 |
There are no clinics scheduled in Newtown for Seasonal Flu Shots at this time. Please call the Danbury VNA Flu Hotline at (203) 730-5239 for information on seasonal flu shots.
Newtown Health District Newtown Health District
3 Primrose Street serving the towns of
Newtown, CT 06470 Bridgewater, Newtown
Tel. (203) 270-4291 and Roxbury
FAX (203) 270-1528
NEWTOWN DISTRICT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
UPDATE H1N1 Flu - February 22, 2010
VACCINATION:
- Local interest in obtaining an H1N1 vaccination has declined.
- The Newtown Health District held or participated in clinics through all of November, December and January - the earlier clinics in November and early December had eligibility restrictions, but then restrictions were lifted and the clinics had been open to everyone.
- The Newtown Health District does NOT have any additional H1N1 vaccination clinics scheduled.
- At this time, we encourage you to call your physician as the vaccine is readily available for physicians to obtain.
- Pharmacies such as CVS, Walgreens and Stop & Shop are also providing H1N1 vaccinations.
- Residents can also call:
- the Danbury VNA at (203) 730-5249 to schedule an appointment for vaccination at the Danbury VNA office
- the Bethel VNA at (203) 792-0864
- the New Milford VNA at (860) 354-2216
- and Brookfield residents, in addition to the numbers above, can call the Brookfield Health Department at (203) 775-7315
H1N1 VACCINATION BACKGROUND: The Newtown Health District is a Registered Provider for H1N1 (Swine) Flu Vaccine; as are several health care providers in our area. Please check with your health care provider to see if they are providing H1N1 Flu vaccination as well. The Newtown Health District is the "Lead" for our Mass Dispensing Area which includes Newtown, Bridgewater, Roxbury and Brookfield.
The Newtown Health District has been working with many partners to vaccinate residents for the H1N1 virus in the past 3 months. The Visiting Nurses Associations of Danbury, Bethel, New Milford, and Newtown are our major providers. The school systems in Newtown, Brookfield and Region 12 (Bridgewater, Roxbury and Washington) are an important part of the team. Brookfield Health Department staff have also provided valuable support. Volunteers from all of the towns have been strong and consistent. The Newtown Health District staff are the foundation to the effort.
Clinics had been held every Monday at the Whisconier Middle School in Brookfield, every Tuesday at the High School in Newtown, and additional clinics had been held at Shepaug High School as well as smaller targeted clinics had been conducted for Emergency Medical Services personnel and others on the CT DPH priority group list.
High Risk Medical conditions include:
- Asthma;
- Neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions [including disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy (seizure disorders), stroke, intellectual disability (mental retardation), moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury].~~
- Chronic~lung disease; Heart disease ; Blood disorders, Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus) ; Kidney disorders , Liver disorders, Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders)
- Weakened immune system due to disease or medication
- People younger than 19 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy
Flu Mist can only be administered to healthy individuals between the ages of 2 – 49. “Healthy” translates to having no underlying health condition such as asthma, heart condition, metabolic disease like diabetes, etc. The administration of any “Flu Mist” vaccine must be separated by 28 days before the next administration. If you have any questions about your child’s health condition or their ability to receive Flu Mist please contact your health care provider.
|
|
|
- H1N1 Vaccine intranasal "flu mist" can only be dispensed to healthy individuals aged 2-49 years of age. People with high risk medical conditions cannot receive Flu Mist. Please see link below to learn more about H1N1 Flu Mist.
We encourage everyone who is interested in obtaining a H1N1 vaccination to review the Vaccine Information Sheets for
The H1N1 "Flu Mist" at
and the H1N1 Flu Shot at
We also strongly encourage you to continue to do what you can to protect yourself and your family until you can be vaccinated with H1N1 Flu vaccine:
- Get a seasonal flu shot
- Wash your hands often
- Cover your cough/sneeze or cough into your sleeve
- Wash your hands after coughing/sneezing
- Avoid sick people
- Stay home when you are sick and keep sick children home from school
- Follow your doctor's advice if you become ill
Cases:
Laboratory-confirmed cases represent only a fraction of the likely number of cases in the state because many persons with mild symptoms to not seek care from a doctor or hospital but recover at home. For a list of towns with confirmed cases, please visit www.ct.gov/ctfluwatch.
United States of America: This number changes daily and the most current data is updated each Friday at www.cdc.gov .
PLEASE NOTE: Surveillance: ~The CT Department of Public Health is in close contact with hospitals, physicians, other health care providers and local health departments/districts. The Newtown Health District is in communication with the CT Department of Public Health and our Public Schools Administration and the school nurses regularly; as well as with our agency partners and the area hospitals.
~
Prevention: Residents should take precautions to prevent getting or spreading the flu:
- If you get sick, you should stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. Avoid contact with sick people.
- The most important message at this time is not new: Students and adults who are sick should NOT come to school or work. In particular, stay home if you have flu symptoms: fever and cough or sore throat, sometimes with runny or stuffy nose, body aches, vomiting or diarrhea. To avoid infecting others, please stay home and away from others until you've had at least 24 hours without fever and without the use of fever-reducing medication.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
- Practice other good health habits: get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious foods.
Symptoms and Treatment: People who become ill with influenza-like symptoms, which include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue, may want to contact their health care provider, particularly if they are worried about their symptoms.~ Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with H1N1 Flu. Their health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.~ People who are experiencing emergency warning signs should immediately contact their health care provider.
Patients can be treated with antivirals that may lessen the severity and/or shorten the duration of the illness. The use of the antivirals is determined by the patient’s physician
~
H1N1 Flu: H1N1 (referred to as “swine flu” early on) is a new influenza virus causing illness in people. This new virus was first detected in people in United States in April 2009. Other countries, including Mexico and Canada, have reported people sick with this new virus. This virus is spreading from person-to-person, probably in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread.
Why is this new H1N1 virus sometimes called “swine flu”? This virus was originally referred to as “swine flu” because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America. But further study has shown that this new virus is very different from what normally circulates in North American pigs. It has two genes from flu viruses that normally circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia and avian genes and human genes. Scientists call this a “quadruple reassortant” virus.
~
Steps for area residents at this time. The most important thing to do right now is to stay informed and to take common-sense steps to protect your health and the health of your family.
For more information on H1N1 Flu:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov
What Does Public Health Do For You?
l Protects against environmental hazards
l Responds to disasters and assists the community in recovery
l Prevents epidemics and the spread of disease
l Promotes and encourages healthy behaviors
l Promotes access to quality health service
TEMPORARY EVENT NOTICE
As warmer weather approaches and with summer just around the corner many groups and organizations are preparing for seasonal events such as church fairs, fund raising picnics and carnivals. The Newtown Health District wants to help make these events healthy, safe and successful by ensuring that food served at these events is safe for the public to consume. To do this the health district requires that any operation offering food to the public obtain a temporary food service license. If your facility rents space to groups serving food to the public, please advice them to contact the health district.
Organizers may obtain an application for a temporary food service license from the health district or online (see above) and should submit it at least two weeks prior to the scheduled event. Every applicant will receive a Temporary Food Service Guide containing basic food safety information and personal instruction on proper food handling. To review specific details regarding upcoming events please contact Suzette Le Blanc @ newtownhdsuzette@earthlink.net or by calling the health district at
203-270-4291.
The Newtown Health District is located at 31 Pecks Lane in Newtown. Please contact Newtown Health District for more information and to obtain a Temporary Food Service License application (download application above).
| |
