Department of Public Health and Environment, Gov. Bill Ritter sends an
important message to the people of Colorado about how they can protect
themselves and their community against influenza.
The public service announcement is being distributed to television and
radio stations statewide and is available at http://tiny.cc/0Y9J1.
Ned Calonge, the state's chief medical officer, said, "We
appreciate the governor lending his voice to our H1N1 prevention
campaign. He appreciates how important it is for people to be prepared
this upcoming fall and winter to avoid the flu," said. "While it is
difficult to predict how severe the H1N1 flu will be, we know there are
steps people can take to protect themselves and prevent the flu from
spreading."
In the public service announcement Gov. Ritter reminds Coloradans to
get the recommended vaccinations. He also encourages good hygiene
practices to reduce the spread of flu such as frequent hand washing,
covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home from work or school when
sick.
"Have a plan in case your family gets sick," he says, and, "if
necessary, people may need to ask their employers or teachers if they
can work from home to keep the flu from spreading to others."
Calonge cautioned Coloradans not to forget about seasonal flu amid all
the discussion around H1N1, "Getting vaccinated is the single best
thing people can do to protect themselves from seasonal flu. Every year
an estimated 36,000 Americans die as a result of seasonal flu."
Many doctor's offices, clinics, grocery stores, pharmacies and public
health departments already have received seasonal influenza vaccine so
people should plan to get their flu vaccination. The vaccine for the
2009 H1N1 flu still is being tested in clinical trials and won't be
available under mid-October or early November.
To locate a local flu clinic or for more information about H1N1 and
seasonal influenza, visit the department's Web site at
www.colorado.gov/nofluforyou or call the Colorado Health Information
Line (CoHELP) at 1-877-462-2911.
