Headstart children to be given flu shots

The Department of Public Health said it is also targeting Headstart children in its influenza vaccination campaign to reduce the kids’ risks of acquiring flu.

Deputy Secretary for Public Health Pedro Untalan said approximately 1,470 flu shots have been given to individuals who are considered highly prone to acquire flu.

This leaves the Public Health Department with only about 30 flu shots available due to the high turnout of those submitting themselves to flu shots. Untalan assured, though, that the department is in the process of acquiring an additional 1,000 shots.

The department intensified the vaccination campaign beginning late October, even as Public Health medical director Richard Brostrom earlier disclosed that the number of flu cases in the CNMI was dropping.

The campaign aligns with that of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reported that influenza claims approximately 36,000 lives in the United States annually.

The CDC 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.

Citing CDC guidelines, the CNMI health department said high-risk patients include all adults with ages 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; the CDC said those children 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.

Since October, the DPH has advised high-risk individuals to take flu shots in public and private health clinics.

The department has disclosed the venues for the flu shots project, with their respective contact information:

* 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

Brostrom earlier said flu shots are free for children, while adults are usually charged a minimal fee.