Update:
November 11, 2009
TCHD Completes the First School Based H1N1 Vaccine Clinic
On Tuesday, November 10, 2009, Tompkins County Health Department (TCHD) provided H1N1 flu vaccine to 480 elementary, middle, and high school students at Newfield Central School. This was the first school-based clinic that TCHD implemented. The Department is working with the 4 other school districts in the County to provide H1N1 flu vaccine for their students. Schools will ensure that the necessary preparations are in place, including parental consent forms before a clinic will take place. H1N1 vaccination is voluntary.
The amount and type of vaccine (shot or nasal spray form) that TCHD receives also determines whether a school based clinic will take place. From week to week, TCHD staff does not know how much, what type, or if it will receive H1N1 vaccine. Providers across the country are facing the same situation.
Additional mass H1N1 flu clinics are not being planned until the school based clinics are completed. Tompkins County residents who are in one of the five priority groups and are interested in a H1N1 flu vaccination may call TCHD at 274-6609. They will be put on a call-back list and will be notified when vaccine becomes available. They should also contact their local health care provider for H1N1 flu vaccination.
Priority groups for H1N1 vaccination as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) include:
- Pregnant women
- Children 6 months through 18 years of age
- Young adults between the ages of 19 and 24
- Health care workers
- Caregivers of children younger than 6 months of age
- People between the ages of 25 and 64 who have a chronic medical condition that may put them at risk from complications from H1N1 flu
Everyday Steps to Prevent Flu
Remember that every day steps to prevent H1N1 flu and seasonal flu go a long way in staying healthy and preventing the spread of disease:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after it’s used and wash your hands.
- Cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow if a tissue is unavailable or that cough or sneeze comes up quickly.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth since germs can spread that way.
- If you have influenza-like-illness (fever greater than a 100◦F with cough or sore throat) stay at home for at least 24 hours after your fever goes away, without using any fever-reducing medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil)
For more information on seasonal flu and H1N1 flu go to the following websites:
• Tompkins County Health Department (TCHD) – www.tompkins-co.org/flu
• New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) – www.nyhealth.gov
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC) – www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu
Or, Call the TCHD Flu Hotline at 607-274-6609
Page updated: November 13, 2009 | Webmaster