The Town of Amherst has received two hundred doses of Swine Flu (H1N1) vaccine; one (100) hundred on October 21 and one (100) hundred on October 22, 2009. This first round of vaccine was distributed to pediatric and obstetric facilities in Amherst with some doses being reserved for first responders in the Town of Amherst. Further, we have received notification of another two (200) hundred doses to arrive in the near future. We will continue to maintain contact with the Amherst Public Schools, the University and Colleges, and obstetrical and pediatric facilities in an effort to make the vaccine available to those individuals that are at the very top of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) program priority list.
Swine Flu (H1N1) continues to be a problem for the town of Amherst along with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the entire nation. We would recommend that citizens continue to follow advice from their health care professionals and take the necessary precautions as follows:
· Avoid hugging, holding, kissing or shaking hands with anyone who has a cold or the flu.
· Wash your hands often with soap and warm water or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer.
· Avoid touching your nose, mouth or eyes.
· Clean items that are touched often such as telephones and door handles.
· If you get sick, stay home and avoid contact with others.
· Severe symptoms should prompt you to contact your health care provider.
· Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when sneezing or coughing.
For information, please see the Fact Sheet on the Town of Amherst web site www.amherstma.gov or Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) web site at www.mass.gov/dph/flu or the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) web site at www.cdc.gov/swineflu.
Questions may be answered by:
Epi Bodhi, Director, Amherst Health Department, Town of Amherst – 413-348-5107 or 413-259-3077
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Flu Vaccine for Employees
At this time, the Amherst Health Department has received only 2/3 of its allocation of state-funded flu vaccine, and every available dose was administered to seniors at our recent flu clinic.
In terms of flu vaccine for employees, the delivery of flu vaccine purchased by the town has been delayed. When the doses do arrive, public safety and public works employees will have priority prior to dispensing to other town employees.
Based on the delay, we would encourage all employees to seek flu vaccine from their medical providers, public clinics, pharmacies, and other venues offering the vaccine. Please visit this website (http://flu.masspro.org/clinic) for information on finding a flu clinic near you.
Thank you, and please stay tuned for more information.
In terms of flu vaccine for employees, the delivery of flu vaccine purchased by the town has been delayed. When the doses do arrive, public safety and public works employees will have priority prior to dispensing to other town employees.
Based on the delay, we would encourage all employees to seek flu vaccine from their medical providers, public clinics, pharmacies, and other venues offering the vaccine. Please visit this website (http://flu.masspro.org/clinic) for information on finding a flu clinic near you.
Thank you, and please stay tuned for more information.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Flu Care for the 2009-2010 Flu Season
As you know, we are gearing up for a potentially extraordinary flu season. With the emergence of H1N1 influenza, we are fairly certain to see increased illness and absenteeism. We would like to share with you some ways to care for yourself and your family.
Follow these steps to protect your family from the flu and H1N1:
1) Practice good hand hygiene: frequent and thorough handwashing is the #1 way to prevent the spread of illness. Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds.
2) Practice good cough and sneeze etiquette: sneeze and cough into a tissue or the crook of your elbow or sleeve rather than into your hand. Wash your hands thoroughly after blowing your nose or using a tissue.
3) Cleaning: use regular household cleaners to clean surfaces that might get flu virus on them.
4) Avoidance: avoid close physical contact with people who are sick. People with young children, weakened immune systems or chronic medical conditions should avoid large crowds.
5) Stay home: if you have a fever, stay home until you have been free of fever for at least 24 hours after your last dose of fever-reducing medication (like Tylenol or Advil). For most people, this will mean staying home for an average of four days. If you do not have a fever but are coughing and sneezing and otherwise very ill, you should also stay home. Calling a medical provider is not necessary unless you are at risk for complications from an underlying illness.
6) Know the flu: unlike the common cold (which begins slowly and insidiously), the flu tends to hit you like a truck, and you begin to feel very ill in a matter of minutes or hours. One of the cardinal signs of flu is intense muscle and joint aches. If you have these symptoms but are free of fever, you may still have the flu, so stay at home until you feel better!
Although seasonal flu and H1N1 influenza have the same symptoms, they appear to affect different segments of the population. While seasonal flu generally impacts the elderly, the young and the chronically ill, the median age of those seriously affected by H1N1 is 14. Both illnesses generally cause similar symptoms (ie: fever, sore throat, cough, body aches, chills, etc), It is still unknown how widespread and virulent H1N1 will be this winter.
Both H1N1 and seasonal flu can be spread easily from person to person via droplets of saliva and mucous that come out of the nose and mouth when someone coughs, sneezes, or blows their nose. If you are close enough to someone (3-6 feet) with the flu, the potential for you to catch the flu from them if they sneeze or cough is great. Symptoms usually start 1-4 days after a person inhales the virus.
Droplets from an infectious person which come into contact with a non-porous surface are indeed infectious. However, once the droplets dry, the virus dies. Certain “high touch” areas like doorknobs, computer keyboards, faucets, banisters and handrails do require extra attention and vigilance.
Regular flu vaccine will hopefully be widely available later this fall and winter, and we encourage everyone who is eligible to seek out vaccination against seasonal influenza.
In terms of the H1N1 vaccine, there will be a vaccine available within the next few months. Due to the nature of this particular illness, the following groups will be targeted for vaccination against H1N1:
More information:
For more information, please call the Amherst Health Department at 259-3077.
You can also visit our blog at http://amhersthealth.blogspot.com/ and our employee wellness blog at http://amherstwellness.blogspot.com/
Other websites:
www.mass.gov/flu
www.cdc.gov/flu
http://www.flu.gov/
Follow these steps to protect your family from the flu and H1N1:
1) Practice good hand hygiene: frequent and thorough handwashing is the #1 way to prevent the spread of illness. Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds.
2) Practice good cough and sneeze etiquette: sneeze and cough into a tissue or the crook of your elbow or sleeve rather than into your hand. Wash your hands thoroughly after blowing your nose or using a tissue.
3) Cleaning: use regular household cleaners to clean surfaces that might get flu virus on them.
4) Avoidance: avoid close physical contact with people who are sick. People with young children, weakened immune systems or chronic medical conditions should avoid large crowds.
5) Stay home: if you have a fever, stay home until you have been free of fever for at least 24 hours after your last dose of fever-reducing medication (like Tylenol or Advil). For most people, this will mean staying home for an average of four days. If you do not have a fever but are coughing and sneezing and otherwise very ill, you should also stay home. Calling a medical provider is not necessary unless you are at risk for complications from an underlying illness.
6) Know the flu: unlike the common cold (which begins slowly and insidiously), the flu tends to hit you like a truck, and you begin to feel very ill in a matter of minutes or hours. One of the cardinal signs of flu is intense muscle and joint aches. If you have these symptoms but are free of fever, you may still have the flu, so stay at home until you feel better!
Although seasonal flu and H1N1 influenza have the same symptoms, they appear to affect different segments of the population. While seasonal flu generally impacts the elderly, the young and the chronically ill, the median age of those seriously affected by H1N1 is 14. Both illnesses generally cause similar symptoms (ie: fever, sore throat, cough, body aches, chills, etc), It is still unknown how widespread and virulent H1N1 will be this winter.
Both H1N1 and seasonal flu can be spread easily from person to person via droplets of saliva and mucous that come out of the nose and mouth when someone coughs, sneezes, or blows their nose. If you are close enough to someone (3-6 feet) with the flu, the potential for you to catch the flu from them if they sneeze or cough is great. Symptoms usually start 1-4 days after a person inhales the virus.
Droplets from an infectious person which come into contact with a non-porous surface are indeed infectious. However, once the droplets dry, the virus dies. Certain “high touch” areas like doorknobs, computer keyboards, faucets, banisters and handrails do require extra attention and vigilance.
Regular flu vaccine will hopefully be widely available later this fall and winter, and we encourage everyone who is eligible to seek out vaccination against seasonal influenza.
In terms of the H1N1 vaccine, there will be a vaccine available within the next few months. Due to the nature of this particular illness, the following groups will be targeted for vaccination against H1N1:
- Pregnant women
- Those who live with or care for infants 6 months and younger (including all household members and caregivers)
- Emergency medical personnel and health care providers
- Individuals between 6 months of age and 24 years of age
- Individuals between 24 and 64 years of age who have an underlying chronic illness which makes them susceptible to complications from influenza
- Those 65 and older are currently not recognized as a high-risk group for H1N1 influenza.
More information:
For more information, please call the Amherst Health Department at 259-3077.
You can also visit our blog at http://amhersthealth.blogspot.com/ and our employee wellness blog at http://amherstwellness.blogspot.com/
Other websites:
www.mass.gov/flu
www.cdc.gov/flu
http://www.flu.gov/
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