Warding off germs and infection

What's the best way to stay disease-free? Prevent infections. You can prevent infections through simple tactics, such as washing your hands regularly, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, cleaning surfaces that are touched often, avoiding contaminated food and water, getting vaccinations, and taking appropriate medications.

• Hand-washing. Often overlooked, hand-washing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect yourself from germs and most infections. Wash your hands thoroughly before preparing or eating food, after coughing or sneezing, after changing a diaper, and after using the toilet. When soap and water aren't available, alcohol-based hand-sanitizing gels can offer protection.
• Vaccines. Vaccination is your best line of defense for certain diseases. As researchers understand more about what causes disease, the number of diseases that can be prevented by vaccines continues to grow. Many vaccines are given in childhood. But adults still need routine vaccinations to prevent some illnesses, such as tetanus and influenza.
• Medicines. Some medicines offer short-term protection from certain germs. For example, taking an anti-parasitic medication might keep you from becoming infected with malaria if you travel to or live in a high-risk area.