UNews - vaccinations

Winter getaway must include health plan

trevor.kenney — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:44:17 +0000

By LORI WEBER

An inherent part of being Canadian seems to be dreaming of getting away from our cold winter weather to find a nice warm spot down south. Just remember, that in addition to sunscreen, cruise wear and a new pair of flip-flops, you have to think about maintaining your health while on vacation. And if you are considering travelling at Christmas or during spring break, your travel planning must start now!

A good place to start preparing for your trip begins at www.voyage.gc.ca, the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada website that gives you a lovely checklist (Before You Leave Canada) of reminders about the variety of concerns you need to address before leaving the country.

In terms of your health needs, plan to take extra copies of your prescriptions and medical certificates, and to bring extra medical supplies and even eyeglasses.

Travel immunizations are important and definitely need attention. Because health concerns are rapidly changing in some areas of the world, the best way to get travel health and immunization information is to book an appointment with the Travel Health Nurse at the Public Health office. While there is a cost for this consultation, this person has the most current information on the immunizations needed in your specific travel area.

At your immunization appointment, the nurse will ask where you are going and, using the latest information available from Center for Disease Control or World Health Organization, may direct you to a variety of injections, vaccinations or medication. Some of these medications will be available through Public Health and the nurse may direct other medications or vaccinations to be administered by your family doctor. The sooner you book your appointment the better as some vaccinations take several months to complete.

Do not show up at a physician's appointment expecting that a family physician will know what you need for a trip to an exotic locale.

As for cost, it is expected that you build the cost of public health travel advice, some medications/immunizations, doctor's visits and other charges into your vacation budget. You will be required to pay for all visits related to travel health (even your physician must charge YOU, not Alberta Health Care for your travel medication/immunization/health advice).

Example of costs you may encounter:

Public Health Travel Advice ($35.00)

Medications/Immunizations from Public Health (medication and costs depend on country and current outbreaks)

Physician visit, if needed for medication that Public Health cannot provide ($50-$150)

But remember, if you are travelling and getting away from minus temperatures for days of sun and sand – it will all be worth it!

Lori Weber is the manager of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Health Centre

This story first appeared in the December 2011 issue of the Legend. If you'd like to see the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Debating immunizations and vaccines

trevor.kenney — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 19:26:58 +0000

Myths and stories abound surrounding the hot topic of immunizations.

If you are looking to debunk some of the myths and try and understand the science of immunization, the presentation, Getting to the Point of Immunizations – Understanding the Evidence and Science Behind Vaccine, is an excellent opportunity.

This free community-focused event will be held Thursday, Apr. 15 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness, room PE250.

The evening is focused on providing health-care providers and the public with evidence-based information around the importance of immunizations.

Speakers from both Alberta Health Services and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will discuss topics such as:

- Immunizations and populations: The impact of vaccines

- The science of immunity - Effectiveness of vaccines, natural disease vs. vaccines, types of immunity, effects of disease vs. side effects of vaccine

- Breaking down the chemistry of vaccine

- Seeing both sides - Alternative perspectives

- The art of critical thinking - How to make an informed decision, risk assessment, evaluating evidence

- Mumps Measles Rubella (MMR) – Safe and effective

Participants will be invited to ask questions and engage in discussion with the speakers panel following the presentations.

Individuals representing groups with alternative views on this issue have been invited to participate but to date have not responded. In the interest of fairness, a number of common questions will be addressed relating to alternative views of vaccinations.

This event is free of charge and no registration is required.

Health Centre offering H1N1 and seasonal flu shots

trevor.kenney — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:57:22 +0000

With another wave of H1N1 flu expected to hit the Canadian population early in the new year, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Health Centre is urging students, staff and faculty to get their flu shots if they have not already done so.

The Health Centre has both H1N1 and seasonal influenza vaccinations available to any student, staff or faculty for a limited time.

Those looking to get vaccinated can contact the Health Centre by calling 403-329-2484 to book an appointment for these injections. Vaccinations will be available each Monday and Wednesday from 9 to 11 a.m. for the next three weeks.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to host H1N1 clinic

trevor.kenney — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:19:21 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is able to offer its students, staff and faculty the opportunity to be immunized with the H1N1 vaccine at a free H1N1 clinic scheduled for Monday, Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the track of the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness.

Students, staff and faculty of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge are eligible to receive their free H1N1 vaccinations with a valid ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ identification card as well as an Alberta Health Care card number. These must be provided in order to receive the shot.

It is expected greater than 25 stations will be set up to administer the shots over the span of the six-hour clinic, with thousands expected to be vaccinated in the one-day time period.

"We have been in discussions for some time to get post secondary institutions like ours access to the H1N1 vaccine so that we could offer a clinic to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community," says U of L Health Centre manager Lori Weber, RN. "Our student group is an at-risk population and it's very important they be given the opportunity to be vaccinated."

Weber adds that it was essential the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community be given access to a clinic before the Christmas break, when many students will return home for the holidays and could be exposed to a whole new round of H1N1 sufferers.

"We are at a lull right now and the number of cases throughout southern Alberta has been on the decline," says Weber. "But people should not be complacent thinking this is over. It is expected a third wave of the disease will hit hard in the new year, and if we can protect as many people as possible on campus by virtue of them getting vaccinated, it will help us deal with the expected re-emergence of the virus in January 2010."

Open access clinics have been made available to the general public by Alberta Health Services in recent weeks, but to bring the vaccine on site was preferable.
"Many of our students do not have the time or means to go across the city to wait in lines to receive their shots," Weber says. "Staff and faculty often cannot take time away from their jobs to attend these clinics. By bringing a clinic on site, it allows us to reach a much larger percentage of our community. Please come out on Dec. 7 to be vaccinated against the H1N1 virus and avoid bringing home (or getting) unexpected Christmas gifts!"

Vigilance, vaccination encouraged to stem flu

trevor.kenney — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:02:14 +0000

If there ever was a doubt that H1N1 Infleunza would impact the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, that was cast aside when the Pronghorns women's hockey team was forced to postpone a Canada West hockey series at the end of October.

With a quarter of the team's roster unable to play because they were experiencing flu-like symptoms, the Pronghorns and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan athletics programs made a joint decision to postpone the Oct. 30-31 series and reschedule it to January, 2010.

"I applaud the actions taken to protect the health of the sports teams involved,"
U of L Health Centre manager Lori Weber, RN, says. "As a reminder, all those involved in any sport should be taking extra vigilance with cleaning sports equipment, not sharing water bottles, mouth guards or other equipment and notifying their coach/team when they are ill."

While the Pronghorns likely could have played the series shorthanded, the decision to postpone was made as much to protect fellow teammates from becoming ill and stemming the spread of the flu.

"It was very important to postpone this series to ensure that our team members and our visitors were not further exposed to the flu-like symptoms that have been spreading through the community," says Pronghorns assistant coach Deb Marek. "We currently have six players and coach Chandy Kaip away ill, and their health and well-being is critical."

For Weber, the incidence of sickness served as an opportunity to remind the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community to continue to be vigilant in practicing established protocols to ward off the flu.

"The team illness is unfortunate, but not a surprise considering that there are currently more than 300 students, staff and faculty listed as ill on the
U of L's flu registry – about three percent of the school's student and employee population," she says.

The registry's numbers have been picking up steam of late, moving from just over 70 registrants to more than 300 in a span of 10 days.

Weber continues to advise persons to take advantage of the free H1N1 vaccinations that are currently being offered by Alberta Health Services at various sites throughout southern Alberta. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is expected to have its own vaccine in short order and will begin administering shots when given the go ahead from Alberta Health Services.

"The fact that we have less than five per cent of our population ill is a testament to people paying heed to the warnings we have posted throughout campus," Weber says. "But with flu so prevalent in the community, it's impossible to keep it out of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ environment. Therefore we urge people to get vaccinated and continue to be diligent with hand washing and sanitizing to keep our levels as low as possible."

UNews - vaccinations

Winter getaway must include health plan

Related Topics

Debating immunizations and vaccines

Related Topics

Health Centre offering H1N1 and seasonal flu shots

Related Topics

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ to host H1N1 clinic

Related Topics

Vigilance, vaccination encouraged to stem flu

Related Topics

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to host H1N1 clinic