Hold Message (9/17/09)

While we try to keep our hold times to a minimum unfortunately some wait time is inevitable especially during our busiest times. As part of our commitment to health education we take this opportunity to keep you up to date on the current health topics.

We are entering the influenza season early this year. We have been having cases of the new H1N1 influenza or swine flu infections since last spring. They have continued throughout the summer months. We expect to see more cases this fall as school resumes. We do not know yet how severe the season will be. Children are at high risk for this strain of influenza since they have no immunity to it.

These influenza infections have symptoms of cough, runny nose and eyes, sore throat, body aches, and temperatures that will go as high as 103-105 degrees. The infection lasts for about 7 days. We advise that these children stay home until their temperature returns to normal ranges.

You can help reduce the spread of influenza by doing the following steps:

  • Hand hygiene: wash hands or use alcohol hand sanitizers after being in public or after contact with anyone with a cold or flu
  • Cough etiquette: turn head and cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and promptly dispose of the used tissue; or cough into the inside of the elbow if a tissue is not available
  • Don’t expose young children or immunosuppressed children unnecessarily to large crowds
  • Avoid close contact (holding, kissing) between infants and anyone who has a cold or flu
  • Stay home from work or school if you have influenza
  • Do not share anything that goes into the mouth such as drinking cups and straws
  • Frequently clean commonly touched surfaces (door knob, refrigerator handle, phone, water faucets) if someone in the house has a cold or flu
  • Do not ever smoke around children inside or outside

Your child should be seen if he or she displays any of the following symptoms:

  1. Rapid or labored breathing, bluish skin color
  2. Not drinking enough to maintain hydration
  3. Not waking up; not interacting
  4. So irritable that he or she doesn’t want to be held
  5. Flu symptoms improve but then the child becomes ill again with fever, worse cough

We will begin to do the Saturday flu shot clinics this year beginning in September. We will have open flu shot clinics on Saturdays until we have used up our supplies. These will be walk-in clinics without appointments from 9am to 12pm. It is recommended that all children down to 6 months of age be vaccinated against the flu. We have ordered a large supply of the vaccines so that we should be able to vaccinate all children.

We will have 2 different influenza vaccine products this year. We have the regular influenza A and B vaccine in stock now. This vaccine is against the common seasonal influenza strains that we have here. It will not protect against the H1N1 or swine flu disease. We will have the brand new H1N1 or swine flu vaccine sometime in October when the federal government releases the stockpiles of these vaccines. This means your child will need to get 2 different influenza vaccines this year. Each vaccine will be available as shots or as the vaccine that is squirted up the nose. The timing of the vaccines and any boosters will be a bit complicated and our staff will be happy to answer any questions that you might have about them.

The vaccines will be available without preservatives as supplies permit. This is most important for children less than 3 years of age. We hope that our parents and patients will take advantage of this opportunity to get their children vaccinated.