Living with the Flu » Flu Preparedness

H1N1 Vaccine Now Available to All

KETC Community Engagement — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:36:37 +0000

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.

From the Public Insight Network: How One Resident is Handling the Pandemic

KETC — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:52:33 +0000

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.

We’re interested to hear any steps you’ve taken to stay healthy. Go here to learn how you can join the Public Insight Network and help KETC tell your story.

Free Nov. 17 Webinar Focuses on Resources and Strategies to Help Students Understand How Germs, Viruses and Vaccinations Work

stripodi@ketc.org — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:09:03 +0000

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.

Living With the Flu: A Living St. Louis Special – Watch the Full Episode

KETC — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:12:24 +0000

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:

Anne-Marie Berger talks with her oral communications class at Florissant Valley Community College about their thoughts and concerns about this flu season. Next, Ruth Ezell discusses the current situation and steps you can take to avoid the flu with Dr. Jeffery Lowell, professor of surgery and pediatrics at Washington University Medical School and a member of the board of STARRS: the St. Louis Area Regional Response System; Jan Polizzi, Nurses for Newborns; and Dave Reddick, Pandemicprep.org. For more information about H1N1 and to find out about resources are available in the Greater St. Louis area, call the United Way’s helpline at 1-800-427-4626 or 2-1-1.

Red Cross Poll Shows Women Taking More Precaution Against Flu

Red Cross STL — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:15:52 +0000

It’s refreshing to see that most Americans are taking the flu seriously. According to an recent Red Cross survey, 78% of adults are washing their hands more carefully and frequently compared to only 55% in May. (Remember 20 seconds!) Also 75% of adults are taking more care in making sure they are covering their coughs and sneezes. Women are more like than men to be taking these steps, for instance women are almost 20% more likely than men to be cleaning surfaces with disinfectant at home and at work than men (72% of women and 53% of men.) One thing that may not surprise American men is that women are also 20% more likely then men to be giving others advice on how to avoid the flu (58% of women are giving out advice, compared to 38% of men.)

It’s easy to understand why people are taking these precautions, since 1 in 5 Americans knows someone who has had the flu.

Those are great first steps but there are still things to do to prepare for the flu: only 20% of Americans have talked to their supervisors about they should do if they have to take time for because they have the flu. This is something you definitely want to do before you are home sick! Also, only about half of Americans have gathered an adequate (2-weeks) supply of food and water in their homes in preparation for the flu.

People do have some concerns: about half of Americans are concerned about the H1N1 flu vaccine. Flu.gov has great information on the vaccine and its safety.