Flu season runs through May

This Saturday, April 24, Berendo Middle School will be hosting a “Community Connected Fair” from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with a job fair and free H1N1 vaccines. The school is located at 1157 S. Berendo, Los Angeles, 90006.

It's not too late to get vaccinated. Cases of H1N1 influenza are still showing up in Los Angeles County and residents are urged to protect themselves and their loved ones.

“Flu season runs through May, which means that children and adults can still come down with influenza and may miss days at school or work because they are ill,” said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer. 

“The school period after spring break is a critical time for most students, with final exams and social events such as prom. Don’t miss out because of the flu. The best prevention against the spread of flu is to get vaccinated and to practice good, simple hygiene such as washing hands often, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home if sick.”

Individuals who plan to get vaccinated are encouraged to review the vaccination form, available in several different languages, and found on the Public Health website at http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov or go to FluShotLA.com.  


“Community Day” is sponsored by the Korea Daily, CCD/ Wilshire Worksource Center, Councilmember Ed Reyes Office and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

H1N1: One Year Later

A year ago, scientists identified an influenza virus that had never been reported anywhere in the world. The discovery ignited a comprehensive response to protect against the new virus - the H1N1 flu. 

Flu.gov updated the interactive timeline that details when scientists discovered the virus, the development of a vaccine and the response.  The timeline also illustrates how many cases were reported and how the vaccine was distributed.  Check out the timeline here.

The Wall Street Journal blog also reports on "A Year After H1N1 Outbreak." Read the post here.

Are you a Flu Fighter? Take the Quiz!

Pop quiz! Think you know how to prevent and protect your loved ones from getting the influenza virus? Flu.gov has posted a quiz on Facebook to test your knowledge.  You might be surprised at how much you don't know. Take our new quiz and find out if you really are a Flu Fighter. 


Flu Fighter quiz questions include:

1:How long can influenza virus remain viable on objects (such as books and doorknobs)?

2:What everyday steps can I take to protect myself from getting the flu?

3:For how long does the CDC recommend you wash your hands with soap and water?

4:At what temperature does heat destroy the influenza virus?

5:How long can an infected adult spread H1N1 (swine) flu to others?

Take the Facebook quiz to find out the answers by clicking here. 

H1N1 remains threat to young, top health officials warn

Today, the chairman of the World Health Organization (WHO)'s Emergency Committee said the H1N1 flu pandemic is as severe as influenza pandemics in 1957 and 1968 and remains a threat, especially to healthy young adults.

"This is just as severe as we saw in 1957 and 1968, with one major difference. We are not seeing deaths in the elderly but we are seeing them in a more important group of the population, healthy young adults," Mackenzie said in a rare presentation.

"It is much more severe than people tend to talk about," he told a three-day meeting called to review the way the World Health Organization handled the pandemic.

According to the Reuters article, the official death toll so far from H1N1 is estimated to be 17,700. The 1957 and 1968 pandemics killed around 2 million and 1 million respectively. Seasonal flu kills up to 500,000 a year, 90 percent of them frail elderly people.  The article continued...

"We still have evidence of the pandemic in Asia and in West Africa," he said. "We also want to see what happens in a second wave in the southern hemisphere. We have no idea what will happen and have some concerns.

"I would say, yes, we are still in a pandemic phase 6 ... We cannot lower our guard."

To read the full Reuters article, click here.


It's not too late to get vaccinated. To find the nearest location, visit FluShotLA.com.

H1N1: Los Angeles Korean & Chinese Media

Since our H1N1 flu prevention campaign is based in Los Angeles, most of our collateral materials are available in several languages. Here are a couple of examples of recent interviews in the Chinese and Korean media.  The interviews discuss the H1N1 flu season, symptoms of the H1N1 virus and the importance of getting vaccinated. 


H1N1 Chinese News Interview on LA 18

Click here for more information on H1N1 in Chinese. 


H1N1 Korean News Interview on LA 18

Click here for more information on H1N1 in Korean.


LA 18 reaches 6.2 million TV equipped households and 2.9 million cable subscribing households in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura and San Diego counties. Check out their web site here. 

Flu Fighters: Eric & Tiffany

You've probably seen Eric & Tiffany on the bus or maybe in your community newspaper.  They are two of our volunteer participants in the H1N1 public education ad campaign.  Check them out in the original PSA and in their own personal videos. 


Meet Eric from Inglewood:

Meet Tiffany from the Valley:

Watch the original H1N1 PSA called "The Domino Effect":

Health Fest 2010 in Downtown LA

This Thursday, join us as we celebrate Public Health Week in downtown LA with free giveaways, demos and flu shots!  

Thursday, April 8, 2010

9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Hahn Hall of Administration Courtyard

500 W Temple St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

• Free H1N1 vaccines. It's still flu season. Protect yourself. 

• Samples of fresh fruits and veggies from the Farmer’s Market Association

• Self-defense demonstrations. Learn how to protect yourself.

• A kids-inspired cooking demonstration. Junior chefs: Meals by kids for kids

• Giveaways to help you or someone you love stop smoking

• Get expert answers to your health questions

Click here for the event flyer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fiesta de la Salud 2010

Estamos celebrando la Semana de Salud Pública con

regalos, demostraciones y vacunas contra la gripe

jueves, 8 de abril del 2010

9:30 am - 3:00 pm

Patio de Hahn Hall of Administration

500 W Temple St, Los Ángeles, CA 90012

• Vacunas contra la gripe H1N1 gratis. Aún es temporada de la gripe. Protéjase.

• Muestras de comidas saludables que usted puede hacer rápido y fácilmente en su casa

• Muestras de frutas y verduras de los Mercados del Agricultor/Farmer’s Market

• Presentación de técnicas de autodefensa. Aprenda cómo protegerse.

• Demostración de cocina inspirada por los niños. Pequeños Chefs: comidas para los niños

por los niños

• Regalos para usted y seres queridos para ayudarles a dejar de fumar

• Obtenga respuestas a sus preguntas sobre la salud por expertos

Spanish

Study: Flu Shot Safe for Most Kids Allergic to Eggs

Credit: Reuters/Jessica Rinaldi

A new report indicates that it is safe for most kids with egg allergies to get the flu shot. Since most flu vaccines are made in chicken eggs, there have been concerns about giving it to children with the egg allergy.  Typically, doctors administer a skin test to find out if there is an allergy before administering the shot.

Parents of children with egg allergies should know that their children can receive the vaccine, the researcher said, and should discuss it with their physicians. While more research is needed to figure out the best way to go about giving the shot to kids with egg allergies, she added, the new findings suggest "that you can maybe skip the testing."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that everyone between six months and 18 years of age get the flu shot. This protection can be particularly important for kids with asthma, who are at higher risk of flu complications; these children are also often allergic to eggs, Schneider noted.

Read more about the Pediatrics study at Reuters here.
To find the nearest locations to get a flu shot, visit FluShotLA.com.