Time for Flu Shots

The Allegheny County Health Department will open its influenza vaccination clinic on Forbes Avenue in Oakland on Monday, October 18th.

For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are recommending flu shots for everyone over six months of age, but the Health Department's Guillermo Cole says there are still high priority groups: children six months through 18, people 50 and over, pregnant women, anyone 19 through 49 with a chronic medical condition, health care workers, residents of nursing homes, and those who live with or care for people in these groups.

People with fevers should wait until their temperature returns to normal, and those with egg allergies should not get a shot, according to Cole.

Children from six months to 18 pay nothing, nor do those with Medicare Part B who are not in an HMO. For others, the charge is $25. Nasal spray is also available free to children and for $10 to those from 19 through 49.

Clinic hours are 9 to 3 Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 9 to 7 on Wednesdays. Cole expects to have enough vaccine to last through November and beyond. He says this is a good time to get a flu shot--before cold weather and before the flu peaks in late January or early February.

Health Department to Offer Free Vaccine Clinic

Children who need to get caught up with their required vaccines will be able to get them at a health Department free vaccination clinic on Tuesday, June 8, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m at their Oakland offices. No appointment is necessary and parents should bring their child’s vaccination records to the clinic.

Children entering seventh grade in the fall as well as all other students in grades 7 through 12 must have both the Tdap (tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis) vaccine and the meningitis vaccine, which are not a requirement for children in grades K through 6. They only became a requirement for the older children this past year.

The clinic will also offer other vaccines. Students without proof of required vaccinations will be excluded from school in the fall, unless their parent obtains an exemption for religious or personal reasons. School vaccination requirements apply to all public, private, parochial, cyber and home-schooled students in Allegheny County.

The Health Department is offering students who visit the clinic a Buy One-Get One free admission to any County swimming pool this summer.

Tuesday is World AIDS Day

At a news conference tomorrow morning, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and AIDS activists in Pittsburgh will remind people there is still a problem right here in Allegheny County.

Kathi Boyle, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force says 93 new cases were diagnosed last year, but 25% of people with HIV don't know they are positive. Those who don’t know they have HIV are responsible for 70% of new infections each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control, so it’s important for everyone to be tested.

Free, confidential testing is always available at the AIDS Task Force in East Liberty and other locations. Tomorrow, the Allegheny County Health Department mobile testing unit will be at 4th and Grant Steet from 10 to 5. Boyle says both UPMC and Allegheny General offer free treatment and medications that are either free or at a reduced rate.

With early treatment, Boyle says people with HIV can live long lives.

County Health Department Offers Food Safety Tips For Holiday

The Allegheny County Health Department has offered some food safety tips for the Thanksgiving holiday. When handling food you should make sure to wash your hands thoroughly both before and after you handle the food. You should make sure that all utensils and cooking materials are cleaned both before and after each use. When thawing your turkey you should allow for one day in the refrigerator for every 4 or 5 pounds or 30 minutes in cold water for every pound. When cooking for you should always use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165 degrees. When storing food you should make sure that food is refrigerated within two hours of being served.

County Health Department Offers Food Safety Tips For Holiday

The Allegheny County Health Department has offered some food safety tips for the Thanksgiving holiday. When handling food you should make sure to wash your hands thoroughly both before and after you handle the food. You should make sure that all utensils and cooking materials are cleaned both before and after each use. When thawing your turkey you should allow for one day in the refrigerator for every 4 or 5 pounds or 30 minutes in cold water for every pound. When cooking for you should always use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165 degrees. When storing food you should make sure that food is refrigerated within two hours of being served.

Allegheny County's West Nile Status Assessed

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) is hoping to determine the strength and pervasiveness of the West Nile virus in the area through its annual surveillance initiative. ACHD spokesman Guillermo Cole says this effort is fueled in large part by public cooperation in limiting standing water where mosquitos may breed and reporting certain species of dead birds. "Those species include crows, hawks, owls, blue jays, and falcons, so anytime someone sees a dead bird of that species, we ask them to report that. In addition, if anyone sees five or more dead birds of any species, we'd also like to know about that," says Cole. Though annual reports of bird and human instances indicate the decline of the virus in the area, Cole says mosquitos are still testing positive for the virus and thus the threat of human infection remains. Mosquitos pass the virus on to birds and birds back to those insects, but birds cannot pass it to humans; only mosquitos can do that. If an infected bird is found in a particular area, Cole says mosquito control work will be done in that community. Anyone who wishes to report a dead bird should call ACHD at (412) 687-2243 or visit the department's website at achd.net.

3rd Confirmed Case Of Swine Flu in County

A student at Carson Middle School in the North Allegheny School District has been diagnosed with swine flu: the third confirmed case in Allegheny County. The County Health Departemnt says the student has been recovering at home and no family members show signs of the illness. The North Allegheny District has not noticed higher levels of absenteeism, so Carson Middle School will remain open. The other county residents diagnosed with swine flu have recovered.

Daily River Water Advisories

The Allegheny County Health Department is restarting it's daily river water advisories, going from now until September 30 to align with the recreational boating season. ACHD Spokesperson Guillermo Cole says the alerts are to provide a warning for those on the water for when sewer overflows contaminate rivers, and to avoid river water contact as much as possible, particularly for those with weakened immune systems. He says this happens after a significant amount of rainfall. The amount of rainfall has a direct correlation on how many alert days there are. For instance, Cole says there were 13 alerts issued last summer, but were relatively short in length, totalling to 47 days during the entire boating season. However, in 2004, there were only six alerts issued, but lasted 125 days during the season.

Advisory updates are available at ACHD's River Water advisory hot line at (412) 687-ACHD or at achd.net.

ACHD to Hold Free Vaccination Clinics for Students

It is estimated that around 30,000 students in Allegheny County between kindergarten and 12th grade lack some of the required school vaccinations. That number is down from 62,000 this fall. Schools can permit students to attend school without all the vaccinations until the end of this school year. However, next fall all students must be up to date on all immunizations including meningitis, chicken pox, mumps, and tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis. To help get kids caught up with vaccinations, the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) will host four free vaccination clinics from 4-7 p.m. on March 17, 19, 24, and 26 at their office located at 3441 Forbes Avenue in Oakland. ACHD spokesman Guillermo Cole says it’s important to get kids up to date with their immunizations as some schools could begin to exclude students as early as late April and early May. As an incentive, the Health Department is offering a coupon for a free dessert from McDonald’s in Oakland to all children who receive vaccinations.

First Flu-Related Death of the Season Strikes Allegheny County

An unidentified 25 year-old Allegheny County man is the first to die from the flu in the region this season. Because of the man's young age, Allegheny County Health Department officials looked into the possibility the man also suffered from other illnesses. A staph infection was found in the blood stream and pneumonia in the lungs, along with influenza. ACHD spokesman Guillermo Cole says its impossible to tell which ailment played the largest role in his death. Reported cases of the flu in Allegheny County are down this year from 330 cases in 2008, to only 122 cases, though officials believe hundreds of cases go undocumented each year.

Health Department to Provide Bus Idling Signs

The Allegheny County Health Department will provide signs to local school districts to remind their bus drivers of the 2004 Bus Idling Law which sets the limit at 5 minutes for diesel school bus idling. The law was enacted to protect children from the harmful emissions of diesel exhaust. ACHD spokesman Guillermo Cole says children are more susceptible to the dangerous emissions because they have a higher rate of respiration than adults. Cole says children take in 50 percent more air per pound of body weight than adults. 15 Allegheny County school districts already have the signs in place and others have requested they be installed on their campuses, as well. Citizens are encouraged to help enforce the Bus Idling Law by reporting violations to the Allegheny County Health Department at 412-687-ACHD.