State Sen. Lois Wolk wants to encourage – not require – that
health care workers get annual flu vaccinations if they come into
contact with patients in hospitals.
No right-thinking person could possibly oppose her legislation.
But in our dysfunctional Capitol, public health has become a
contested issue. Too often, lobbyists place the interests of the
organizations they represent ahead of what’s best for the rest of
us.
Flu was in the news Tuesday [February 14,2012], with updates on
seasonal influenza in the U.S. and on the debate over bird flu
research that is raging around the world.
In general, Americans have had a mild flu season this year.
But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported
in its weekly FluView Surveillance Report that, for the first
time this season, more than 10% of respiratory specimens
collected in the U.S.
SACRAMENTO – February 13, 2012 – The following statement is
attributed to Carmella Gutierrez, president of Californians for
Patient Care:
“Californians for Patient Care (CPC) is disappointed to learn
that National Nurses United (NNU), the California Nurses’
Association’s union, is opposing mandatory flu shots for
healthcare workers. We believe mandated flu shots for all
California healthcare workers will do a great deal to improve
public health and bolster patients’ trust in their healthcare
providers.
If California hospitals were graded on the percentage of their
workers who get flu shots, many would get a “D” and some would
flunk. A statewide survey found only 64.3 percent of hospital
employees got a flu vaccination in the 2010-11 season.
Keeping yourself, your family and co-workers healthy may be
easier than you think, as long as you think ahead. Though flu
season is an annual reminder of the need to adopt simple,
infection-fighting habits and make use of preventive care
programs, the fact is, reducing and eliminating the spread of
infectious diseases is a year-round concern.
There are simple things – many of them the same things we do
during flu season when our awareness is heightened – we can do
all year long that will keep ourselves, our families and our
co-workers healthy and infection-free.
Californians for Patient Care recommends adopting the following
behaviors:
Wash your hands frequently: Don’t limit your
frequent hand-washing to flu season – wash them several times a
day year-round. Influenza and whooping cough are year-round
dangers. Also, don’t be afraid to ask your healthcare
professionals to wash their hands during an office visit or
consultation.
Get recommended vaccinations: The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention provides recommendations on
vaccinations for both children and adults. Californians for
Patient Care suggests you refer to these vaccination
schedules and talk to your healthcare provider about
getting your vaccinations up-to-date.
If you’re sick, stay home: Schoolchildren and
employees are used to hearing this suggestion, but it’s also
applicable to anyone visiting someone in the hospital. Most
patients admitted to the hospital have weakened immune systems
(due to their illness), so the last thing they need is a
well-meaning, but sick friend or relative coming to visit, and
potentially prolonging their stay.
Take medications as prescribed: It is
important to take all medications as prescribed by healthcare
professionals. Doing so gives your system enough time to battle
the illness you’re suffering from, but failing to do so may
keep your system to further infection.
There are also several resources we encourage you to use to so
that you can make informed decisions about your health risks and
healthcare options:
Stay at home for at least 24 hours after your fever (100° or
higher) is gone.
Avoid close contact with others, especially those who might
easily get the flu, such as people age 65 years and older, people
of any age with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma,
diabetes, or heart disease), pregnant women, young children and
infants.
Clean your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand
rub often, especially after using tissues or coughing/sneezing
into your hands.
Cover coughs and sneezes.
Drink clear fluids such as water, broth, sports drinks or
electrolyte beverages made for infants to prevent becoming
dehydrated.
Get plenty of rest.
Get medical attention right away if you:
Have difficulty breathing or chest pain.
Have purple or blue discoloration of your lips.
Are vomiting and unable to keep liquids down.
Show signs of dehydration, such as feeling dizzy when
standing or being unable to urinate.
‘Tis the season to cough and sneeze. And before long, entire
communities will be affected by influenza (“the flu”), one of the
most miserable of the season’s ailments.
What is Influenza?
Cause. A respiratory virus that infects the nose, throat, and
lungs causes the flu.
Symptoms. Common symptoms are fever, cough, sore throat, body
aches, headache, and fatigue. In children, vomiting and diarrhea
are also common.
This is the time of year when health care experts urge us all to
get flu shots.
But when it comes to practicing what they preach, some hospital
workers do a much better job than others, statistics reveal.
Influenza vaccination rates vary widely at Bay Area hospitals,
prompting some advocates to call for mandatory policies and
stepped-up educational campaigns to prevent hospital workers from
infecting others.
This is the time of year when health care experts urge us all to
get flu shots.
But when it comes to practicing what they preach, some hospital
workers do a much better job than others, statistics reveal.
Influenza vaccination rates vary widely at Bay Area hospitals,
prompting some advocates to call for mandatory policies and
stepped-up educational campaigns to prevent hospital workers from
infecting others.
Carmella Gutierrez, president of Californians for Patient Care,
says that the call to action has been made by the California
Department of Public Health, the California Hospital Association,
the California Medical Association, the California Association of
Physician Groups, the Association for Professionals in Infection
Control and Epidemiology (APIC) California chapter and the
California Association of Health Facilities, urging all
healthcare workers to voluntarily receive the flu vaccine.
Keeping yourself, your family and co-workers healthy may be
easier than you think, as long as you adhere to a few simple
steps, according to Californians for Patient Care. The nonprofit
patient advocacy organization is highlighting preventive care and
safety in advance of the upcoming flu season.
“Californians for Patient Care believes that people play an
important role in establishing and maintaining their own health,”
says said Carmella Gutierrez, president of Californians for
Patient Care.
SACRAMENTO – December 5, 2011 – The following statement is
attributed to Carmella Gutierrez, president of Californians for
Patient Care:
“Californians for Patient Care (CPC) is pleased to note the call
to action from the California Department of Public Health, the
California Hospital Association, the California Medical
Association, the California Association of Physician Groups, the
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and
Epidemiology’s (APIC) California Chapter and the California
Association of Health Facilities, urging all healthcare workers
to voluntarily receive the flu vaccine. While we support the
effort, it does not go far enough and unnecessarily puts
vulnerable patients at risk. Californians for Patient Care is
proud to join the many other healthcare organizations –
including the American Academy of Family Practitioners, the
American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Healthcare
Epidemiology and APIC — that have previously called for mandated
flu vaccines for all healthcare professionals.
As the number of residents showing up at public flu-vaccine
clinics across greater Sacramento dropped over the past few
years, some health officials worried. Were people getting
complacent about the flu?
With flu season approaching, health experts have a message: If
you haven’t gotten a vaccination, now’s the time.
“There’s no reason to wait until there’s a lot of flu going
around,” said Dr. Randy Bergen, infectious disease specialist and
pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek. The flu vaccine,
he noted, takes two weeks to provide immunity.
Health care providers and public health officials are urging
children and adults to have flu vaccinations this year to protect
them from influenza in the coming months.
An estimated 36,000 people across the country die from seasonal
flu annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention in Atlanta. California averages about 4,000 annual
seasonal flu deaths. It’s unclear how many Inland residents die
annually from flu-like illnesses.
SACRAMENTO – September 20, 2011 – Keeping yourself, your family
and co-workers healthy may be easier than you think, as long as
you adhere to a few simple steps, according to Californians for
Patient Care. The nonprofit patient advocacy organization is
highlighting preventive care and safety in advance of the
upcoming flu season.
“While flu season happens once every year, reducing and
eliminating the spread of infectious diseases is a year-round
concern,” said Carmella Gutierrez, president of Californians for
Patient Care.
More than 60 million Americans get influenza (a.k.a. “the flu”)
each year. But you don’t have to be one of them. As flu season
approaches, take these common sense precautions so you don’t get
sidelined by the fever, body aches, cough and congestion caused
by this illness.
Listen to Your Mother. Wash your hands! Especially after meals
and touching common surfaces like doorknobs, faucets, phones and
keyboards. When traveling on airplanes or in hotels, use
alcohol-based hand sanitizers, which work very well and won’t dry
out your skin.
Don’t Be Touchy. Avoid touching your face or other people’s
faces, for that matter — unless you have clean hands.
