:: Flu Preparedness ::
A crisp chill in the air has signaled
the arrival of autumn. Brightly colored leaves covering the ground,
Friday night football crowds, lawns and porches speckled with orange
pumpkins, and the sight of children tugging on their parents’
jackets every time they pass a candy display in the grocery store.
But with the excitement of the changing seasons comes the unfriendly
onset of the flu. According to the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, the annual influenza season in the U.S. results in
over $1 billion in direct medical costs and affects anywhere from
five to twenty percent of the population. There is no way to stop
the flu season from quickly approaching, but there are ways of
decreasing your family’s chances of getting the flu. These easy and
low-cost steps from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) can stop many infectious diseases:
Know the seasonal flu activity in your area. Weather.com in
conjunction with The Weather Channel and the CDC offers weekly
reports on influenza activity across the U.S. and in Virginia. The
flu season in the U.S. is usually from November to April, and the
season “peaks” around late-December to early-March. You may access
the weekly updates by going to
www.weather.com.
Get immunized. Annual vaccinations, using the correct strain,
can be an effective method of preventing the flu. The “flu shot”
contains a benign virus and is inserted using a needle, usually
through the arm. There is also a nasal-spray flu vaccine available
for healthy persons aged 5-49 years. The viruses used in the
vaccination are based on international health observations and
scientists’ predictions on which virus strains will circulate during
a particular flu season. Because the strains of viruses change each
year, everyone must be re-vaccinated each year.
Flu shots are usually offered beginning in September so check with
your health provider about availability. It takes about two weeks
for the immunization to start working, so getting your immunization
early increases its effectiveness. The flu shot will not guarantee
you won’t get the flu, but it does greatly reduce your chances. To
find a flu clinic near you, the American Lung Association features a
Flu Clinic Locator on their website at
www.flucliniclocator.org.
The website also allows you to sign up for email updates on flu
activity.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Avoid sharing
food, cell phones, or any other object that comes in frequent
contact with your hands or mouth. Simple steps such as these will
help you avoid passing along unwanted germs.
Clean your hands often. Although this may seem obvious, many
do not know that the CDC recommends you should wash your hands for
at least 30 seconds with warm water and soap. Germs are more often
spread by hands rather than airborne transmission. You should wash
your hands after touching things like money, which may be
contaminated. Keeping alcohol-based hand sanitizers on your desk and
in your car allows you to keep your hands clean when you are not
near a sink.
Regularly clean and sanitize high-traffic areas. Some viruses
and bacteria can live up to two hours on places such as countertops,
desks, and doorknobs. Regularly disinfecting these areas will
greatly decrease your chances of catching the flu.
Practice other good health habits. Getting enough sleep,
exercising regularly and eating right will ensure that your body is
operating at its strongest level to fight off the flu.
By following these simple precautions, you will build your
protection against the quickly and inevitably approaching flu season
and greatly decrease your chances of spending a week in bed with the
flu. As the case with many health issues, taking a proactive
approach towards prevention will help you to better protect yourself
and your family. For more information on how you can protect
yourself from the flu, visit
www.cdc.gov.
:: MLK, Jr. Memorial Groundbreaking ::
He was a pastor, a father, and author of
inspiring sermons and letters. He was the first to lead a
non-violent Civil Rights demonstration, trusting that it would bring
change in our country. He was arrested nearly twenty times and
assaulted at least four times. At 35, he stood the youngest man to
be awarded the Nobel peace prize and, in 1963, named Time Magazine’s
“Man of the Year.” A visionary and a believer of triumph over
century-long oppression, his address from the steps of the Lincoln
Memorial, where he boldly delivered those words, “I have a dream,”
lifted him to greatness. He is now known as one of the most symbolic
leaders for freedom and justice in American history.
On November 13, 2006, the Build the Dream Organization will break
ground on the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial in our
Nation’s Capital. The site of the memorial is a 4-acre lot located
on the northeast corner of the Tidal basin, and will create a visual
“line of leadership”, linking the Jefferson Memorial, the King Jr.
Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial, where King delivered his “I have
a dream” speech. The groundbreaking ceremony is set to accommodate
5,000 guests and tickets are free to the public on a first-come,
first-serve basis. Should you be able to travel to Washington, I
invite you to attend this momentous event.
Today, Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most studied historical
figures in our schools and a representation of courage and
self-determination to African Americans. His wisdom and actions are
intertwined in the fabric of American life. The vision of the Build
the Dream Foundation is to capture the essence of King’s message of
freedom and democracy for all that continues to influence people
worldwide.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Our lives begin to end the day we
become silent about the things that matter.”
It is with great joy that we break ground on a memorial in honor of
a man who stood courageously for the priceless blessing of freedom
and peace.
For further information on attending the ceremonial groundbreaking
of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, visit
www.buildthedream.org or
call 1-888-484-3373. |
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Chesapeake, VA 23320
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Colonial Heights, VA 23834
804.526.4969
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Emporia, VA 23847
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