As the flu season continues, the headlines seem to grow more and more alarming. Particularly sobering — especially for parents of young children — is that across the country, more than 50 children have died from flu-related illnesses, and many of them were previously healthy.

Washington appears not as seriously affected as other states. Recent statistics show that 132 people have died from flu-related causes in the state, and mostly they were over 50 and had underlying health problems. That is similar to this point in last year’s flu season, experts say, when 250 people died before the flu season was over.

On Vashon, it appears that the picture is similar to that elsewhere in the county and state: some flu, but a normal amount. At the Vashon Pharmacy, owner Tyler Young said he believes that locally it is not as bad as the media portrays and that they have seen a normal amount of sickness so far.

Still flu season is always serious business, especially for young children, seniors and people with chronic conditions. And experts say we have 10 weeks left before this flu season is over. With that in mind, let’s keep aiming to be vigilant about basic prevention methods and protect ourselves, our families and friends and hopefully the broader community.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends taking three actions in flu season.

• Vaccinate yourself and your family — even now. The pharmacy still has some vaccines, but Young said he expects to run out within the next two weeks. Also, the vaccine takes two weeks to be effective, so for those who are planning on heading there for a shot, go soon.

• Stop the spread of germs. If you are healthy, avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, nose and mouth. And — as we all know — wash your hands thoroughly and often. If you become sick, stay home from work or school. Fever should be gone for 24 hours before resuming normal activities. Rest. Drink a lot of fluids.

• Take antiviral medication if your doctor prescribes it. For people who need the medication, such as Tamiflu, it can be useful to treat the flu — shortening its severity and duration and preventing serious complications. While there have been shortages of Tamiflu in some areas of the case country, Young said that is not the case here currently.

While the headlines — about many subjects — are daunting these days and we may be powerless in some areas, we can do some things about the flu to help those who are most vulnerable in this community. Also, Vashon has a number of older residents who live alone; let’s keep an eye out for them and help when we can.

We are all in this together.