CHCC ramps up its awareness campaign

Commonwealth Health Center nurse Hazel Lenteja, right, administers the flu vaccine to Tinian resident Nurul Amin during the 2016 Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival last Sunday at the Kammer Beach grounds. (Jon Perez)

KAMMER BEACH, Tinian—The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. is ramping up its precautionary awareness campaign on all hazardous diseases like the Zika virus.

CHCC personnel, headed by Public Health and Hospital Emergency Preparedness Program director Warren Villagomez, also had a booth set up at the Kammer Beach grounds during last weekend’s Tinian Hot Pepper Festival.

“[The Division of] Public Health [Services] is putting up an aggressive awareness campaign for all hazardous diseases. We have elevated efforts for emergency preparedness and community awareness in regards to all levels of infectious diseases,” said Villagomez.

He added that they also stepped up their surveillance efforts not only for Zika but also to the dengue and chikungunya viruses.

The CHCC has already issued a health advisory in early February after the World Health Organization declared a “public health emergency of international concern” following the outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil.

“We have stepped up our surveillance efforts with closed sharing of information with the other U.S. jurisdictions,” said Villagomez.

“We also conducted an information campaign to educate the public on what precautionary measures to take in order to prevent the spread of the virus in the region,” Villagomez added.

Babies in Brazil born from mothers who got infected by the Zika virus during their pregnancy, suffer from microcephaly resulting from the abnormal development of the brain.

There have been 30 reported cases of the Zika virus in the U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico as of Feb. 13, while Radio New Zealand reported that Tonga had already seven confirmed cases and has been monitoring 549 suspected cases as of yesterday.

Also, for two days, they conducted free flu shots to all local residents and an information campaign on what steps to be taken in order to prevent the spread of the virus.

“The flu shots are held in collaboration with the immunization program. This is a CNMI-wide immunization program. So we are encouraging everyone to get vaccinated,” said Villagomez. “This a free vaccination and it is extended to Rota. It will be for the entire year.”

Flu shots are being administered at CHC hospital’s Immunization Clinic beside the Family Care Clinic, and the Tinian and Rota health centers.