Up & Coming Weekly

14 UCW OCTOBER 14-20, 2009 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM The Flu and You a STAFF REPORT Area hospitals and health departments have issued new information about the fl u to help keep you and your family healthy. This special report is a compilation of information received from Womack Army Medical Center, Cape Fear Valley Health Systems and the Cumberland County Health Department. Womack Offers Tips for Flu Prevention Prevention is the key to avoiding illness. Frequent hand washing is the best way to avoid getting ill. Alcohol-based cleaners are more effective than soap and water and do not dry out your hands like soap and water. Always cough and sneeze into your sleeve or into a tissue. Throw the tissue away immediately. Avoid sick people and do not go to work with a fever or if you are sick with the fl u. Get immunized as soon as the vaccine is available. What is the fl u, and why is it so important that people get vaccinated? Infl uenza is a serious virus that can cause pneumonia or encephalitis, leading to hospitalizations and possibly death. There are two types of infl uenza that can cause epidemic human disease, Infl uenza A and Infl uenza type B. The two types of viruses are further broken down into subtypes. Since 1977, infl uenza A subtypes H1N1 and H3N2 and infl uenza B subtype have circulated globally. These different viruses are very smart and genetically mutate in order to survive. The surface of these viruses contain antigens and these antigens are what changes when a virus mutates, ergo "antigenic changes." The "swine fl u" is a result of this survival tactic. In the scientifi c world, this virus is called "the Novel infl uenza A (H1N1) virus and partly comes from the infl uenza A virus that circulates in swine, but is antigenically different from previously circulating H1N1. The infl uenza B viruses also change to survive, but not as rapidly or easily as the A type viruses. This is why vaccination is important. Immunity to these surface antigens reduces the likelihood of infection. Frequent antigenic changes are the reason that the fl u vaccine changes from year to year. The novel infl uenza A (H1N1) is not a new virus; it just happens to be a subtype that humans have no prior immunity against. Children under two years old and adults over 65 are at the greatest risk to be hospitalized. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) people at high risk for the fl u include kids six months to 18 years on aspirin therapy, children with lung problems or who are immunosuppressed, ALL health care workers and volunteers, caregivers for children at high risk for infection and everyone in close contact with children less than six months old. Others who should be vaccinated include those over 50 years old, women who will be pregnant during the fl u season and residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. The CDC recommends annual vaccination for all children six months to 18 years of age. All children between the ages of six months to eight years who have never been vaccinated should have two doses of the vaccination at least four weeks apart. If you have a child between the ages of six months and eight years that was vaccinated for the fi rst time last year and given only one dose, then that child should have two doses this year at least four weeks apart. This will provide the greatest immune response to the infl uenza virus. Seek emergency care if you have diffi culty breathing, chest pain, sudden dizziness or confusion or if you have fl u-like symptoms that improve and then return with a fever and worse cough. Cape Fear Valley Implements New Visitation Policy Cape Fear Valley Medical Center has a new visitation policy that restricts children up to age 18 from visiting the hospital at this time. The move is to minimize the spread of H1N1 fl u and other fl u-like diseases. In addition, the Emergency Department is limiting visitors to one per patient due to the rising number of H1N1 cases being treated. If you are experiencing fl u-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, sore throat and runny nose, you are urged not to visit friends and family at the medical center. Health experts recommend people with fl u-like symptoms remain home instead and call their primary physician for treatment guidance. Hand washing is the most effective way to reduce the spread of infection. Cape Fear Valley has placed hand-hygiene stations throughout the medical center and outside every patient room for public use. Simply rub the sanitizer over your hands, especially under your nails and between your fi ngers, until your hands are dry. County Receives First H1N1 Vaccine Doses The Cumberland County Public Health Department has received its fi rst shipment of the H1N1 vaccine. The 1,900 doses are in the nasal spray form made from a live weakened strain of the novel H1N1 infl uenza virus. Dr. Lan Tran-Phu, medical director of the Health Department, said that since the nasal spray vaccines are made with the live attenuated virus, they can only be used by the following healthy high-risk groups: healthy children and young adults from two through 24 years of age; healthy adults 25 through 49 years of age who live with or care for a young infant younger than six months of age healthy adults who are health-care workers and emergency medical personnel. As more vaccines become available, other adults 25 through 49 years of age should get the vaccines. "Pregnant women or individuals with underlying chronic illnesses cannot receive this live virus vaccine," Tran-Phu said. These initial 1,900 doses will be shared with various community health partners, including civilian and military hospitals, as well as private providers and vaccinators. "Our goal is to have as many healthy young children vaccinated as possible, so private pediatricians and family practitioners will receive in priority these vaccines for their patients," she said. Children in the Cumberland County Schools, about 53,000 students, will be offered the vaccine once the department receives a larger shipment. "Schools will not have any share from this fi rst batch yet because we do not want to create chaos by giving a few doses to one school and none to others," Tran-Phu said. Children 10 years and older will receive only one dose of the H1N1 vaccine, and children nine years and younger will need two doses of the vaccine, three to four weeks apart. The Health Department will keep a portion of these intranasal vaccines available in its Immunization clinic to vaccinate healthy Health Department personnel and patients between the ages of two and 24 years from its various clinics. Parental consent is required because the vaccine is not mandatory, and patients will be given an information sheet on the vaccine. The Health Department advises parents to check with private physicians to see if they are providing the H1N1 fl u vaccines. Fort Bragg Federal Credit Union's FREE Community Shred Day Do you have sensitive material that needs to be shredded but don't have a shredder? FREE Document Shredding On-Site Saturday, October 24 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM • Up to 4 standard boxes per person • Individuals only; No businesses • Items shredded will be recycled Fort Bragg FCU Parking Lot 1638 Skibo Road Fayetteville, NC For more information contact Fort Bragg Federal Credit Union's Marketing Department at 910.487.8210. ( ( (

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