November 5, 2009
H1N1 vaccine available to select
FORT ATKINSON –Fort HealthCare has begun to receive additional doses of the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine and continues to make it available to persons in the designated target group, per recommendations of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS).
Because of the limited supply available nationally, the DHS is recommending that local health departments and health professionals target H1N1 vaccine for those individuals most-at-risk. They are, in no particular order:
• Pregnant women
• Persons who live with or provide care for infants age 6 months or younger (examples: parents, siblings, daycare providers)
• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel who have direct contact with patients or infectious material
• Children age 6 months – 4 years
• Children and adolescents age 5-18 years who have chronic medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications
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Established patients of
If you or a family member fall into the target group and have not been contacted by your primary care provider, you are encouraged to call your clinic to determine current availability of the vaccine as well as your appropriateness for receiving the vaccine. Persons without a regular primary care physician should contact the Jefferson County Health Department at (920) 674-7275 or go online at www.co.jefferson.wi.us for more information. The County Health Department also has a limited supply of the vaccine available to those members of the public in the above mentioned at-risk groups.
Influenza viruses are thought to spread from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. The droplets from the infected person are propelled through the air and deposited on the mouth or nose of people nearby. Influenza viruses may also be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets on another person or an object and then touches their own mouth or nose (or someone else’s mouth or nose) before washing their hands.
The CDC recommends that people with influenza-like illness remain at home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (100° F [37.8°C]) without the use of fever-reducing medications.
People with 2009 H1N1 flu cared for at home should:
Be watchful for emergency warning signs that might indicate you need to seek medical attention. These include:
Persons interested in following developments regarding the H1N1 flu outbreak and the availability of the vaccine are encouraged to visit www.FortHealthCare.com/flu. Frequent updates will be posted to this website. The website also has links to sites created by the State of
Community vaccination clinics will resume as H1N1 vaccine becomes more readily available. People may call 2-1-1 to find out an H1N1 or seasonal influenza vaccine clinic nearest them. A "clinic finder" is also available online at http://pandemic.wisconsin.gov or http://www.wisconsinfluclinic.info/ .
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