“Maxim Health Systems applauds the efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in continuing the tradition of National Influenza Vaccination Week, an initiative supporting influenza vaccination and increased disease awareness. Maxim supports the CDC’s efforts by actively educating the general public on the importance getting vaccinated, and by providing insight on flu-related topics through its informational Web site, info.findaflushot.com.

Many Americans are unaware of the fact that flu season hits hardest during February and continues throughout the winter and into early spring. It is imperative for individuals who have not yet been vaccinated against the flu to get immunized, defending themselves from an array of flu-related medical complications including fever, cough, muscle or body aches, and even death. The CDC reports that influenza is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths every year in the U.S. Protect yourself and your loved ones from influenza this year. The flu is not an illness to be taken lightly. Maxim encourages all individuals throughout the nation to participate in NIVW and help increase nationwide awareness of the influenza vaccination.”

About Maxim Health Systems

Maxim Health Systems is a division of Maxim Healthcare Services, Inc.  Established in 1996, Maxim Health Systems offers a full line of comprehensive wellness services to Corporate and retail clients, in addition to schools, senior living facilities, and physician offices.  We provide a variety of services including immunization programs, health screenings and health fairs.  Our flu vaccine program has administered more than 12 million immunizations in the last four years alone.  Together with Maxim Healthcare Services, we have branch locations in most metropolitan areas across the nation. For more information contact us at www.findaflushot.com/contact.php. Follow Maxim Healthcare Services on Twitter at @findaflushot.

What: Maxim Health Systems proudly supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) annual National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW), which was created in response to poor vaccination rates that follow Thanksgiving, despite the fact that cases of influenza peak in February or later. Maxim continues to demonstrate its support of NIVW by actively educating the general public on the importance getting vaccinated, and by providing insight on flu-related topics through its informational Web site, info.findaflushot.com.

Who:

Steve Pellito, National Director of Wellness, Maxim Health Systems. Mr. Pellito can provide perspective on the cost of flu to business; flu facts vs. myths; and tech-focused approaches for making vaccination easier for the whole family.

W. John Langley, M.D, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality Officer, Maxim Healthcare Services. Dr. Langley is a board-certified pediatrician with more than 35 years of experience practicing medicine. He can help to explain the effectiveness of the flu shot; protecting your family against the flu; CDC universal recommendations; and warning signs in children and adults.

Maxim Health Systems operates more than 28,000 influenza clinics across the country, making them one of the nation’s largest flu clinic providers. In addition to running on-site influenza clinics in many large retail pharmacy and grocery chains, corporate employers and places of worship, Maxim is also a leader in using social media during the flu season. Their site, www.findaflushot.com, has the latest information on flu and helpful prevention tips.

When: Sunday, December 5 – Saturday, December 11, 2010. Dr. Langley and Mr.Pellito are available to speak with reporters throughout the week. To schedule an interview, or for more information, please contact Monica Huang at 202.659.7936 or by e-mail at mhuang@apcoworldwide.com.

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About Maxim Health Systems

Maxim Health Systems is a division of Maxim Healthcare Services, Inc.  Established in 1996, Maxim Health Systems offers a full line of comprehensive wellness services to Corporate and retail clients, in addition to schools, senior living facilities, and physician offices.  We provide a variety of services including immunization programs, health screenings and health fairs.  Our flu vaccine program has administered more than 12 million immunizations in the last four years alone.  Together with Maxim Healthcare Services, we have branch locations in most metropolitan areas across the nation. For more information contact us at www.findaflushot.com/contact.php. Follow Maxim Healthcare Services on Twitter at @findaflushot.

1) “News Briefs: Week of Nov. 29- Dec. 3” AAFP News Now (December 1, 2010) – “National Influenza Vaccination Week” is scheduled for Dec. 5-11, and the CDC is providing downloadable materials — including posters, flyers and brochures — that physicians can distribute to their patients. National Influenza Vaccination Week aims to highlight the importance of flu vaccinations — especially for those in high-risk groups, such as the elderly and people with chronic health conditions — and to foster increased use of the vaccine after the holidays. The CDC’s Web page dedicated to the event includes a schedule of regional, state and national events. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, expanded its recommendations for annual influenza vaccination this year to include all people ages 6 months and older in whom the vaccine is not contraindicated. The AAFP has adopted the ACIP’s flu vaccine recommendations as policy.” Read more…

2) “Credit Cards and the Flu Season” KIMT (IA) (November 29, 2010) – “It isn’t too uncommon to pay with plastic, but that credit card can lead to troubles later on. We’re not talking about your credit score. We’re talking about how handling cards and cash can lead to the flu. There are ways to protect yourself. Health care workers say the most common way to get the flu virus is by being too close to someone who is coughing or sneezing. But, you can catch it from touching a surface or card with the virus on it.” Read more…

3) “The Flu Vaccine—A Shot in the Arm for an Ailing Economy” New American Media (December 1, 2010) – “Flu shots not only protect lives but also generate significant economic benefits, saving the U.S. federal government billions of dollars in medical costs, according to health officials here. By improving the vaccination rate among high-risk individuals, including children and adults, government spending on costly yet entirely preventable diseases can be reduced by more than half each year, which would help the country’s economic recovery. ‘If we get vaccinated, we protect ourselves from any flu-related complications. That means we don’t end up in a hospital — and we don’t hurt our medical system,’ Teresa Niño, director for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said at a recent press briefing with ethnic media at DePaul University, in downtown Chicago. Niño’s view on the economic impact of vaccination was backed by a cost-benefit analysis report conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) early this year. For every dollar the government spent on flu vaccine, it saved $6.30 in direct medical costs, with an aggregate savings of $10.5 billion, the CDC report finds. If indirect medical costs to society — such as losses due to missed work, death or disability — are added, the CDC says that every flu shot saves $18.40, reaching a total savings of $42 billion.” Read more…

4) “GA leads the nation in flu cases” WALB (GA) (December 1, 2010) – “Georgia is leading the nation in the number of flu cases this season. 26 cases have been confirmed so far in the 14 county health district that includes Albany. Four of those patients required hospitalization. Public health officials say we’re far above the average number of five or six cases typical for this time of year… The end of flu season isn’t until late march or early April, so you still have plenty of time to get a flu shot.” Read more…

5) “Homeopathic Flu ‘Cures’ and Dead Ducks” Forbes Blog (November 23, 2010) – “Oscillococcinum sounds like medicine. And if you saw this package in a store next to all the other cold and flu remedies, you might be tempted to give it a try. It looks just like a box of anthistamines or other real medicines. With flu season coming soon, you might want to look at this box more closely before you buy it… It sounds like medicine, but it’s not. The front of the box says (in small print) that it’s ‘homeopathic medicine,’ which isn’t medicine at all. In fact, it’s nothing more than a sugar pill, which is why the product can advertise that it has “no side effects” and “no drug interactions.’ But in much larger print, the package says ‘Flu-like Symptoms’, followed by a list of symptoms: ‘Feeling run-down, headaches, body aches, chills, fever.’ Anyone might be fooled into thinking this product is supposed to treat these conditions. If you go to the manufacturer’s (Boiron) website , they make the explicit claim that it ‘Temporarily relieves flu-like symptoms such as feeling run down, headache, body aches, chills and fever.’ The Walgreen’s website says the same thing.” Read more…

In addition to getting your flu shot, it’s important to continually take measures to protect you and your loved ones from getting the flu and understand what you can do if you do happen to get the flu.

If you feel like you might be getting the flu, or even if you are completely healthy right now, it’s very important to be aware of common flu symptoms.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), having these symptoms does not always mean that you have the flu as many different illnesses, including the common cold, can have similar symptoms.[1] However, being aware of these symptoms can help you take measures to start feeling better.  These include:

• Fever (usually high)
• Headache
• Fatigue (can be extreme)
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Body aches
• Diarrhea and vomiting (more common among children than adults)

If you develop these symptoms and are concerned about your health, especially if you are at high risk for complications, please consult with your healthcare provider.

Should your doctor determine that you have the flu, there are steps you can take if you are sick.

The first (and most important) thing to do is stay home from work or school and avoid contact with other people.   The CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other things you have to do that no one else can do for you.  You should stay home from work, school, travel, shopping, social events, and public gatherings.[2]

According to the CDC, most people who get the flu have a mild illness and do not need medical care, there are sometimes “emergency warning signs” for flu symptoms that require immediate medical attention.  These include:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough

Regardless of the severity of the flu, it’s important to stay away from others as much as possible to prevent them from getting sick.  Also remember to continue to wash your hands as this helps prevent the spread of germs to others.

The CDC continues to recommend that the best way to prevent the flu is for everyone to receive their flu vaccine.

[2] http://www.cdc.gov/flu/takingcare.htm

So how do you know when someone with the flu requires a trip to the emergency room? The warning signs for children and teens are slightly different from those in adults, as stated by immunize.org. ²

Here are some signs to look for in children and teens:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing

• Bluish skin color

• Not waking up or not interacting

• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held

• Not drinking enough fluids

• Not urinating or no tears when crying

• Severe or persistent vomiting

• Influenza-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

In adults, you want to look for the following warning signs:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen

• Confusion

• Severe or persistent vomiting

• Sudden dizziness

• Influenza-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

If you know someone suffering from these symptoms, it is best to take them to the emergency room right away or call 911. There are too many heart-breaking stories of otherwise healthy people seeming completely normal one minute and then rapidly deteriorating within a number of hours from influenza. Families Fighting Flu shares some of these stories on their Web site.

Fortunately, the flu can easily be prevented. The best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu shot, as well as to avoid germs through healthy habits, such as thoroughly and frequently washing your hands.

Sources
¹ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

² immunize.org

If you’re traveling this holiday season, take heart: With some pre-trip preparation, as well as common sense techniques during your travels, you should be able to avoid illnesses and enjoy your vacation.

1. Get vaccinated. The single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine each season. It’s not too late to get your flu shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people get vaccinated before December so that those vaccinated are protected prior to the peak of flu season.
2. Get plenty of sleep. Resting up before your trip can go a long way toward boosting your immune system and strengthening your body’s defenses.
3. At the airport, on the plane, and in your travels: wash your hands regularly and use a hand sanitizer as well; especially before eating or drinking, to kill germs that cause colds and the flu. Most cold and flu viruses are spread by direct contact. Washing your hands is one of the best things you can do to prevent illness.
4. Stay hydrated and avoid alcohol especially while traveling by plane. Alcohol can weaken the immune system.
5. Use a saline spray during airplane trips. The air inside the plane’s cabin can dry out the nose and make it easier for germs to enter.
6. Try to avoid touching your face and teach your children to do the same. Even if germs are on your hands, it would be difficult for them to enter the body unless you touch your eyes, nose or mouth. (You will be amazed at how many times you touch your face once you begin to pay attention!)
7. Don’t share food, drinks, lip balm, or toothpaste with other people, even family members. Germs can carry from one person to the other easily.
8. STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK! You will help to prevent others from catching your illness.

If you are hosting the holiday festivities this year, there are additional steps you can take to help protect the health of your family and guests.

1. Clean doorknobs, bathrooms, and children’s toys with disinfecting cleaner often- both before and after guests leave.
2. Place tissues in several places around your home along with hand sanitizer to remind people to keep their hands clean.
3. Be sure the food you are serving has utensils so that guests aren’t tempted to use their hands.
4. Avoid placing unwrapped bowls of food like candies, mints, or nuts around your home. Use individually wrapped items instead.

Whether you’re traveling across town or around the world this holiday, help ensure your trip is safe and healthy by being aware of how you can protect yourself from illnesses like the flu. Info.findaflushot.com has some great articles and resources to help keep you informed. Unfortunately, there are always going to be instances where you get sick. If you come down with a cold or the flu this holiday season, protect yourself, your family, and your friends by getting your rest, staying hydrated, and contacting your doctor to help get you back on the road to recovery.

Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/11-tips-prevent-cold-flu

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/habits.htm

According to the report, H1N1 infected around 20 percent of Americans (approximately 60 million individuals) and resulted in approximately 274,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 deaths.  Read the entire report here.

Despite the alarming number of people affected by H1N1 last flu season, there is a real likelihood that the United States will return to complacency in its attitude toward the flu.  This could be because there was a perception that H1N1 was not as serious as it was made out to be, or because the H1N1 vaccine is now part of the regular seasonal flu vaccine.  Nevertheless, H1N1 and the flu as a whole are not something to be complacent about and each year the country continues to face serious health threats.

The flu is often seen as a nuisance, but it is actually very serious. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 1976 and 2007, flu-related deaths in the United States have ranged from a low of around 3,000 to a high of 49,000 Americans each year.

The flu is also costly to companies and businesses across the country as people who get the flu do not come to work, thus possibly costing employers productivity.  In fact, the flu contributes to more than $10 million in lost productivity and direct medical expenses in the United States each year and another $16 billion in lost potential earnings.

Remember, getting your flu vaccine is the single best way to prevent getting the flu this season.

Your respiratory system (nasal passage, throat, and lungs) are covered with mucosa, which is a soft tissue that secretes mucus. Mucus is full of antibodies and immune cells that help kill viruses and bacteria. In addition to mucosa, your respiratory system is also lined with millions of hair-like projections called cilia, which are constantly pushing germs out of the body, through the mouth.²

Inhaling tobacco products, such as cigarettes, whether through first or second-hand smoke, destroys both of these germ-fighters, greatly harming one’s immune system. Smoking is related to many respiratory health problems, including chronic coughing, wheezing, bronchitis, and emphysema. Furthermore, smokers have a greater chance of developing both upper and lower respiratory infections.²

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smokers face a higher risk of death from influenza than non-smokers. Some studies also show an increased risk of influenza-related infection compared to non-smokers.²

The CDC recommends that everyone over the age of six months receive the vaccine for flu this season. For the above mentioned reasons, this is particularly important for smokers and those who are exposed to second-hand smoke. In addition to getting a flu vaccine, smokers between the ages of 19 and 64 are also urged to receive the pneumonia vaccine by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).³

To locate a flu shot clinic near you, go to info.findaflushot.com.
Source
¹PubMed.gov
² CDC
³ ACIP

Take a look at how the flu is gripping headlines across the nation…

1) “NH starts flu clinics in schools” Boston Globe (MA) (November 9, 2010) – “New Hampshire public health officials are starting flu clinics at selected schools and hope to vaccinate half of the state’s school age children. About 100 schools will hold clinics in the coming months in Belknap, Coos and Grafton counties as well as in the greater Manchester area. The government recommends that everyone over 6 months old get vaccinated. This year’s vaccine protects against three strains of the flu including last year’s H1N1 virus. The state is providing the vaccine through its immunization program. The cost of administering the shot will be paid by the child’s insurance or the state immunization program. The pilot project covers registered students in participating districts and not younger siblings, parents or staff.” Continue reading…

2) “Hospitals Statewide Adopt Flu Vaccine” KPLU (NPR) (WA) (November 9, 2010) – “Nearly every hospital in Washington has now adopted a mandatory flu-shot policy for hospital workers. That makes Washington the first state in the nation where nearly every hospital employee will be immunized… Then, a bill to make this policy a state law failed in the legislature. So, the hospital association decided this summer to make it a campaign. Now, 94 out of 98 hospitals in the state have signed on, with four tiny rural hospitals still waiting to make the transition. Sauer says it represents a better understanding of what’s at stake.” Continue reading…

3) “Flu shots can pay off big for employers” Los Angeles Times (CA) (November 10, 2010) – “Flu vaccinations for employees can help an employer’s bottom line, according to a new study. Research presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Assn., found that for each employee vaccinated an employer can save $63 to $95 per person. Vaccinating an entire 150-person company, for example, could yield savings of between $9,450 and $14,250. The study analyzes the cost of providing flu vaccine to employees and the costs in terms of absenteeism and lost productivity from having some workers out with the flu. The key to big savings, however, is to immunize workers early in the flu season. If an employer holds a flu clinic after December, the savings won’t add up. The savings to an employer are especially significant if a flu clinic is held early in a year when a pandemic flu is circulating. In that case, vaccination can save an employer $33.94 to $700.69 per vaccinated employee.” Continue reading…

4) “Flu shot safe for pregnant women, study finds” Reuters Health (November 11, 2010) – “The safety of the flu shot, which is made using killed influenza virus, has been studied in about 10,000 pregnant women, with no evidence that it presents a particular risk in this group… These latest findings ‘add to the existing evidence that the (flu shot) is safe for pregnant women,’ lead researcher Dr. Pedro L. Moro, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, told Reuters Health. Public health officials, as well as medical groups like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, recommend that all pregnant women receive the flu shot — though not the nasal-spray flu vaccine, which is made from a live, weakened virus.” Continue reading…

5) “Infection control” Boston Globe (MA) (November 8, 2010) – “Q. What did H1N1 teach us last year? A. I think the important lesson of the influenza pandemic is pandemics do occur. Q. Will people become complacent about pandemic flu, too? A. You need to get as many people vaccinated as you possibly can every year for the seasonal influenza and when you get the unpredictable emergence of a pandemic influenza, you will already have the infrastructure in place to make and distribute vaccine to as many people as you possibly can. In fact, that is what we are doing. Each year we vaccinate more and more people. We used to vaccinate 20, 30, 40, 50 million people a year each season. This year 160 million people will get vaccinated for the seasonal flu.” Continue reading…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people get vaccinated before December so that those vaccinated are protected prior to the peak of flu season. It typically takes about two weeks after getting vaccinated for antibodies to develop and for your body to be fully protected, which is why it is better not to wait until flu season begins to get vaccinated.¹

Vaccination is an important part of protecting yourself and loved ones from the flu. In fact, the CDC recommends getting a flu shot as the number one way to protect yourself against influenza. Despite the warnings, some recent surveys have found that a large percentage of the population might skip vaccination this flu season, leaving them vulnerable to influenza. Many of the reasons given by those planning not to get vaccinated are because of common myths. If you still have any questions about the flu vaccine, learn more about some of the common flu shot myths and get the facts about getting vaccinated.

Flu season typically peaks in January or February and can last as late as May, so getting vaccinated now will still help protect you through the peak of flu season and beyond.

Findaflushot.com has a flu shot locator that makes it easy to find a flu shot in your area. You can search by zip code and even schedule a text or e-mail reminder so you don’t forget to get vaccinated.

1-http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/fluvaccine.htm