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Updated 11/4
H1N1 OB Vaccination Clinics to be held this weekend
Lee Memorial Health System, in collaboration with the Lee County
Health Department, will offer free H1N1 vaccinations this weekend at
HealthPark Medical Center and Cape Coral hospital to pregnant women.
On Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. women who are
expecting and have not yet received an H1N1 vaccination are
encouraged to participate in an OB vaccination clinic.
At HealthPark Medical Center, located at Summerlin and Bass
Road, in the atrium (use entrance A or entrance B) volunteers will
greet you and assist with registration.
The clinic at Cape Coral Hospital is being held in the Life
Center, south of the emergency department with parking in front and
in back of the hospital, where volunteers will also greet and assist
you.
It is not necessary to arrive early to receive the vaccination.
The doors will not open until 9 a.m. and the process should move
very quickly, even if there is a large crowd. The average time to
register and receive the vaccine at the recent H1N1 Vaccination
Clinics held by the Lee County Health Department was only 12
minutes. We hope to provide the same level of service at Saturday’s
clinics.
These clinics are for pregnant women only. Only pregnant women
will receive the vaccination at these clinics. While everyone should
eventually be vaccinated, these clinics are to meet the needs for
the first priority group, a high risk category - pregnant women.
There are a number of resources available for additional
information on influenza activity. The Florida Department of Health
toll-free number provides public health information and updates on
H1N1 Swine flu. The information line is available from 8 a.m. to 8
p.m. EDT, seven days a week. Information is available in English,
Spanish and Creole. The Florida Flu Information Line is
877-352-3581.
Updated 10/16
For the past several months, we have all kept a
close watch on the development of the novel H1N1 influenza virus,
more commonly known as “swine flu.” We have not had to look far to
see evidence that nH1N1 is present in our community.
H1N1 can lead to severe sickness, and even death in some cases. Even
young, healthy people can suffer serious consequences when infected.
As of Oct. 14, 112 deaths have been reported in Florida, and 20 of
them were under the age of 24, most with no underlying medical
conditions.
The Lee County Health Department urges our community to get
vaccinations against H1N1, a virus to which we have no immunity. The
Lee County Health Department plans to begin H1N1 free vaccination
clinics later this month at 12 area high schools throughout the
county. Everyone should eventually be vaccinated, but those in high
risk categories will be given the first supplies of the vaccine.
They include:
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Children and young adults age 6 months through
24 years
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Pregnant women
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People who live with or care for children
younger than 6 months old
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Health care workers and emergency medical
services personnel
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People age 25 through 64 years who have health
conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications
from influenza
For more information regarding seasonal flu or
general health questions, you can visit the Lee County Health
Department’s Web site at
www.leechd.com.
Lee Memorial Health System continues to monitor the situation
and is working hard to provide the highest level of safety for our
patients, visitors and employees. In an effort to prevent the spread
of nH1N1 at LMHS facilities, LMHS has put the following policies in
place according to CDC recommendations:
Visitation Policies
You may visit patients 24 hours after you are
symptom free.
LMHS Employee Policies
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Once the vaccine becomes available, any LMHS
employee or volunteer who comes in face-to-face contact with
patients must receive the nH1N1 vaccine, or wear a protective
surgical-grade mask at all times while in face-to-face contact
with patients.
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Employees who develop flu-like symptoms must be
screened by an ARNP, physician or a walk-in clinic as soon as
possible. Any staff member who is excused from work due to
flu-like symptoms will not be allowed to return to work for at
least 24 hours after he or she no longer has a fever without the
use of fever-reducing medicines.
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This requirement will likely be in effect until
springtime 2010, depending on the number of nH1N1 cases we see
in Lee County during the coming months.
Updated 8/27:
Children under 12 No Longer Permitted in Adult Critical Care
Areas of the Hospitals
School is back in session for many area children. The school year
traditionally brings an increase of illnesses to the classrooms and
into our homes.
This is of
particular concern due to the continued spread of the H1N1 virus,
also known as the swine flu. There is a strong concern that a large
number of local residents will be affected by H1N1 during the normal
flu season, occurring later this year.
To keep our
community as healthy as possible children under the age of 12 will
not have access to adult critical care areas of the hospitals, the
NICU, and the PICU.
In
preparation for the increase in traffic and potential spread of
germs, Lee Memorial Health System will implement a revised version
of the visitation policies at:
Cape Coral Hospital
Gulf Coast Medical Center
HealhPark Medical Center
Lee memorial Hospital
The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida
The Rehabilitation Hospital
HealthPark Care Center
Patients,
families and visitors are strongly encouraged not to bring children
under the age of 12 to the hospitals for visitation.
If you have
flu-like symptoms, it is highly recommended you wear a mask while in
public. If seeking medical treatment, inform the medical staff
immediately that you may have the flu.
It’s important to remember that contracting the swine flu is not
necessarily a reason to panic. The public is encouraged to stay
informed and educated about the H1N1 virus.
Additional good health practices to help prevent the spread of germs
include washing your hands with soap and water for at least 15
seconds; cough into a tissue or sleeve; avoid large crowds and
enclosed spaces when possible; and stay home from work or school if
you are feeling ill.
For more information about the swine flu, visit
www.flu.gov.
Additionally a local Lee County Health Department message line has
been established to inform the public requesting H1N1 flu
information. The information line is available at 239-461-6180.
Updated 8/19:
The Lee County Health Department urges people to wash their hands
frequently, stay home from work or school if they feel ill, and
cover their mouths with a tissue or their sleeve if they are
coughing. These common sense precautions will greatly reduce the
risk of transmission of all flu virus whether seasonal or H1N1
(swine flu).
While most cases of H1N1 flu are mild, there are exceptions. The
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has advised people with chronic
pre-existing conditions and pregnant women to be especially vigilant
to prevent against infection. If someone experiences flu-like
symptoms they should contact their health care providers or hospital
for instructions about receiving treatment.
People experiencing cough, fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
and sore throat, possibly along with diarrhea and vomiting, should
contact their physician. If you think you have influenza, please
call your health care provider and discuss whether you need to be
seen in their office, emergency department or stay home. People with
influenza like symptoms should stay home from work or school until
their fever has been gone for 24 hours without the use of fever
reducing medicine
Several strategies are known to help prevent the
spread of influenza, including widespread vaccination, frequent hand
hygiene, coughing into our sleeves and avoiding crowded areas
when possible. “Unfortunately, the novel H1N1 vaccine may not be
available until October or later,” says Stephen Streed, MS, CIC,
System Director of Epidemiology for LMHS. “We need to be especially
diligent with the other prevention strategies to help slow this
disease. When the vaccine does become available, everybody should
take the vaccine according to the government recommendations.”
"Lee Memorial Health System will continue to work closely with the
Lee County Health Department and the Lee County Emergency Operations
Center," says Streed.
The symptoms and health effects of H1N1 flu appear to mirror
seasonal influenza. Here are some precautionary steps community
members and LMHS employees can take during this time.
These steps are identical to those you would take during traditional
influenza season:
• Avoid large crowds and enclosed spaces when possible
• Cough into a tissue or your sleeve
• Practice good hand washing by using soap and lathering for at
least 15 seconds or using a hand sanitizing gel or spray and
following the manufacturer’s instructions
"We continue to recommend the same precautions to the public that we
always recommend during the flu season: that everyone should wash
their hands frequently, stay home from work or school if they feel
ill, and cover their mouths with a tissue or their sleeve if they
are coughing," said Dr. Judith Hartner, M.D., MPH, MPA.
If you or a family member are exhibiting flu-like symptoms—fever,
cough, headache or fatigue—then you should seek medical attention if
you feel it is necessary. “If you are exhibiting these symptoms and
choose to seek medical attention or go out in public, we recommend
that you wear a mask and inform the medical staff immediately that
you believe you may have the flu,” says Streed. He also encourages
parents to see their primary care physician if their child is sick.
LMHS will continue to provide regular updates about S-OIV as the
situation evolves.
For more information about the swine flu, visit
www.flu.gov.
Additionally a local Lee County Health Department message line has
been established to inform the public requesting H1N1 flu
information. The information line is available at 239-461-6180.
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