PLEASE NOTE
The Health Department is located in the Homer Municipal Building, 2nd floor.
Office Hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
FOR THE LATEST UP TO DATE INFORMATION REGARDING SEASONAL FLU AND H1N1 VACCINE PLEASE CALL THE FLU HOTLINE, 617-993-2730
H1N1 (SWINE) FLU UPDATE #25 – November 16, 2009 9 AM
For those who have been following this update regularly, starting with this edition, all NEW information will be in bold, so you can skim it quickly.)
The H1N1 vaccine is coming in much more slowly than we originally thought. We had intended to be vaccinating the elementary schools by this time but we have not had enough vaccine to complete that plan. We have had clinics for 2 and 3 year olds, pregnant women, family members of babies less than six months old, health care workers and day care providers for babies less than six months old. This week we are moving on to 4 and 5 year olds and older children with underlying medical conditions if vaccine supplies allow. To avoid traffic jams and long lines, we have done all of our clinics by appointment only and have communicated primarily by school and day care listservs and word of mouth. The weekly print newspaper can’t help much because we can’t wait for it to be in print
before we start making appointments.
All residents can call the FLU HOTLINE, 617-993-2730, to get the most up to date information on flu distribution in Belmont. During regular business hours, 8 AM to 4 PM, we use that line to make appointments. After business hours, residents can call and just listen to the message. No messages should be left on that line because they can’t be answered. Those trying to make appointments must just continue to call 993-2730 and it will be answered as soon as possible.
When vaccine allows we will be targeting the elementary schools, middle and high schools, adults with underlying medical conditions and then the remainder of the population. We are also waiting for some Thimerosal-free vaccine for children six months to two years and pregnant women. As soon as that vaccine arrives, we will schedule a clinic for that group.
There is some belief that the older population may have come into contact with this virus previously and has some immunity. The Health Department encourages all residents to be vaccinated for H1N1 this flu season when a clinic is planned for your age group. The only people who do not have to get a vaccination are those who were told by their doctor that they were tested for H1N1 and were positive. The vaccinations are NOT MANDATORY, however, so you do not have to get one if you don’t want one.
All of those under age 10 will need a booster H1N1 vaccination at least 28 days after the first one. The Health Department will NOT be giving second doses, however, until vulnerable populations receive their first dose. The 28 day timeframe is a minimum amount. The second dose can be given anytime over the next month or two. We have received the recommendation today that if the first dose was nasal mist, then the second dose should be nasal mist also. The same recommendation holds for the injections. That is different information than we were originally giving at our clinics.
Everyone can receive both a SEASONAL flu vaccine and a H1N1 flu vaccine on the same day or within days of each other as long as ONE OR BOTH ARE INJECTIONS. You cannot receive both vaccines in intranasal form on the same day or less than 28 days apart. You can have one injection of one and the intranasal form of the other on the same day. As we get further into November, it is more and more likely that at least some clinics will have both vaccines available. Additional supplies of SEASONAL FLU are expected and additional SEASONAL FLU clinics will be set up.
When we have more information, we will make it available through the Town’s website, the schools, the local newspaper, at the Flu Hotline, 617-993-2730 and The MassPro website at http://flu.masspro.org.
Individuals with influenza like illness (fever of 100 degrees F, cough and sore throat) can now return to normal activities 24 hours after the fever disappears (without the use of fever-reducing medications.) (Don’t be confused by the difference between 100 and 100.4 degrees when fever is listed; it has changed over the season and from one document to another; the presence of fever is the important thing.) Fevers have been lasting from 2 to 4 days typically so the time one needs to stay out of circulation could be closer to 3 to 5 days instead of the mandatory 7 days that we originally stated. This new rule applies to schools and businesses, but DOES NOT APPLY to health care facilities where the stricter rule still applies. It is also highly suggested that the stricter rule apply in
places such as day care facilities where very young susceptible individuals are present. Individual local communities can also apply the stricter measurers if a particular risk exists. If the disease turns out to be worse than we expect in the future, we may return to the seven day rule. Residents need to remember that this situation changes all the time and we must be prepared to make the necessary changes. So far the Health Department is not hearing about a large number of cases throughout our schools. The School Nurses are conducting active surveillance in the schools and Belmont has been doing well so far. There will be no identification of schools or classrooms that have H1N1 cases; everyone should assume that H1N1 virus is circulating in the community.
Testing for H1N1 is still being done only on individuals who have a greater chance of severe complications, such as those individuals with underlying chronic illness and those are the same individuals that may be treated with anti-viral medications. High risk groups for complications from the flu, including infants, children under two years of age, those with chronic illness and pregnant women should notify their physician if they start to have fever and other symptoms of flu-like illness. Any pregnant woman exhibiting flu-like symptoms should call her doctor immediately and start on anti-viral medication. That includes pregnant women who have been exposed to suspect, probable or confirmed cases. Early treatment with anti-viral medication is now strongly recommended for pregnant
women.
Good cough etiquette and frequent hand washing are essential at all times! Please continue to follow these basic rules for good health: 1) wash hands frequently with warm water and soap or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available; 2) cough into your elbow or into a tissue so that bacteria and viruses do not get on your hands or spread into the air; 3) stay home when you are sick; 4) get plenty of sleep, exercise and good nutrition.
You can call the Massachusetts hotline with questions if you would like. Please go to the websites, if possible, and review all of the available information before calling the number: 1-877-211-6277.
H1N1 (SWINE) FLU UPDATE #24 – November 2, 2009 10 AM
The Belmont Health Department has started to receive H1N1 flu vaccine. It is extremely important that everyone understand that we do not know how much vaccine, or what formulation of vaccine, we will be receiving until it arrives. When the vaccine arrives, we choose the priority group that is appropriate for that vaccine and set up a clinic. To avoid traffic jams and long lines, we are trying to do VERY targeted groups by appointment only at this time. Because the target groups are primarily children to begin with, the schools and day cares are sending out clinic information via e-mail to their populations when notified by the Health Department. In general, the actual clinics are not being advertised in the newspaper because the print version doesn’t arrive often enough.
All residents can call the FLU HOTLINE, 617-993-2730, to get the most up to date information on flu distribution in Belmont. During regular business hours, 8 AM to 4 PM, we use that line to make appointments. After business hours, residents can call and just listen to the message. No messages should be left on that line because they can’t be answered. Those trying to make appointments must just continue to call 993-2730 and it will be answered as soon as possible.
When we have sufficient supplies of H1N1 vaccine, we will be working with the schools, K through 12, to get the school age children vaccinated. The clinics will probably be a combination of “in-school,” evening and weekend clinics until everyone who wants a vaccination receives one. The priority groups primarily start with the youngest and move to the oldest. The Health Department hesitates to make any predictions but it could be late December into January before healthy middle-aged adults are vaccinated and the final priority group will be those 65 years old and older. There is some belief that the older population may have come into contact with this virus previously and has some immunity. The Health Department encourages all residents to be vaccinated for H1N1 this flu season
when a clinic is planned for your age group. The only people who do not have to get a vaccination are those who were told by their doctor that they were tested for H1N1 and were positive. The vaccinations are NOT MANDATORY, however, so you do not have to get one if you don’t want one.
Those under age 10 will need a booster H1N1 vaccination at least 28 days after the first one. Health Departments are being told that we will not be responsible for calling people back for boosters, but we will try to be as helpful as possible scheduling clinics and perhaps doing some notification.
Everyone can receive both a SEASONAL flu vaccine and a H1N1 flu vaccine on the same day or within days of each other as long as ONE OR BOTH ARE INJECTIONS. You cannot receive both vaccines in intranasal form on the same day or less than 28 days apart. You can have one injection of one and the intranasal form of the other on the same day. As we get further into November, it is more and more likely that at least some clinics will have both vaccines available. Additional supplies of SEASONAL FLU are expected and additional SEASONAL FLU clinics will be set up.
When we have more information, we will make it available through the Town’s website, the schools, the local newspaper, at the Flu Hotline, 617-993-2730 and The MassPro website at http://flu.masspro.org.
Individuals with influenza like illness (fever of 100.4 degrees F, cough and sore throat) can now return to normal activities 24 hours after the fever disappears (without the use of fever-reducing medications.) Fevers have been lasting from 2 to 4 days typically so the time one needs to stay out of circulation could be closer to 3 to 5 days instead of the mandatory 7 days that we originally stated. This new rule applies to schools and businesses, but DOES NOT APPLY to health care facilities where the stricter rule still applies. It is also highly suggested that the stricter rule apply in places such as day care facilities where very young susceptible individuals are present. Individual local communities can also apply the stricter measurers if a particular risk exists. If the
disease turns out to be worse than we expect in the future, we may return to the seven day rule. Residents need to remember that this situation changes all the time and we must be prepared to make the necessary changes. So far the Health Department is not hearing about a large number of cases throughout our schools. There will be no identification of schools or classrooms that have H1N1 cases; everyone should assume that H1N1 virus is circulating in the community.
Testing for H1N1 is still being done only on individuals who have a greater chance of severe complications, such as those individuals with underlying chronic illness and those are the same individuals that may be treated with anti-viral medications. High risk groups for complications from the flu, including infants, children under two years of age, those with chronic illness and pregnant women should notify their physician if they start to have fever and other symptoms of flu-like illness. Any pregnant woman exhibiting flu-like symptoms should call her doctor immediately and start on anti-viral medication. That includes pregnant women who have been exposed to suspect, probable or confirmed cases. Early treatment with anti-viral medication is now strongly recommended for pregnant women.
Good cough etiquette and frequent hand washing are essential at all times! Please continue to follow these basic rules for good health: 1) wash hands frequently with warm water and soap or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available; 2) cough into your elbow or into a tissue so that bacteria and viruses do not get on your hands or spread into the air; 3) stay home when you are sick; 4) get plenty of sleep, exercise and good nutrition.
You can call the Massachusetts hotline with questions if you would like. Please go to the websites, if possible, and review all of the available information before calling the number: 1-877-211-6277.
BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING
November 12, 2009
TOWN HALL, CONFERENCE ROOM 4
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
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HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE
The Health Department is currently pre-registering residents for appointments to visit the Minuteman Hazardous Product Facility located in Lexington. Please call the Health Department, 617-993-2720, to find out the next available collection date or with questions relating to Hazardous Waste Disposal.
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FOR UP TO THE MINUTE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION GO TO
BLOOD PRESSURE CLINIC, Please call the Council on Aging, 617-993-2970
HEALTH SERVICES
The Health Department provides an array of services under the general heading of disease prevention and health promotion. This includes, but is not limited to, all of the inspectional services for all food services, swimming pools, day camps, tobacco sales, subsurface sewerage systems, sanitary housing, dumpsters, mercury recovery program, rechargeable battery collection and Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention, body art, biotechnology and emergency preparedness, communicable disease follow up and West Nile Virus monitoring.
Flu clinics are held in the Fall, rabies shots for cats and dogs in the Spring, participation in the Minuteman Hazardous Products Facility collection site April through November, communicable disease follow-up, information and referral on questions such as lead paint, asbestos and available health services.
The Department consists of a full-time Director, Assistant Director, Animal Control Officer, and Administrative Assistant. Part time staff include the Veteran's Service Officer, Sealer of Weights and Measures, Youth and Family Services Coordinator and Public Health Nurse. The Department is overseen by a three-member elected Board.
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