H1N1 Flu Information - Updated 12/16/09
December 15, 2009 Update: Everybody six months of age and older in King County is now eligible to receive H1N1 influenza vaccine. Check with your health care provider or the list of participating pharmacies to see if you can get vaccine there.
If you cannot afford the vaccine, please come to one of the free vaccination clinics.
12/09/09 - KING COUNTY, WA - Starting this Saturday, December 12, those eligible to receive H1N1 influenza vaccine will be expanded to everybody six months of age and older in King County. Depending on early demand among this broader group, supplies may be limited for a time at some locations.
Public Health - Seattle & King County is taking this next step in widening H1N1 vaccine eligibility because many health care providers in King County are now reporting that they are able to meet the demand for their highest risk patients and vaccine supplies are increasing and expected to continue to rise steadily. View full press release.
View the full list of free vaccination clinics (PDF)
PSESD is preparing plans and policies to be prepared IF any special arrangements are needed to be put in place to help the Health Departments prevent and mitigate the spread of H1N1 Flu. We'll keep you posted on MyPSESD.org.
In the meantime, the Public Health Departments in King and Pierce counties are asking everyone to exercise good preventative measures to help everyone stay healthy.
King County Health Department Recommendations:
- Sick employees should stay home from work or consider ways to work from home. Prevent the spread of illness within the workplace by staying home when you are sick. If you are showing any signs of the flu, stay home for the day, and for 7 days after the first sign of the flu, or for 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicines, whichever is longer. Please respect your fellow employees and their families by not coming to work ill. If you have concerns about sick leave, etc., discuss this with your supervisor.
- Parents are the first line of defense against the spread of the flu for their children. Check children for any sign of flu before sending them to school. Symptoms include: fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting. If a child is showing any signs of the flu, parents should keep them home for the day, and for 7 days after the first sign of the flu, or for 24 hours after the symptoms are gone, whichever is longer. A helpful document titled, "When to keep your child home from school" is available here.
- Promote actions to stop the spread of germs:
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the crook of your elbow.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.
- Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also effective.
- Exercise personal preparedness. Plan for child care in the event of school closures and know what to do when loved ones get sick.
For more information:
- To speak with an operator, call the flu hotline at 1- 877-903-5464, TTY Relay: 711; M-F, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. For languages other than English, the hotline operator will connect the caller to an interpreter service so that questions and answers can be clearly understood.
- For updated recorded messages, call 206-296-4949. This line provides health and safety information about the current flu outbreak.
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Updated 12/16/09
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