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DPH starts flu shots campaign
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Posted on Oct 24 2005
The Department of Public Health will begin influenza shots for high-risk individuals in public and private health establishments starting tomorrow.
It remained unclear, though, if there has been a flu outbreak in the CNMI, as Public Health Deputy Secretary for Public Health Administration Pedro Untalan could not be reached for an interview as of press time.
But Untalan’s office released a media statement about the DPH project, urging high-risk individuals to arrange for appointments with health establishments regarding their vaccination.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers flu as a “serious disease of the nose, throat, and lungs.” The CDC said flu could make one sick for a week or longer with coughing, fever, and aching, and it could lead to pneumonia.
The CDC said about 36,000 people die each year in the United States due to flu. CNMI statistics were not immediately available.
Citing CDC guidelines, Untalan explained that high-risk patients include all adults aged 65 and over; people whose ages range from six months to 64 years old, who have underlying chronic medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, severe asthma and cancer; and pregnant women.
Additionally, the CDC considers children under 2 years old as high-risk individuals as they have one of the highest rates of hospitalizations due to flu complications. The CDC also advised that people who live with or take care of those with flu should get vaccinated.
The venues for the flu shots project, with their respective contact information, are:
*Southern Wellness Center, 664-4850/1
*Northern Wellness Center, 664-4855/7
*Children’s Clinic, 234-8374
*Saipan Health Clinic, 234-2901
*Tinian Health Center, 433-9333
*Rota Health Center, 532-9408
