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Spilling the tea on tips for staying healthy during flu season

People have all sorts of tips and tricks on keeping themselves healthy during flu season, from vitamin shots to cayenne pepper in their tea.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — People have all sorts of tips and tricks on keeping themselves healthy during flu season.

When it comes to keeping viruses away, Kelley Green has the tea.

"It has ginger, cayenne and lemon in it," Green said.

It's called "Soothing Tonic." Her customers at The Green Corner Store in SoMa order it when they start to feel sick or just want a boost for their immune system. She said it helps to soothe symptoms.

"If you're getting a sore throat, if you're having respiratory congestion," she said. 

"Tea is just good all the time and that nice warm liquid is good if you add lemon or honey to it."

Green is also running out of items like elderberry. Her customers claim its nutrients help fight off viruses.

"It just has a lot of potassium in it, like taking vitamin C," she said. "Kind of look at it carefully before you take these things but generally, they're safe for everybody."

At the Shot Clinic in Little Rock, people are getting vitamin shots to keep viruses away.

"We have B-complex vitamins, we have vitamin C," Lisa Roberts said.

Registered Nurse Lisa Roberts said this is more effective than taking vitamins orally. Patients 16 and up can get them.

"With a shot, it actually goes into your muscle which goes into your bloodstream. It's quicker," she said.

She is also giving some patients their second flu shot of the season.

"It's the valance and the same strains in the shot so it can only boost what you've already had," Roberts said.

The vaccine often starts to wear off as flu season goes on.

"They always recommend to get it by October, so anyone that probably got theirs October or before it wouldn't hurt," Roberts said.

It is not too late to get your first flu shot, it takes a couple of days to become effective.

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