Here in the UK it seems that Winter = illness. Since November and all through December my family seems to be constantly ill with colds and bugs. In fact local schools had to be closed due to the winter vomitting bug!!! This has happened for the last few years. A nasty virus hit us all in December and is taking a while to shift and with the children now back at school it is inevitable that more bugs are on the way!?!?!

Does Spain have the same problem? We plan to move over in a year or so (with 3 school age children nr Torrevieja) and suspect the sea air and salt lakes may keep some nasties at bay.

At least we are keeping Kleenex in business!!!!

Sarah

We have lived here for five years with two children and they very rarely get ill, except when we return to the UK for visits, then they allways catch a bug of some sort.

our kids get the odd cold & tummy bug - but neither have been near a doctor for years (except for a broken arm)

The Chemist's is always packed out where I live. As soon as a child sneezes mum, grandma and the neighbour's dog is in there buying all sorts of medicines.

By the way, you haven't seen man flu till you've been to Spain. I thought I was bad...

Normally fairly healthy but son in law brought he flu over at Christmas and now the whole family except me (the nurse) are down with it.

Spanish TV always seems to advertise FRENADOL all the time. I think its the cure all for winter colds and flu. A sort of Beechams powder in Spanish.

The Spanish allways go on about "Gripe" (FLU) and the cure apparently is Couldina which is a bit like Lemsip but much more potent.

I've got 3 cats down with cat flu, two friends have flu and now OH has flu. I'll probably be next

Hi don't know if this helps.
I had the flu jab due to other health problems. I need to avoid colds etc.. which is difficult, with an office full of sneezes and coughs and wife and 2 kids with it.
My Doctor said the best thing is to wash hands regularly and anyone who has the bug to do the same. Throw away any tissues as soon as used, sneezes can spread germs over a huge area, so anything you touch could have the germs. Obviously be very careful in the kitchen, and wipe surfaces etc..
I am the only one at home and in the office that has been free of any colds etc.. for some 2 years!
LMJ

got flu and the virus that kids have , been told not to travel with it , got hole lot off pills from the Doctor and didnt shift any think , then was told milk Honey , and whiskey for few nights as an night cap , it helped but still Coughing ( yes been a smoker dosnt help ) then bottle off poitín , poitín is a potent Irish alcoholic drink. The drink itself is centuries old, as are the customs surrounding it, but it has also been referred to as 'moonshine' or 'benign liquid'. you taken very little off it in hold milk and honey . about 80% profit

To prevent the spread of Bird Flu the Irish government today announced an immediate ban on all Hen Parties.

think if there was a hen party around i purk up in may ways then one , and i could pass the brid flu on work sent me laptops computers until i can leve this island , but not as cold then what you having there

see where Málaga say they expect the number of flu cases to increase in the second half of this month, to more than the 2,000 cases a week which were seen in December. eaasyflu flights "sick" just landed

Old Sean lived alone in Northern Ireland. He wanted to spade his potato garden, but it was very hard work. His only son, Mick, who used to help him, was in an English prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Mick,
I am feeling a mite down because it looks like I won't be able to plant me potato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot.If you were here, all my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me.
Love, Dad

A few days later he received a letter from his son:

Dear Father,
For CHRIST'S SAKE, don't dig up the garden! That's where I buried all them ******' BODIES!
Love, Mick

At 4 A.M. the next morning, a dozen CID from Scotland Yard and local police officers showed up and dug up the entire garden down to a depth of about six feet. That evening, not finding any bodies, they apologized to the old man and left. The next day the old man received another letter from his son:

Dear Father,
Go ahead and plant yer spuds now. It's the best I could do under the circumstances!
Love, Mick