SACRAMENTO – Influenza
vaccination is recommended for everyone
in California over six months of age,
said California Department of Public
Health (CDPH) State Epidemiologist
Dr. Gilberto Chavez during a briefing
today on the state of the flu.
“With children back in school,
it’s time for Californians to
get ready for the fall and winter influenza
season,” said Chavez. “Encourage
everyone in your family to follow basic
flu prevention methods such as washing
hands, covering coughs and sneezes,
staying home when sick, and make sure
that they get a flu shot.”
This
year’s influenza vaccine
will protect against the H1N1 flu strain
and two other strains, H3N2 and influenza
B.
Chavez
also announced that the department’s
popular “Flu-Fighting Film Fest” contest
will be held for a second year and
challenged creative Californians to
develop a catchy flu prevention video
or poster that will be shared statewide
throughout the season.
Joining Chavez was Dr. Patricia Samuelson
of the California Association of
Family Physicians and Dr. Mark Sawyer
of the American Academy of Pediatricians.
Samuelson, the recipient of The Ronald
P. Bangasser MD Immunization Leadership
Award, communicated the importance
of parents getting their children vaccinated.
"It's important that every child
over six months of age get the flu
vaccine. Even healthy children can
get the flu, which can make any child
very sick, and can even be fatal," said
Samuelson.
Sawyer, professor of clinical pediatrics
and a pediatric infectious disease
specialist at the University of California,
San Diego School of Medicine, discussed
the current pertussis epidemic and
echoed the importance of vaccination,
especially for infants and people who
are around infants.
“This year’s pertussis
epidemic is a call to action to remind
Californians that immunity to this
disease wears off and to urge everyone – especially
family members and caregivers of infants – to
make sure to get immunized,” Sawyer
said.
The
briefing can be viewed on CDPH’s
Web site, along with information on
influenza, pertussis, and immunization.
California
Department of
Public Health
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/DEFAULT.aspx
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