Calhoun County Public Health

Beginning October 5th flu shots will be available at Calhoun County Public Health office Monday – Friday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m while vaccine supplies last.

Calhoun County Public Health

501 Court Street – Rockwell City, Iowa 50579

712-297-8323 or 800-437-1273

Contact: Polly Carver-Kimm (515) 401-7988

Polly.Carver-Kimm@idph.iowa.gov

Holiday Food Safety

The holidays are a time for family, fun, and food! Making sure your hoiday feast is safe and healthy is not hard, and requires just a few things be kept in mind. First, after the meal, do not leave food setting out. Food should not be left at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. It needs to be cooled down quickly and when time for reheating, reheated to a temp of 165 F. Foods in the danger zone temperature of 45 to 140 degrees are more likely to sustain bacterial growth and cause a food borne illness.

Secondly, wash your hands! Especially if you are the food preparer but also if everyone is eating buffet style and sharing common utensils and surfaces. It only takes one person with dirty hands to start the illness and within a couple of days the whole family could be sick!

Third, be sure to cook foods to the proper temperature. Turkey should be cooked to 165 F all the way through. Bacteria will be killed at this temperature and getting it cooled quickly to below 40, will prevent more bacterial growth. Do not thaw food on the counter! This will result in the surface being in the danger zone temperature, while the inside is still frozen. Thaw in the frig or under cool running water right before cooking.

Fourth, be careful not to contaminate surfaces with raw meats. If you are going to cut up vegatables, do so before the meat is placed on the cutting board. Better yet, use a cutting board for vegetables, and a different one for raw meats.

Following safe food handling procedures will keep everyone healthy and happy and ensure time together will not spread illness.

Pregnant Women Targeted for H1N1 Vaccine

Iowa Flu Information Hotline: 1-800-447-1985

Three weeks after the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine began arriving in Iowa, the supply continues to be allocated to counties on a staggered basis. Until the vaccine is widely available, vaccination priority groups have been established to target those individuals known to be at highest risk for complications from H1N1.

Pregnant women are an important part of this targeted population. All influenza can be dangerous to pregnant women and their babies. The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend seasonal and 2009 H1N1 vaccines for pregnant women. “Compared with people in general who get H1N1, pregnant women with H1N1 flu are more likely to be admitted to hospitals, more likely to have serious illness, and more likely to die from H1N1,” said IDPH Medical Director, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk.

Pregnant women should get both the 2009 H1N1 flu shot and the seasonal flu shot. Both these injected vaccines are ‘killed’ vaccines, so you cannot catch the flu from getting these shots. (The other type of flu vaccine – a nasal spray – is not recommended for pregnant women.) Women can receive flu shots at any stage of pregnancy.

If you are pregnant and have flu symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, or fatigue, call your health care provider right away. If H1N1 is suspected, your health care provider may prescribe antiviral medicine that treats the flu. Being pregnant should not stop women from using antiviral medicines if their doctor decides that they are needed.

Women who are breastfeeding and are sick with the flu should continue to breastfeed. Babies who are breastfed get sick from infections like the flu less often and less severely than babies who are not breastfed. Postpartum women should also contact their health care provider immediately if they have symptoms of the flu.

For more information on pregnancy and H1N1, visit www.cdc.gov/Features/PregnantH1N1Flu/. Additional information about H1N1 influenza can be found at www.idph.state.ia.us/h1n1/default.asp.

Why is My Nurse Wearing a Mask?

Masks another tool in battle against disease spread

As the 2009 H1N1 and seasonal influenza seasons progress this fall and winter, you may see more individuals, especially health care workers, wearing protective masks. Does this mean the H1N1 virus is becoming stronger? Should you be wearing a mask? Is it dangerous to go out in public without a mask? These are among the many questions raised by Calhoun County residents.

“Although seeing a health care worker wearing a protective mask can be startling, it should actually provide you with a level of comfort,” said Jane Condon, Public Health Administrator. “It’s a sign your health care provider is protecting themselves from the H1N1 virus, and in turn, protecting their patients.”

Masks help decrease the spread of influenza in your health care provider’s office, and so you may be asked to wear one to if you are coughing or sneezing. “If you’re coughing or sneezing, wearing a mask while you wait to be seen by a health care provider is a thoughtful action you can personally take to stop the spread of disease,” said Condon. If your health care provider wears a mask, it does not mean they are concerned about attending patients. Instead, it is a sign the worker is taking extra steps to stop the spread of the virus to themselves, and the patients they see each day.

“Additionally, we know some employers are asking their workers to be checked by a doctor if they are going to be off work for several days, or before they return to work after illness. Since it is important to keep hospitals, ERs and clinics available to the sickest people, it would be helpful to forgo that practice this flu season,” said Condon. “We are hearing that some offices are already overwhelmed with ill patients.”

A statewide toll-free hotline has been established for public questions about seasonal and H1N1 influenza at 1-800-447-1985 or at Calhoun County Public Health 712-297-8323. More information can also be found at www.idph.state.ia.us or www.calcopublichealth.com

###

H1N1: When Should You See a Doctor?

Public Flu Hotline: 1-800-447-1985

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) reports the 2009 H1N1 virus continues to spread rapidly throughout Iowa . While most Iowans will recover from the virus without needing to seek medical attention, some individuals, especially children, are at higher risk for H1N1-related complications.

Children who should be considered for early antiviral treatment, and whose parents or caregiver should contact their health care provider as soon as influenza-like symptoms begin, include:

Those younger than 2 years of age in particular, and some children up to 4 years of age.
Children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions, such as asthma and diabetes.
Adolescents who are pregnant (and up to two weeks after giving birth).
Children and adolescents who are on long-term aspirin therapy.

It is important to recognize that even healthy older children can have severe or fatal outcomes after influenza infection. In all children, warning signs indicating the need for urgent medical attention include:

Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish or gray skin color
Not drinking enough fluids (dehydration)
Severe or persistent vomiting
Not waking up or not interacting with people and things around them
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve, but then return with fever and worse cough

To date in Iowa , there have been 124 H1N1-related hospitalizations and 5 H1N1-related deaths; the latest fatality, reported this week, was an adult from Mahaska County with medical conditions that increased the risk of complications. For more information about H1N1 influenza, visit www.idph.state.ia.us/h1n1. Iowans with questions about H1N1 may also call the toll-free Influenza Hotline at 1-800-447-1985.

Chronic Diseases Place Heavy Burden on Iowans

Seven of every 10 Iowans die of chronic diseases

Although among the most common health problems, chronic diseases are also among the most preventable. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes account for 68 percent of all deaths in Iowa. The most recent (2007) IDPH Chronic Disease Report indicates heart diseases account for one of every four Iowa deaths.

“One of the most critical conclusions to draw from this report is the importance of prevention. There are a host of opportunities to prevent chronic disease,” said IDPH Director Tom Newton. “Simple acts like moving more and eating less go a long ways toward the prevention of chronic disease.” According to the report, tobacco use is the leading risk factor for chronic disease in Iowa. Poor nutrition and physical inactivity (combined) are the second leading risk factors, followed by excessive alcohol use.

The report outlines personal behaviors that can reduce the risk of chronic disease, including:

Preventing tobacco use
Achieving and sustaining an ideal body weight
Increasing physical activity
Maintaining good nutritional behaviors
Reduction of alcohol use

The entire report, which is a project of the IDPH Chronic Disease Integration Team, can be found at www.idph.state.ia.us/apl/common/pdf/health_statistics/chronic_disease_report.pdf.

A-Z Public Health Directory