December 28, 2011    05:05 pm Sabrina Ambler, MML News Reporter

Sonora, CA — the medical community refers to this time of year as the flu season, so far in Tuolumne, Calaveras and Amador counties there have been only “standard” or “sporadic” reports of influenza. There have been no confirmed reports in the area of influenza this year. Calaveras County Health Director Dr. Dean Kelaita said that reports of influenza, meaning a respiratory illness that can include a cough, do not seem to be worse this year over other years or above the usual seasonal average.

Dr. Kelaita noted that a few residents, in Calaveras, and Amador County have been hospitalized with Norovirus. Several elderly residents in an assisted living facility came down with the virus. the virus is fairly common and causes what many people call the stomach flu.

Dr. Todd Stolp, Tuolumne County Health Officer, reports that Sonora Regional Medical Center has had zero positive cases of the respiratory virus, influenza.

According to Dr. Stolp the state received nearly 1,000 tests but only 15 of those were positive for influenza strain a and four were positive for influenza B. Both strains are included in the influenza vaccine. There was one death in Kern County on December 22nd from influenza. the main way to prevent getting and spreading both Noro Virus and Influenza, which are highly contagious, is to frequently wash your hands. Dr. Stolp cautions that even though the influenza virus has not arrived yet it is best to stay at home if you experience symptoms and cover your cough with your elbow.

Written by Sabrina Ambler

O ne of the community partnerships Broomfield Senior Services relies on to deliver wellness services is with the Visiting Nurses Association of Denver. Professional nurses visit the Senior Center the third Tuesday morning of every month to provide foot care, blood pressure checks and diabetes checks, monitoring of heart disease, arthritis and lung disease, as well as an overall medical assessment.

This time of the year, the VNA is busy scheduling flu shot clinics and will be at the Senior Center at 9 a.m. Oct. 7 to administer your annual influenza vaccine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that up to 20 percent of the population gets the flu each year. Flu can lead to pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis, ear problems and dehydration. about 75 percent of flu deaths happen to people older than 70. the CDC recommends getting the vaccine as soon as it becomes available in your community, because it takes your body about two weeks to build up immunity. Immunity will last throughout flu season.

So, every year, we have to deal with the flu myths, and by far the one we hear the most, and one of the most dangerous, is you can get the flu from a flu shot. This is simply not true. Why? For one, injected flu vaccines only contain dead virus. Dead virus cannot infect you.

Despite the scientific impossibility of getting the flu from the flu vaccine, many seniors still believe this myth. Experts suspect there are two reasons for its persistence. one, people mistake the side effects of the vaccine for flu. while side effects to the vaccine these days tend to be a sore arm, in the past they often felt like mild symptoms of the flu. two, flu season coincides with a time of the year when bugs that cause colds and other respiratory illnesses are in the air. Many folks get the vaccine and, then, within a few days, get sick with an unrelated cold virus and blame the innocent flu vaccine rather than that relative with a runny nose and cough.

So step up and get your flu shot this fall. they are offered at every grocery store and drug store around Broomfield. If you want to get your flu shot at the Senior Center, here are the insurance requirements:

Not all insurance companies will pay for the flu vaccination though our VNA clinic. If you would like to use your insurance to pay for the vaccine, be sure you are using your primary insurance. the VNA for this year’s clinic is contracted with Aetna, Great West, Humana, Rocky Mountain HMO and Tricare. Basic Medicare and Medicaid are accepted, but only if it is your primary insurance. If you do not use insurance, the cost for the flu vaccination is $25.

If you have questions about whether your insurance will pay for a vaccine at the clinic at the Senior Center, call Nicki Sabin at 303-698-6349. And if you intend to obtain your flu shot at the Oct. 7 clinic, give Joanne a call at 303-464-5526, so she can get an estimated count for the nurses.

Be safe, get your flu shot and have a healthy and well fall and winter.

I will see you there.

Suzanne Bazinet is director of Senior Services. E-mail her at .

As there are many questions arising about the swine flu, the regular flu and all of the vaccinations, a lot of us have been curious about something. has anyone out there who HAD the swine flu or currently has the swine flu received a regular influenza vaccine prior to getting sick with the H1N1 virus? Thank you for your input. it is greatly appreciated.

no the regular flu shot will not help against the swine flu there are many different types of the flu an you need to get the swine flu shot to help aginst that.

Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) is offering the Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV or nasal spray influenza vaccine) at its office at 404 West 10th Street in McCook, and during flu shot clinics this flu season.

Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV or nasal spray influenza vaccine) is a vaccine made with live, weakened viruses that cannot grow at normal body temperature and is given via a nasal sprayer.

This vaccine was approved for seasonal influenza viruses in 2003 and tens of millions of doses of the vaccine have been given in the United States.

“Adults as well as kids are opting for the nasal spray over the traditional injections for their annual flu shots, “states Myra Stoney, Director of SWNPHD. “Some adults have stated that nasal spray is the only way they want to receive their influenza vaccination.”

What are the risks from Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine – LAIV (nasal spray?)

A vaccine, like any medicine, could possibly cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. the risk of a vaccine causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small.

Live influenza vaccine viruses very rarely spread from person to person. Even if they do, they are not likely to cause illness. LAIV is made from weakened virus and does not cause influenza. the vaccine can cause mild symptoms in people who get it.

“According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC): the most common side effects from flu shots have been soreness, redness, or tenderness where the shot was given; fever; and aches, states Kelli Pachner, Public Health Nurse at SWNPHD.

“Some people, who have gotten the nasal-spray flu vaccine, in use over the past seven years, have had runny nose, cough, or nasal congestion. neither the flu shot nor the nasal-spray vaccine can give you the flu.”

The CDC also has this to say regarding who can receive the nasal spray form of the vaccine, “The nasal-spray vaccine (LAIV) is approved for use in healthy people two to 49 years of age.

Nearly all healthy, non-pregnant health care workers, may receive LAIV if eligible, including those who come in contact with newborn infants (e.g., persons working in the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU), pregnant women, persons with a solid organ transplant, persons receiving chemotherapy, and persons with HIV/AIDS.”

Some children and adolescents two-17 years of age have reported the following symptoms with the nasal spray

• runny nose, nasal congestion or cough

• headache and muscle aches

• abdominal pain or occasional vomiting or diarrhea

Some adults 18-49 years of age have reported the following symptoms with the nasal spray

• runny nose or nasal congestion

• cough, chills, tiredness/weakness

Mild problems associated with the injection (all ages):

• soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given

• hoarseness; sore, red or itchy eyes; cough