American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter Encourages Everyone to Get Vaccinated during San Francisco H1N1 Vaccine & Education Week
By Brittani Polivka, American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter
January 25, 2010
The H1N1 (swine) flu virus is still prevalent across the nation and the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter encourages everyone to get vaccinated against the virus, now that the vaccine is widely available.
San Francisco H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine & Education Week, which is January 25-29, serves as an opportunity for people to learn how to prevent the spread of the flu and to encourage people and their loved ones to get vaccinated against the H1N1 flu virus.
Throughout the City of San Francisco, agencies and clinics are making it easy to get an H1N1 vaccine, with organizations such as Walgreens, Safeway, Kaiser Permanente and Maxim Health Systems offering drop-in vaccine services and flu education.
Additionally, the Adult Immunization & Travel Clinic at 101 Grove St in San Francisco is welcoming drop-ins from the public and will also be offering a special opportunity to city employees with current ID. The Department of Public Health Clinics is holding special afternoon hours for any member of the public to drop in. For businesses who want to get their staff immunized, the Adult Immunization & Travel Clinic is making nurses and vaccine available directly at the worksite.
Any business wanting to make arrangements for a visiting nurse to vaccinate their workers should contact the AITC at 415-554-2532, or go to the business website at http://sfcdcp.org/aitcbusinesses.html.
Even though the number of people getting the flu is decreasing, the H1N1 virus is still a threat. In the past, seasonal flu usually peaked in January or February and occurred as late as May. H1N1 first appeared in the spring of 2009, and reoccurred in the fall. Officials for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention caution that they still don’t know what seasonal flu outbreaks will be like this year, and if there will be additional waves of H1N1.
Besides vaccination, there are also other simple steps to take to help prevent the spread of the flu:
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve – cough into the elbow area, not hands.
Wash hands often, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick
Stay home if sick.
The Red Cross has educational tools available to help households, schools and workplaces be well informed and promote healthy habits that help reduce the spread of the flu. See the Flu Safety & Prevention Guide for more information.
