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· CALENDAR
Flu Clinics:
7th -WP
17th-WS
29th-MV
*See page 3 for location & times*
WIC Checks: 7, 8
WIC Recerts: 3, 6, 10, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28
Immunizations: 16, 29
Family Planning: 2, 9, 15, 30
Willow Clinic: 1
Mt. View Clnc: 22
Cholesterol Screenings: 7, 21
Holiday’s: Thanksgiving 23 & 24-CLOSED
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Ready in 3: Preparing for Pandemic Flu
Influenza (flu) season is nearly here again and accompanying it this year is our continued monitoring of the pandemic influenza threat. There is a distinct difference between seasonal and pandemic influenza, however there are things we can all do to prepare for each.
A pandemic is a global outbreak of any new disease to which humans have no immunity, and for which there is no vaccine available. Historically, pandemic outbreaks have tended to occur in cycles. Over the centuries there has been an average of 3 pandemics per century. In the last century we saw 3 pandemics occur. The worst being the 1918-1919 “Spanish Flu” which killed about 50 million people worldwide and 675,000 in the US. The “Asian Flu” pandemic occurred in 1957 and an estimated 1-2 million worldwide and 69,800 in the US died. The last pandemic was the “Hong Kong Flu” in 1968 which was the least severe with 700,000 worldwide and 33,800 people in the US died.
Experts believe that another flu pandemic will strike sometime in the not so distant future. An estimated 1/3 of the world’s population could become ill and many more would be required to stay home to care for the sick, once infected with the H5N1 virus. A flu pandemic could cause major disruption to everyday life. Impacts would likely range from school and business closings to the interruption of basic services such as public transportation, power, water, sanitation and food delivery.
At present there is no pandemic anywhere in the world. However, the H5N1 virus is an avian influenza virus that has crossed the species barrier from certain birds to infect humans. The majority of infections have occurred in Asia and Europe, to date. It is currently considered to be the most deadly form of flu viruses that has crossed the barrier from birds to humans. Most cases of H5N1 influenza infection in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry (e.g., domesticated chicken, ducks, and turkeys) or surfaces contaminated with secretion/excretions from infected birds. More than half of the people infected with the N5H1 virus have died. The H5N1 virus is just one of the many subtypes of the species influenza A viruses that occur naturally in birds. The A viruses are constantly mutating and changing it’s genetic make-up, therefore creating the potential for the virus to evolve to the point of being easily transmissible from human to human.
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Missouri has a smoking problem. We have the second-lowest cigarette tax in the country at 17 cents, while the national average is approaching $1. Not surprisingly, we have one of the highest rates of adult and teen smoking in the country. Our state has done little to alleviate the problem. Missouri ranks last in the nation in funding smoking prevention programs.
Nearly one quarter of Missourians smoke. Their habit costs Missouri nearly $2 billion a year in health care expenses and $2.3 billion in lost productivity. This amounts to $760 annually for every man, woman and child in the state.
A Constitutional Amendment on the November 2006 ballot would provide an increase of four cents per cigarette and 20 percent on other tobacco products. The Committee for a Healthy Future, a citizen initiative backed by people who care about Missourians’ health, supports the amendment. Here’s why: For every 10 percent increase in the price of a pack of cigarettes, there is a 4 percent decrease in adult smokers and a 7 percent decline in youth smokers.* Furthermore, the funds generated from the amendment will be safe from partisan politics.
Howell County Health Department will hold their annual flu clinics which are free to residents of Howell County. Clinic time, date and locations are as follows:
November 7th-West Plains Civic Center (Dogwood Rooms 2 & 3), 8:30am-until vaccine depleted
November 17th-Willow Springs United Methodist Church; 10am-until vaccine depleted
November 29th-Mountain View St. Francis Hospital; 10am-until vaccine depleted
Please remember to bring your Medicare or Medicaid cards with you!
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Once this shift has occurred little can be done to prevent a worldwide influenza outbreak. At present there have been no cases of the H5N1 infection reported in North America, in either birds or humans.
Seasonal flu is an annually occurring disease caused by the influenza virus. It usually strikes in the fall and winter and is less severe than pandemic flu because many people have already been exposed to similar influenza viruses and many have developed some immunity. It still kills over 36,000 people each year in the US, and more people die from flu than from any other vaccine-preventable disease. In the US influenza puts about 200,000 people in the hospital each year. Annual influenza vaccinations have served as a good defense in the battle with seasonal flue. However, as there is no vaccine for the Avian H5N1 virus a great deal of emphasis has been placed on preparation as well.
In an attempt to educate and inform the public on pandemic flu preparedness, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services have developed an educational program called Ready in 3. In an effort to do their part to address the issue of pandemic flu and ways for people to ready themselves, the Howell County Health Department is offering to provide the Ready in 3 curriculum to any school, group, club or business, free of charge. To inquire about the presentation or to schedule a time to participate, call the Howell County Health Department health educator Dawn Hicks at 417-256-7078. If you are interested in learning more about pandemic flu you can link to www.pandemicflu.gov or www.cdc.gov/flu/ on the world wide web.
The Great American Smokeout
Are you ready for 24 hours without cigarettes? That's what the Great American Smokeout is all about. The American Cancer Society (ACS) has sponsored the Great American Smokeout nationally since 1977. Each year on the third Thursday of November, communities pull together to help smokers quit and spotlight the dangers of tobacco use. According to ACS, more Americans try to quit smoking on this day than any other day of the year, including New Year's Day.
The Great American Smokeout is a great way to prove to yourself that you can quit for a day. If you can quit for one day, you can surely quit for a week, a month, or a year. To participate in the Great American Smokeout, you simply commit to quit smoking for one day. You can do that, right?
For more information on the Great American Smokeout, visit the American Cancer Society website at http://www.cancer.org/
Protection Against Seasonal Influenza
The best protection against seasonal influenza is an annual flu vaccination. The shot you got last year may not protect you this flu season.
Each year an advisory council to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) makes an educated guess about which flu strains will circulate in the coming flu season. Three strains are selected, and over the next several months, vaccine is created in embryonated hens’ eggs. This year the U.S. influenza vaccine will protect against A/New Caledonia-like virus (H1N1), A/Wisconsin-like virus (H3N2) and B/Malaysia-like virus.
There are two types of flu vaccine.
· The flu shot is an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in people 6 months of age and older, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions.
· The nasal-spray flu vaccine is a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu. The nasal spray is sometimes called LAIV for (“Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine).” The LAIV is approved for use in healthy people 5 to 49 years of age who are not pregnant.
About two weeks after you are vaccinated, antibodies will develop in your body to protect you against influenza. It is best to be vaccinated early in the flu season, in October or November, but being vaccinated as late as December or January will still offer you protection. The flu season can run from October through May.
People that are at high risk for having serious complications from the flu, or people that live with or care for those people at high risk for complications from the flu, should definitely get a flu vaccination each year. People at high-risk include:
· Children aged 6-59 months
· People 65 years of age and older
· Pregnant women
· People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
· People who live in nursing homes and other long term care facilities
Some people should NOT be vaccinated for the flu without first consulting with a physician.
· People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination in the past
· People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs
· Infants less than 6 months old
· People who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting a previous influenza vaccination
· People who have moderate to severe illness with a fever should wait to get vaccinated until symptoms of illness lessen
*Don’t Forget to Vote! Nov 7th
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