Hospitals Roll Out Flu-Season Visitor Guidelines

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Credit Rupert Millard

Albany Medical Center

New rules are being rolled out at Albany Medical Center, St. Peter's Health Partners, Ellis Medicine, Saratoga Hospital and Glens Falls Hospital, to further protect patients from influenza and other infectious diseases. Implementation of the new guidelines began Friday at some of the hospitals and start Monday at others.

The hospitals are requesting only two visitors in a patients room at any one time; NO one allowed who has any respiratory symptoms, rash or diarrhea and no children 12 and under (who are more likely to have and transmit respiratory infections) - The same guidelines were developed and temporarily implemented in 2009 during the H1N1 flu epidemic.

Flu has broken out in every county in New York State: Health officials say the number of patients admitted to hospitals with confirmed influenza spiked 55 percent last week. Doctors say the best defense is a flu shot. Here's a handy Flu Vaccine Finder.