, as an athlete. But now as a mother, I realize my whole family needs to be immunized, and that’s a responsibility that I take seriously.
Through this program, I’ve worked with families who have lost loved ones to the disease and its complications. As a mother, their stories really hit home and their tragic experiences are a reminder that seasonal influenza is serious. I’m proud to work with the American Lung Association to spread the word about the importance of annual vaccination. It’s a simple way to help protect your loved ones from the disease.
2.) Do you have any special tricks of avoiding the flu that you would like to share?
I do anything I can to help keep my daughters from getting sick, so I also make sure they are vaccinated against seasonal influenza every year. The CDC estimates that seasonal influenza alone causes 36,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations every year, and vaccination is the best protection against the virus.
Actually, when my daughter Emma was born, my doctor gave me a flu vaccination before I left the hospital to help prevent spreading this serious disease to my newborn infant. Since then, I make sure we all get vaccinated every year. This includes my husband, my two daughters and even the grandparents in our family.
3.) As a kid skating did you ever worry about getting sick? Has the flu ever hindered your ability to compete?
My mother started taking me to get my flu shot when I was training for the Olympics. One of my friends got influenza and unfortunately wasn’t able to compete because of it. My mom wanted to do everything she could to help me stay healthy, especially as flu season runs right through skating season, and I’ve been getting my flu shot every year since. I haven’t had influenza since I was young and I credit that to getting vaccinated every year. As you can see, getting vaccinated is a bit of a family tradition now!
4.) I have asthma, like many Americans and I also have a fear about the flu shot and its side effects, like many people I know…how would you convince someone like me to get the flu shot this year?
Your decision to get the flu shot is one that should be made with your doctor. But because you have asthma, you are at risk for developing serious complications from influenza. Complications can worsen symptoms of asthma, like wheezing, and can make breathing even more difficult.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends people with asthma get vaccinated every year. In fact, according to the American Lung Association, if 100 percent of people with asthma received the influenza vaccine, up to 156,000 hospitalizations could be prevented each year.
There are more than 250 million Americans recommended for annual vaccination because they are in high-risk groups. I would recommend you visit the American Lung Association’s Faces of Influenza program Web site, http://www.facesofinfluenza.org/, to learn about why vaccination is so important.
5.) Not related to your campaign, but how have you handled being a mother in the age of H1N1?
The best way to help avoid getting the flu is to get the flu shot! The recent outbreak of H1N1 is a strong reminder that influenza is a serious disease. As a mom, my family is my number one priority, and I just took my girls to get vaccinated against H1N1.
Hugs.
