Nobody wants to get sick, but when winter comes it seems inevitable that many of us will suffer from the inconvenient but dangerous seasonal influenza, commonly known as the flu.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that most people six months or older should get a flu vaccination. The flu vaccination for the 2010/2011 flu season was distributed last fall and is still available, but other preventive measures are important too.

A good strategy for fighting off the flu begins with a vaccination for almost everyone, combined with preventive measures to keep unnecessary exposure to the virus at a minimum. That’s where a home air purifier might help.

An effective air purification system at home might play an important role in your flu-fighting strategy. And IQAir’s highly acclaimed HealthProPlus HyperHEPAair filtration systems and whole-house Perfect 16systems are unequalled in removing the smallest airborne contaminants from the air in your home.

Scientists say the size of the average flu virus is 80-120 nanometers, or 0.08 to 0.12 microns. A single strand of human hair is about 1,000 times greater in diameter.

IQAir’s HyperHEPA filtration system is tested and certified to filter more than 99.5 percent of all particles as small as 3 nanometers. The IQAir HyperHEPA filter in the HealthPro portable air purifier has been certified as H12/13/14, meeting the standards of operating rooms and microbiology labs. The Perfect 16 whole-house system is even more efficient and can filter all of the air in your house.

Tests conducted by leading universities have demonstrated that air filtration systems can be effective in removing the influenza virus from the air.

It’s important to keep in mind, however, that even the most effective air purifier alone cannot fully protect your family against the virus. The flu can still be spread by coming into contact – or near contact – with someone who already has the flu, especially if that person is sneezing or coughing.

Here’s some advice from the CDC to help stop the spread of the flu:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you are sick with flu–like illness, CDC stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone (without fever-reducing medicine) except to get medical care or for other necessities.
• While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.

For more information on fighting off or coping with the flu, visit http://www.cdc.gov/flu.