Now that flu season is upon us, sickness is beginning to spread among students and teachers.

According to CBS News, the flu vaccine for the 2017-2018 season is only 10% effective. With this percentage being so low, here are seven other ways you can prevent getting sick this year:

1. Wash your hands throughout the day

Washing your hands multiple times during the day will prevent germs from contaminating your body. Make sure to use hot, soapy water to ensure that the majority of germs are gone. If you are unsure of how long to wash your hands, try singing the ABC’s or Happy Birthday once in your head, or out loud if you are in the mood to do so.

2. Try not to touch your nose, mouth and eyes

Touching your nose, mouth and eyes with germy hands is one of the fastest ways to get sick. If you do touch your face however, make sure to wash your hands before and after to prevent the spreading of germs. You will thank me later.

3. Eat healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins that will boost your immune system and help your body fight off any sickness. If you happen to get sick, eating healthier foods will help you to recover more quickly. Even if you do not like fruits or vegetables, eat them anyway because you will feel way better.

4. Drink lots and lots of water

Staying hydrated is critical when you are both sick and not sick. Drinking water will boost your immune system, flush out all the bad things contaminating your body and increase your energy levels. A healthy amount of water to drink each day is between a half ounce to an ounce of water for each pound you weigh. Now that is a lot of water.

5. Get a decent amount of sleep each night

You should know why this one is important. Sleep will boost your energy levels and it is crucial for your body to get plenty of rest, even more so if you are sick. It may be hard to get enough sleep each night, especially with extracurricular activities, homework and everything else going on, but it needs to be done.

6. Don’t share germs with others

In this case, sharing is not caring. You do not want anyone else’s germs and they do not want your germs either. Avoid sharing drinks with other people because that is one quick way to give and receive sickness. Remember, if you touch something that someone else may have touched, wash your hands.

7. Stay home if you are sick

No one wants to get sick, so if you are coming down with something, please just stay home. You may not want to miss school, but it will benefit everyone if you do. If you do not stay home when you are sick, you are bound to spread your sickness to others and then they will not be very happy with you.