By KETC Community Engagement on December 21, 2009, 3:36 pm
Due to an increase in the availability of H1N1 vaccine, the St. Louis County Department of Health is now able to offer H1N1 vaccine to any county resident 6 months of age or older.
The vaccine is available free of charge at the North Central Community Health Center, 4000 Jennings Station Road in Pine Lawn, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, except Thursday when the H1N1 clinic will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The vaccine is also available at the South County Health Center, 4580 South Lindbergh Boulevard in Sunset Hills, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
According to Dr. Delores Gunn, St. Louis County Director of Health, the H1N1 vaccine will be available in additional locations in the near future.
This information was provider by Barbara Fraser, St. Louis County Council, District 5 Newsletter.
The swine flu has been a highly publicized issue for several months, and many people have taken measures to protect themselves from infection. We recently heard about the extensive measures taken by Pamela Jackson, a nurse clinician, through our Public Insight Network. She pays special attention to her diet during the pandemic, focusing on eating green vegetables and cooking nutritious soup. Like most of us, she focuses on basic practices to improve hygiene, such as washing her hands and covering her mouth when she coughs. Pamela also takes goldenseal and Echinacea, herbal medicines that many believe boost the immune system.
As a medical professional, Pamela expressed concern over the media coverage that tends to exaggerate the impact of H1N1 rather than report facts. She believes that the general population lacks the knowledge to evaluate the medical information from the news. She said, “Health literacy is a big problem in America, therefore, go to the library and do your own research.” News reports that she sees as clearly sensationalist will greatly increase the stress in others. Pamela stressed the importance of educating yourself to decide how to best protect your family.
Her employer has taken the threat seriously. If employees are sick, it is clear that they should stay home. Pamela did express concern, however, over her employer’s ability to deal with an outbreak. She said that they are already witnessing a reduced workforce, and she is not sure how they would handle a sudden additional decrease in attendance.
By stripodi@ketc.org on November 11, 2009, 12:09 pm
PBS Teachers is hosting a free webinar for educators on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 8 p.m. ET about “Helping Kids Understand Viruses and Vaccinations with SID THE SCIENCE KID.” Webinar participants will learn strategies and resources they can immediately use in the classroom to teach students about the critical topic of viruses, how vaccinations work if their families choose to get them, and how to stay healthy.
The featured speakers are Dr. Cyrus Rangan, from the L.A. County health department, and early childhood education expert Moisés Román. They served as advisors for a special new episode of SID THE SCIENCE KID that focuses on the science behind germs, viruses and vaccines using age-appropriate vocabulary and concepts.
Educators play an important role in helping students stay healthy during the cold and flu season. The new SID THE SCIENCE KID episode, “Getting a shot: You Can Do It!,” provides teachers and childcare providers with helpful resources to handle questions children may have around getting sick, why their parents want them to get a flu shot, and what they can do to stay healthy, while teaching science concepts. For more information, visit www.pbs.org/teachers/webinar.
By stripodi@ketc.org on November 11, 2009, 11:32 am
Each year an average of 36,000 people die and over 200,000 people are hospitalized in the United States due to flu-related complications.(1) In addition to seasonal flu, an outbreak of H1N1 influenza (often referred to as “Swine Flu”) has greatly increased the number of people at risk this flu season.
The outbreak of the H1N1 virus has reached pandemic levels, prompting government and private action. On October 23, President Obama declared a National Emergency in response to the H1N1 influenza pandemic.(2) Federal, state, and local governments have created comprehensive plans setting forth public health strategies and guidance for communities, businesses, and individuals to plan for, and respond to, influenza outbreaks.(3) Many employers are devising individualized plans to help prevent the spread of the virus in their workplace and to ensure continued operations in the event of an outbreak affecting their employees.
St. Louis Business Journal is presenting a summit for businesses about being prepared for H1N1:
Is your business ready and prepared to handle the effects of an H1N1 flu risk? How quickly can your operations be adjusted to address specific H1N1 concerns?
Join our panel of experts and learn what you can do to prepare your employees and keep your business functioning at full speed. For organizations that could be hit hard by the swine flu this fall and winter, contingency plans could be essential to your operations.
On Monday, November 2, KETC broadcast Living With the Flu: A Living St. Louis Special. If you missed the episode, it will be rebroadcast on Saturday, November 7, at 3:30 p.m. You can also watch the full episode here:
It’s funny to me that the word “google” has become a verb. When I don’t know something, I simply say, “I’ll google it and find out.”
So, I guess it isn’t surprising that when a new strain of the flu developed and people were unfamiliar with it that they began to google it. In fact, Google believes that they can show a close relationship between the number of flu cases and the number of times the word “flu” has been searched for. and have had their results published in the journal Nature. They are so sure that they have a whole website devoted to Google flu trends and have had their results published in the journal Nature.
The evidence they have is very interesting and available for a number of countries. Although the Google information isn’t a substitute for statistics from the CDC or your local health department, it is updated daily and could turn into a great tool for health professionals.
Oh, and don’t worry, the information Google collects from searches can’t be used to identify any single user. So, feel free to keep googling all your questions!
Nicole Holtgrefe is the director of preparedness and client services for the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter.
Getting a shot can be scary, for adults and kids alike. But it can be easier if you know you don’t have to go through it alone. That’s what a speical episode of the PBS Kids! program Sid the Science Kid teaches kids everywhere.
Everyone’s favorite preschool scientist, Sid is hearing a lot of talk this fall about how to stay healthy, which leads him to ask lots of questions. In this new special episode from the Emmy-nominated series, Sid and his friends learn the basic science behind germs, viruses and why their parents chose for them to get vaccinations using age-appropriate vocabulary and scientific concepts that have become a hallmark of the series.
Missourians can call a new toll-free number for information about the H1N1 flu.
The number, 1-877-FLU-4141 (1-877-358-4141), will be answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
H1N1 Flu InfoLine specialists will answer questions about flu symptoms, when to seek medical care and the new H1N1 flu vaccine, now available at locations throughout the state. Medical professionals will be available to assist with the calls.
